James Richard Forsman - Casey M Durandet K-12 Education Fund
By: Casey Durandet
James Richard Forsman: Physicist, Teacher, Ham Radio guru, Pilot/Flight Instructor, Professional Photographer, Curious Character, Lover of Life, “MacGyver Extraordinaire!”
James Richard Forsman began his 48-year teaching career in 1964. His first year was at San Fernando High School in Los Angeles. The rest of his years were spent in the Phoenix area. He taught at Glendale High School, Thunderbird High School, Apollo High School, and Sunnyslope High school. In addition, he was the Science and Mathematics Curriculum Coordinator for the Glendale Union High School District. His love of teaching was so great that he was also an Adjunct Professor of Physics at Phoenix College from 1990 to 1992 and then at Paradise Valley Community College from 1993 through 2012. He taught the whole spectrum of math and science classes, with his specialty in physics.
In 1990, Jim got the opportunity of a lifetime. He applied for and was offered a job to work at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) during the summer months as part of Fermilab’s summer program for high school teachers. Fermilab is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics, and it is located 40 miles west of Chicago. Fermilab’s vision is to “solve the mysteries of matter, energy, space, and time for the benefit of all.” He thrived in that environment, and he proved himself invaluable, so much so, that he was re-hired 10 years in a row. He helped in the construction, commissioning, and run mode of three different fixed-target experiments. He specifically focused on the design and construction of electronic circuits, the design and construction of various structural and mechanical detectors, the design and construction of a proof-of-concept triggering device, and software programming.
Even in retirement, Jim remained active. Whether involved with his local ham radio club (his call sign was K7BIE), constructing and installing his 80-meter band ham radio antenna, producing stunning photographic work, or general construction projects, he did it all with joie de vivre. He never stopped learning and doing!
Jim passed away on Saturday, February 20, 2021, but his spirit lives on, especially through the thousands of students and teachers he influenced and mentored. It is because of people like Jim that the love of learning passes on from one generation to the next.
My Recollections:
I first met Jim in 1996 at Fermilab. He was participating in the lab’s summer research program for high school teachers. He was assigned to my postdoctoral experiment, a fixed-target experiment that was designed to search for asymmetries between matter and antimatter, or CP violation, in charged particle decays. I’ll always remember his ready smile and the way he interacted with everyone. If you were having a bad day, spending a few minutes with Jim turned it all around for the better.
Jim was one of those individuals who was gifted at pretty much whatever he did. Whether teaching, ham radio, flight instructor, photography (and he always had his camera with him!), designing and building his own house, or applying his amazing “MacGyver” skills, he did it all with a zest and zeal for life. Jim especially loved teaching physics to high school and college students. He was a masterful teacher. He knew exactly how to convey the wonders of physics to his students. Shortly after learning of Jim’s passing, a former student of his commented, “He was a true example of a passionate teacher who wanted his students to have fun learning about our universe. Few make the kind of impact he made in this short spec of existence we are for some reason entitled to.”
It was because of Jim that I made my journey from Fermilab to Phoenix for my dream job to do what he helped inspire in me, to share the joys and wonders of physics with our college students. He was a wonderful and patient mentor throughout my career in the education realm. Ask anyone who had the good fortune of interacting with him, and everyone will say what a kind and caring man he was.
Jim was instrumental in helping me to host Leon Lederman (Fermilab’s second Director, Physics Nobel Laureate, and our colleague on E871/HyperCP) at Paradise Valley Community College to talk about science education reform. Leon came to our college three years in a row. Like Jim, Leon loved interacting with students. Each year, Jim brought his Sunnyslope High School students to Leon’s sessions. Watching these students interact with Jim and Leon was a joy. It was clearly evident the passion those two had for students. It was also clearly evident the respect and awe these students had for Jim and Leon.
Jim’s quick wit and humor were amazing. Watching Jim and Leon banter back and forth was hilarious. Speaking of Nobel Laureates, Jim took physics classes at Caltech and learned from none other than the great physicist Richard P. Feynman. It obviously paid off in dividends!
It is clear Jim lived a life full of great adventures. This loss hits hard. He was the consummate educator and was a gentleman in every sense of the word. His love of learning was infectious, so much so, that he was a great and treasured mentor to those of us who followed in his footsteps. He will live on through all whom he touched, and indelible marks he did leave. Thank you, Jim, for all you have done to make this world a better place. You will be missed, you are loved, and you will live on through us. May you rest in peace, Forsie!
Why I Established This Endowed Fund in Jim’s Name:
Jim was all about learning, doing, and loving life. He had an insatiable appetite for learning. He was a curious character, always questioning the how’s and why’s of things.
Jim often went out of his way to mentor young teachers just starting out in their careers. He always provided whatever support he could to help them advance in their professional careers to enhance the learning process for their students. As one of Jim’s protégés recently shared, “What I learned from him was to foster curiosity in all things within my classroom. Jim taught me to use a Socratic approach where students were guided on their own path of discovery and understanding. That approach was something I worked at to improve myself, as well as the learning of others. Curiosity was a key to joy and finding beauty in this world. His mentorship has improved my ability to help others learn while continually growing myself.”
Under Jim’s tutelage, one could not help but become curious about the world and share that passion with students. Jim always maintained that even though we, the teachers, are the teachers, that does not mean that we stop learning. We learn with our students, and we learn new ways to be more effective in helping our students along their educational path. He never stopped learning and always worked at ways to expand his professional growth in order to enhance his students' learning experiences.
Jim was a man who epitomized the teaching profession, who epitomized life! This endowed fund is a fitting tribute to him. It will be used to help students who plan to become teachers themselves. This is to honor Jim, his legacy, and his memory.