[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/brockhouse_63_sm.jpg” caption=”Pictured from left are, Brian Knott, Beth Knott, Nigel Knott, Gordon Brockhouse, Ian Brockhouse, Doris Brockhouse; and Roberta Brockhouse. Click here for FULL Size Photo credit: Julia Thomson”]

Gordon Brockhouse, son of McMaster professor and Nobel prize winner Bertram Brockhouse, delivered the remarks below on behalf of the Brockhouse family at the dedication of 'Brockhouse Way.'

My mother, brothers, sisters and I want to thank Dr. George and the Vice-Presidents of McMaster University for their decision to re-name this street in honour of my father. Equally, we want to congratulate them on their wisdom in choosing the name “Brockhouse Way,” rather than, say, “Brockhouse Street” or “Brockhouse Avenue.”

Last weekend, my mother told me how Dad's colleagues at the AECL would sometimes ask for advice when they ran into a problem with an experiment. They referred to Dad's imaginative and elegant solutions as “the Brockhouse Way.”

I know that many people at McMaster have their own memories of the Bertram Brockhouse Way: his sharp intellect, his formidable powers of concentration and industry, his love of teaching and concern for his students. For his family, the Bertram Brockhouse way meant a stable loving home, with strong guidance and moral leadership. Though of course we didn't fully appreciate it as youngsters, it meant having a father who made personal sacrifices so his children would have a strong start in life. Others may remember Dad's moral clarity and strong principles, his lively and disciplined mind, his gracious hospitality, his courtesy, and his fortitude in adversity.

So from now on, if we're walking along this street, or looking for the Institute for Applied Health Sciences on Mapquest, we'll have occasion to remember not just a name, or a person, but a way of living, and to be touched, challenged and inspired by that memory.

Thank you very much.