Robert (Bob) Reitz, age 96, died on March 22 here in Northfield. Bob taught Physics at Carleton for 36 years, beginning as an assistant professor in 1954 and retiring in 1990 as Professor of Physics, Emeritus. Former colleagues describe him as the “glue that held our department together.” Daily coffee sessions in his office were a time to share the challenges and successes of teaching, and Bob was a constant source of encouragement. He gave his students the same gifts of warmth, kindness, and dedication to their learning. Bob helped create a very friendly and supportive department and “taught us all how to be our better selves.”
Bob chaired the Physics Department for a total of 18 years, helping to develop innovative teaching methods, and enlarging the department to include Astronomy. Because of these changes, Carleton had more graduates awarded PhDs in Physics than any other four-year liberal arts college for many years. Because he couldn’t easily pursue his graduate work in high energy nuclear physics here, Bob shifted his research to solid-state physics, studying the electric properties and color centers of alkali-halide crystals. He received five National Science Foundation Research Grants and two Sloan Foundation grants to support this research that included students.
Bob also had a strong influence on the college. He oversaw the planning for Olin Hall in 1961. In 1969-70, he chaired the committee that developed the College Council and our current governance system that involves students, faculty, and staff at every level. And he chaired the committee that reinstated Friday morning convocations.
Bob and his wife, Joan, who died four years ago, were very involved in the Northfield community.
A memorial service was held at Carleton’s Skinner Chapel on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The program from the service, including the family’s obituary and information about memorial gifts, is attached.
Comments
A fine man and admirable colleague in every respect. He was always a favorite of mine during our days together at Carleton. We need many more like him. May he rest in peace.
In the summer of 1954 Bob Reitz and I arrived on campus to begin long careers. Much later we
“Tied for seniority” and shared the post of College Marshall. In the 50s we became loyal fishing buddies, often meeting at 4am to get to Dudley Lake before sunrise. We formed a tradition of taking turns bringing little apple pies, costing 10 cents each from Klinkhammer’s Bakery. We also formed a poker club (NISIS, Northfield Inside-Straight Improvement Society) that met monthly with cigars and beer.
We and our beautiful wives treasured meetings with other young faculty, including dining in the elegant CC Tea Roomand welcomed to formal student dances. We worked together to design a new course that simultaneously combined basic physics and chemistry. Oh, well, we tried. All of us thought there could be no person better than L.M. Gould. We came at a time when academic departments had no telephones, and left a college rich in modern technology. And we loved it! Beat the OLES!
For many years Bob Reitz was my best friend at Carleton. We played racquetball every week. We were evenly matched although I suspect he won more often than not. We played in the same poker group for many years and often he and Joan drove me home after we stopped off for Bob's "last cigar". Many of my memories involve both Bob and his marvelous wife Joan. I can't count how many times Jean and I went to dinner in their home, one of which was taking off my black arm-band some months after Jean's untimely death. The four of us had season tickets to the Guthrie Theater and went together for over twenty years, a custom that continued when I married Adrie. The four of us went to Sicily together for a good month. So many happy memories! I thought of Bob often in later years, always of our many good years together.
I lived across the street from the Reitzes and their son Doug was my best friend so they were my second set of parents for several decades and the best neighbors (Bunday Ct where we were was much more hip than Hillside Ct where Jerry Mohrig and Richard Ramette lived). Bob certainly influenced and encouraged my interest in science and I recall him bringing home a Wang Calculator sometime in the late 60's that we thought was the coolest thing! Great, fond memories of all of the Reitz clan and our time together!
Prof Reitz was such a kind man and a quality instructor. II don't believe I ever had another professor who could reach into your mind and see what was confusing you about a particular physics topic. A real Jedi mind trick. I was fortunate indeed to have learned from him.
I have very fond memories of Professor Reitz. Although I graduated a half-century ago, I can still recall his special voice, his smile, his enthusiasm for physics. I'm glad that he lived such a long life.
My first physics class was winter term my freshman year. It was a large lecture class and I sat near the back, yet midway through the term he recognized me by name on campus. That class was the start of my long career in physics and Bob Reitz gets some of the credit for that.
Bob Reitz was an amazing professor and a better mentor. He had the insight to see that I would be a much better engineer than I would ever be a physicist. He guided me along that path and sponsored me for independent studies that helped me make up for some of the undergraduate engineering courses that would be expected when I started graduate school in mechanical engineering. All of the Carleton physics professors were excellent but Bob will always stand out for me for the personal attention he provided in guiding my career path.
I remember going to Bob's office for my first advisee meeting after declaring Physics. One wall of his office was physics cartoons and a blackboard full of formulas; the other was a giant macramé wall hanging and photos of kids and grandkids. The perfect balance!
Bob was such a great prof. I can still hear him saying, "Perf!" when I did summer research at Carleton. He not only taught me physics but how to be a professor. I would think of him when I told my students I didn't know the answer but would figure it out and get back to them. During my time, there were no women profs in the department, yet there was never a hint I got that I was unwelcome or unqualified for the profession. His kindness, humor, and understanding were great gifts to all of us. May he rest in peace.
Dr. Reitz (as we called him) played an important role in my life at Carleton. He was an excellent teacher, always presenting new material clearly to be sure we all understood.
During my second Carleton summer, I assisted him on his crystal research project, and found him to be consistently positive and helpful. He obviously took seriously his role as a teacher and mentor for future physicists. I am very said to hear he has left us.
I started school at Carleton in 1964. At that time it was very unusual for a young woman to major in physics, and there were many people who didn’t hesitate to tell me how strange they thought I was.
Mr. Reitz (as we students called him) was department chair at the time and, in Carleton’s small department, I took many courses from him. He didn’t treat me like “everyone else,” which would have been impossible—I wasn’t like everyone else. He was welcoming and generous and made me feel that I belonged, that I was an asset to the department. I learned a lot of important physics from him and, even more important, I learned not to think of myself as strange or weird.
I went on to get a PhD, work at a research lab, and spend most of my career teaching physics at a small liberal arts college. There were many people in all those places who did tell me how strange they thought I was. But I was armored by Mr. Reitz’s concern and support (to say nothing of the physics).
I learned later that Carleton was known for its large number of women physics majors. This is no surprise to me—I remember well the welcoming department that Mr. Reitz fostered.
Just one more anecdote. Fifteen years after Carleton, when I was a professor myself, with students of my own, I ran into Mr. Reitz at an AAPT meeting. As soon as he saw me, with no hesitation, he smiled a welcoming smile and said, “Hello, Barbara.”
We were very saddened to hear that we’ve lost Bob, but we’re grateful for the many years we had knowing him. We were Bob and Joan’s across-the-backyard-fence neighbors for over 15 years. (We live in the house in Hillside Court that Dick Ramette once owned.) The neighborhood we moved into in 1992 was what we affectionately called a “Carleton ghetto,” as it originally included Jerry and Jean Mohrig, Paul and Marie Jensen, David and Heather Davis-Van Atta and Jack and Jinny Thurnblad. Bob had just recently finished teaching before we moved in, so we knew him as a relaxed and genial retiree, constantly working in his yard – especially on his cornucopia of a garden, which bloomed below Joan’s outdoor clothesline rippling in the breeze. We loved hearing of Bob and Joan’s travels (both domestic and international) and of their visits with family. They were the epitome of a steady, committed, loving couple and we count ourselves fortunate to have had such wonderful neighbors and the pleasure of their company for so many years.
Bob and Joan were special friends of ours and we enjoyed their company not only in Northfield but Santa Fe and on the 3 week Greek tour ca. 2001. I am writing because my beloved Dale of 40 plus years died a week ago and in recent weeks we have been very preoccupied with his health issues. Dale also often recalled the poker club and other social activities before and during my time. And I remember going to hear Bob talk about his sabbatical work and wished I had been his student. Joan and I talked about being only children and shared many sweet stories. We wish the best to all the Reitz children and their families. Warmly, Karen