02/09/11….Broken heart brings joy to Thame bookshop

APPROACHED by the daughter of an eminent professor who had recently died, the Oxfam book shop in Thame was faced with a tale of a broken heart and a library full of scientific academic books.

The daughter’s step-father, Professor John Ziman, had a distinguished career based in Physics research but later in life wrote extensively on the social implication of science and how scientists should be morally accountable for their work – a notion that these days now dictates much scientific research.

Professor Ziman, the ultimate ‘high flyer’ held many prestigious professorships at Bristol, Cambridge and Wellington, New Zealand universities, and produced texts on electrons and phonos, the theory of solids and advanced quantum theory before being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1976.

The family wished to donate this library of knowledge and hard work to Oxfam where the academic work of both professors could be shared and passed on.

In awe of the library and the story of the eminent man behind it, the Thame Oxfam team carefully removed the books from the library, researched them individually and cellophaned each one to protect it. The books will be offered for sale throughout September and feature in a special window display ready for the key month for other academics and university undergraduates.

The sentimentality of his character had its effects, as after his death, Professor Ziman’s wife, Professor Joan Soloman, did not wish to leave the home they had together and later passed away, by what her doctor- daughter could only describe as a broken heart.

PHOTO: The late Professor John Ziman