Whoosh

For two days last October, a slim, dark-haired boy of 17 sat in a University of Chicago classroom wrestling with such questions as:

"A gunner in New York wishes to hit a target five miles directly south of him on a windless day. He should aim (a) slightly to the east of the target (b) directly north (c) slightly to the west of the target."*

"At new moon, what is the appearance (phase) of the earth as seen from the moon: (a) The earth is at third quarter (b) at half (c) at first quarter (d) at full (e) is new."/-

Altogether, Joseph Edward Nelson had taken 14 lengthy exams. He had done so well on the first ten placement tests required of all students that his faculty advisers decided he should take four advanced tests. Ed Nelson's over-all examination grades gave Chicago a jolt. Last week the university reported that they were so good that, under the Chicago plan, he could go right on for his Master's degree without bothering with his Bachelor's. He had, in effect, satisfied Chicago's academic requirements for the A.B. in record time.

Ed Nelson had a further distinction: he had never spent much time in U.S. high schools. The son of an American Y.M.C.A. official in Rome, he had studied at an Italian prep school, done a lot of outside reading on his own.

By last week, Ed had started to work for an M.S. in mathematics.

*Slightly east, to compensate for the earth's rotation.

/-At full.

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