Dr. John Meriwether RIP

[60swerethebest]

For those of you who had the pleasure and work load of Prof in Physics and or Computer Science, we’ve lost one of our treasures. Brilliant scholar and great teacher and researcher. He was my last guy standing until he retired. None left who survived teaching me. Still remember spending late, late nights at computer center working out numerical analysis courses during Masters. RIP Doc.

[Looney Lou]

I had to take a summer class in Physics in 1969. I was not a great mathematician and I feared Physics. He was awesome. I felt like I was going to get an ice cream cone each day I went to class. What a bright spot in my summer! He was THE best lecturer/demonstrator. Physics was a breeze. He made it a breeze! He gave us time off the day that man landed on the moon so we could stay up and watch the marvel. He was tall and thin. He had a red afro and hopped around the stage. It was such a marvelous experience. Best Teacher Ever. I was so lucky to have had him. I made an A. He opened up a whole new world. Thank You, Dr. Meriwether.

[covcaj]

I had to take a summer class in Physics in 1969. I was not a great mathematician and I feared Physics. He was awesome. I felt like I was going to get an ice cream cone each day I went to class. What a bright spot in my summer! He was THE best lecturer/demonstrator. Physics was a breeze. He made it a breeze! He gave us time off the day that man landed on the moon so we could stay up and watch the marvel. He was tall and thin. He had a red afro and hopped around the stage. It was such a marvelous experience. Best Teacher Ever. I was so lucky to have had him. I made an A. He opened up a whole new world. Thank You, Dr. Meriwether.

I think about him often. He was truly a brilliant man and a first class human being.

[BabbForHeisman]

Meriwether and Hibbeler. Those two guys were the best technical professors I had. RIP to a great one.

[CajunFun]

For those of you who had the pleasure and work load of Prof in Physics and or Computer Science, we’ve lost one of our treasures. Brilliant scholar and great teacher and researcher. He was my last guy standing until he retired. None left who survived teaching me. Still remember spending late, late nights at computer center working out numerical analysis courses during Masters. RIP Doc.

Oh, no. The man was an institution. Always a level head, always a class act.

[HelmutVII]

He was a first class guy.

[Tripple Threat]

For those of you who had the pleasure and work load of Prof in Physics and or Computer Science, we’ve lost one of our treasures. Brilliant scholar and great teacher and researcher. He was my last guy standing until he retired. None left who survived teaching me. Still remember spending late, late nights at computer center working out numerical analysis courses during Masters. RIP Doc.

I’m sorry to hear this, he really was a memorable professor that didn’t have some of the arrogance you could see. Nice guy and a good teacher. Really sorry to hear this

[CajunFan3406]

Just seeing this. This sucks. I was actually just thinking about Doc a few weeks ago.

I had the pleasure of him being my professor for honors physics. 5.0 credit class that met an extra day during the week. So in our situation the regular class of 50 or so General Physics students (4.0 credit hour) + honors physics students met M-Th 11-11:50 all with the same instructor, and then the small group of 5 or so honors students met with Dr. Meriwether on Fridays from 11-11:50. He was head of the physics department at that time. The structure of the Friday "class" was basically a discussion amongst our small group of interesting topics in physics, no extra tests; just an amazing experience. Our only homework was to read sections of Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World each week, which truthfully was not work. I read the book twice during that semester. We would also use the time as office hours to have Doc re-explain any class topics from the week that may have been unclear. Of all the honors classes I took, that one was by far my favorite.

Great mind, great teacher, great person. RIP Dr. Meriwether.

[Cajun90]

Had him for physics. Great human being all around. Seems he was known by all on campus. Even those who never graced his classroom.

[ULGrad@HOU]

This is sad news, Dr. Meriwhether was a great professor and one of my favorites. He had this energy about him and he loved teaching. He made science fun. RIP Dr. Meriwhether.

[cypremort]

I took Physics as one of my electives just to have a class with Dr. Meriwether. Great teacher and a great person.

[CharlieK]

Meriwether and Hibbeler. Those two guys were the best technical professors I had. RIP to a great one.

When I took Dynamics, Hibbeler had two sections. For one he made them do extra work. The other (us) he gave candy to in class. He wanted to see which section made better grades. He was a nut….

[Redgineer]

When I took Dynamics, Hibbeler had two sections. For one he made them do extra work. The other (us) he gave candy to in class. He wanted to see which section made better grades. He was a nut….

Pretty amazing to have the author of the book you're studying also teach the class.

[Redgineer]

Had him for physics. Great human being all around. Seems he was known by all on campus. Even those who never graced his classroom.

One day there was a tenth of students in class and he got mad and off the cuff he gave a pop quiz with one question: Write Newton's 2nd Law in any form you want.

[RCFan]

He had a wheel, that he'd spin everyday, which whatever number it fell on he'd grade from the homework, which counted as a test grade. One particular homework problem he gave of the 4 problems for that night gave me a lot of trouble. So I got to class early and taped a quarter to the back of the one that gave me issue. So, he came into class as normal and spun the wheel, the wheel spun but spun backwards when it reach the top. He looked at it curiously and spun it again, did the same thing. He look at the back of the wheel, saw the quarter, put it in his pocket and said, I guess someone had problems with this one, so I won't grade it and proceeded to show how to solve it.

Great professor.