Icing on the cake of a remarkable career: Thomas Kailath

Professor Thomas Kailath, who was felicitated by United States President Barack Obama with the top presidential medal for transformative contributions to the fields of science and technology, was tickled that a phrase he had used -- that scientists are ‘intrinsically hopeful’ -- and which Obama had used thrice, had captured the people’s imagination.

“Some people started calling me and telling me that it is trending on Twitter,” Kailath told India Abroad.

Please read: Obama felicitates Indian American for scientific achievement

Asked how he felt on being awarded this prestigious medal by the President of the United States, Kailath said, “Obviously, one feels very good. It’s hard to say how happy I am, how pleased I was and how proud and grateful I am to the people who made it happen.”

With his quintessential humility, he reiterated, “Many people have played a role in it. This honor and recognition, is certainly the icing on the cake of a remarkable career.”

“It was an incredible day and a memorable experience,” Kailath said.

“Who could have dreamt… I was a student in Pune in high school and I dreamt a little bit about coming to the United States, but never thought it was possible. Some good friends made it possible and 57 years ago, as Obama said, I was 22 when I landed here and it has been a remarkable dream career for me.”

Kailath added, “Studying at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then working at Stanford -- the two great institutions in this country -- it was indeed a remarkable dream.”

He said he had taught and mentored more than 100 post-doctoral students, “and many of them are distinguished and have 20 or 25 companies, some of which I was directly involved in.”

“The President mentioned that in the citation -- the citation was very nice. It was carefully chosen I am sure,” he said.

What did he tell Obama when he was called to the dais and a military aide read out the citation and then another handed over the medal?

“I said I am honoured to meet you and I am an admirer,” Kailath replied. “And he smiled and said, ‘Thank you for your service’ and so on.” Before they came into the East Room, Obama had met with the awardees and their families in the Blue Room of the White House, Kailath said.

“And we took a group picture. When my son Ryan mentioned that he had worked in his campaign, Obama asked where. Ryan replied that he started in New Hampshire and then in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Obama said, “That’s great!”

Kailath said his wife Anuradha Luther Maitra also told Obama “that we had been strong supporters of him right from the beginning." Maitra, who received her PhD in economics from Stanford, is a special adviser to the chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz, for international initiatives.

According to Kailath, Ryan, who was working in the computer industry, “Got tired of it and said, ‘I don’t want to write code all my life.’ And he enrolled in radio journalism and is doing some projects for National Public Radio and is based in Manhattan.”

Kailath’s daughter, Ann Kailath, a physician in Boston, also accompanied him to the White House. “I was doubly honoured,” Kailath said, “To receive this award from and articulate, intelligent president.”

Image: Thomas Kailath at his felicitation. Photograph: Reuters