Charles Kittel’s perseverance

I read with great sadness the obituary of Charles Kittel (Physics Today, October 2019, page 73). I have something to add—namely, his incredible courage in the face of a major speech impediment. His example of not bowing to his disability but soldiering on was an inspiration to anyone lucky enough to hear him speak. I look back at my incredible fortune in having spent time with Professor Kittel, and my guess is that thousands of physicists around the world would say the same thing.