KLUYVER AS SEEN BY HIS PUPILS 



vice ; he taught by asking questions ; he armed himself by refraining 

 from fighting. With just that little more patience than the average, he 

 could manoeuvre himself into the strongest position, and usually man- 

 aged to accomplish what he wanted. He hardly ever worked in the 

 laboratory with his own hands; he used people as well as his pen as 

 his instruments. 



Indubitably these great talents could have assured Kluyver of great- 

 er and more spectacular successes had he cared to exercise them to 

 these ends. We can only conclude that he had diverted his ambitions 

 from the common path and held uncommon personal views as to what 

 is significant. 



Turning to Kluyver's attainments, we may pass over the more ob- 

 vious ones in the field of science, and concentrate on the less tangible 

 effects of his labours. The profound influence he exerted on those 

 around him has been stressed even in articles on Kluyver as a scientist. 

 It was indeed a great and intense experience to be exposed to the ra- 

 diance of his personality. He had acquired the rare ability to transfer 

 effectively the fruits of his experience to other people, a quality per- 

 haps greater than wisdom. He had known the sting of ambition, the 

 tensions of failure and success, of fear and inferiority; but he had come 

 through unscathed, soaring above them with a smile. He had related 

 his knowledge of the 'infinitely small' to life as a whole and to man's 

 place in it. His teaching and research had grown from an end into a 

 means; and by communicating his wisdom to his associates so that 

 it always filled their individual needs, he made a lasting contribution 

 to their education. With the rich expressiveness of his face and subtle 

 speech he could uncover unsuspected potentialities in his pupils, and 

 convey enduring aid and comfort. In this way he also transmitted 

 moral codes that were almost unconsciously adopted by recognition. 

 This powerful influence of Kluyver on his fellowmen has been 

 touchingly described by Senez, who, after Kluyver's death, wrote: 

 'J'ai fait a Delft, il y a deja plusieurs annees, un trop court sejour, dont 

 je garde un souvenir tres vif et tres precieux. Votre Maitre, Monsieur 

 le Professeur Kluyver, m'y avait recu avec cette simplicite charmante 

 qui etait la sienne et les quelques jours passes aupres de lui ont tres 

 profondement oriente ma carriere scientifique. Son rayonnement etait 

 immense et il existe dans le monde entier des chercheurs qui se con- 



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