A. Shamim Siddiqui

Frederick LewisPresident and CEOBillLewis@Prospect-Tech.comMonday, September 03, 2001Dear Cora and Sassie:This letter is a vain attempt to describe to you both what 25 + years offriendship with Professor A. Shamim Siddiqui meant to me. I met Shamim in September 1976 where we were young fellows / lecturersat the Physics Department of the University of London.
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I even remember walking into the officefor the first time, when this Pakistani Gentleman rose from his desk andsmilingly griped my hand and said simply: "Siddiqui".Little did Irealize as I was looking into the eyes of this man dressed in a veryproper suit with dark rimmed glasses and a beard that he was to becomeone of the best friends I will ever have on this earth.Shamimimmediately mentioned going to the Senior.Common Room for lunch and Iagreed.That gesture of friendship and courtesy started a wonderfulritual that we both enjoyed almost daily for the next nearly two years.Shamim had an uncanny ability to sense my moods.On days I was notfeeling 100% -- whether it was my being unsure if I wanted to remain inphysics, or disturbed by something - Shamim would take one look at meand simply say, while stroking his beard or pointing his finger at someimaginary demon: "Right, . . . . cheap eats today for lunch!"He wouldthen open a book he owned that was by the same name.Shamim would spendall morning looking for an eating establishment that he felt wouldmiraculously return me to my normal spirit and - unfortunately -- loudbooming laugh. (Hey, Siddiqui . . .you could have found a luncheon placethat would have turned down the volume of my laugh, . . . you know?) We both had a favorite place on Brick Lane called the Clifton.At theClifton, Shamim taught me to eat chapatis with one hand and come toappreciate the delicacies of Indian / Pakistani cuisine.He almostalways ordered the lunch and we would be soon loaded down with allsorts of food.Enough, really, for about 4 of us.Shamim was alwayssaying something like "Here, try some of this" or "I bet you would likethis!"Our lunches were memorable and so was my growing love for thesespecial times together.In many ways, I guess I looked upon Shamim as abig brother asking his advice and listening to his words ofencouragement.While we both were physicists, we would rarely talk shop.Somehow wetalked about all sorts of other things: music, Beethoven, Cora, Sassi,politics both in the UK as well in the States, travel, more Cora andSassi, Pakistan, art, even more music, much more Cora and Sassi, and . .. opera (Yes, Siddiqui, you wore me down and I did finally see theRing!And, yes, you were right . . . seeing the "Ring" is a "life'sexperience" . . . not just an operatic performance!)A small digression: The first year, Shamim and I were at Collegetogether, he and Cora had tickets to the Ring at Covent Gardens.Shamimwas very pleased with himself, as he had figured how to see all 4 Operasof the Ring over a very short period of time.He had worked it so thathe could come to the Queen Mary College (QMC) Physics Department withhis office clothes on and Cora would drive into London and bringShamim's clothes for the Opera that night.Well, this worked quite wellfor the first few days of the Ring.However, I believe it was on thethird day, with another Opera looming that night, that my dear frienddragged himself into our office that morning.He was tired.Very, verytired.He and Cora had gotten back to Colchester in the wee hours fromCovent Garden.He had gotten himself out of bed early to catch the trainback to London and work at the physics department.Unfortunately, thegods of sleep had other ideas that day for Shamim.I was working on theblackboard with some equations when I abruptly stopped upon hearing thedistinctive sound of someone sleeping.Sure enough, I turned and foundDr.Siddiqui face down asleep on his desk -- laying spread atop all ofhis papers, parts from different scientific instruments, and blueprintsof apparatus to be built - and gently snoring away!I let him sleepmost of the day . . . face down on his desk!Unfortunately, for Shamim, QMC also presented a significant challenge tohis very character as a gentleman and a physicist.After I had returnedto the States, Shamim produced extensive data from some of the researchthat he began when I was in England.The research work was solid, andthe results were greeted by generally wide praise.Unfortunately, theresults did contradict the accepted theory on the electronic propertiesof solids, brought forth by the head of his research group.Shamim found himself in a dilemma.He could quietly bury his results orsomehow conform to the "status quo".Unfortunately, this was thegreatest nightmare for a young physicist: his data contradicted theresults previously published by the head of his research group at QMC.These were very scary times for our friend.On one hand, he wanted - weall wanted! -- to climb up the ladder of success in a top physicsdepartment.However, one had to be true to scientific results and one'spersonal integrity.Despite all the external pressure for conformityand possible ostracization, Shamim held his ground.While vindicationwas still several years off, my dear friend went though his roughestperiod of his career in science.Were it not for the intervention byProfessor Brian Ridley, many of his friends here today from theUniversity of Essex, and ever presence of his wonderful wife Cora, thebrilliant work of Professor A. Shamim Siddiqui, as we know it today,might never have been accomplished.A major tragedy was avoided by thisexceptional man supported by his even more exceptional friends andfamily.Isn't the world a better place for the presence of Professor A. ShamimSiddiqui?God knows, he changed my life a great deal.Shamim and I had always talked that I would return to England and theUniv. of Essex for his lecture marking the receiving the title ofProfessor.For years, I kidded my friend that I would sit in the firstrow and ask questions.I even mentioned to him that I would probablyraise my hand and say something like: "Professor Sidiqqui, equation 7that you just wrote on the blackboard does not agree with what you wrotedown in equation 2?!?!?!?!"Upon hearing me say this, Shamim wouldalways look over the top of his glasses and give me a strange lookindicating that he was unsure of how serious I was with this comment.Actually, I would have returned to England with pride.One of my verybest and closest friends in the entire world had reached the"top-of-his-game".A Professorship in science / engineering at a majorresearch university.Gosh, I was proud that he was my friend.Sleep well, my dear friend.