<Begin Segment 29>

TI: But then after Truman issued the pardon, did that sort of change your thinking? Did that all of a sudden maybe say, "Okay, I can do some of these things"?

TH: No, it didn't. I just (...) accept the fact that now I can (...) vote and have my full citizenship back. That was basically about it. But I changed my goals and went into the botany class, and that's where I met my wife. So it was kind of, thinking back on all these events and how evolved through, and eventually when I ended up at UCLA, when the space program started I had, my PhD was more in what we call circadian rhythms, and so I got curious as to what would happen to the astronauts in space without the daily twenty-four hour input. With that (in mind) I wrote a proposal, and (...) gave me the opening into NASA. Eventually it moved further and further away from the botany and into the circadian rhythms and the reaction of the astronaut, but also still (kept) maintaining part of botany, trying to figure out how now to feed the astronauts, growing plants in space, so I eventually ended up at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

TI: So let me just, just summarize it really fast, so you went to L.A. Community College, then you went to UCLA, got your master's and then later on your PhD, and this was all in, in biology, plant biology?

TH: Yeah. Now, with the, my master's, then I had the draft call so I spent two years in, in the service, and then when I came back my dad and mother were thinking about taking a vacation, go back to Japan. And by this time they were also studying the Noh drama, the singing and the dancing, and so they wanted to go back and, and be under the tutelage of the masters, so Barbara and I, when we came back said (...) we'll take over the business for a year while they're there. (So) I delayed going back to UCLA. The GI Bill was still on, so we decided I'd go ahead and pursue for my doctorate. (...) After they came back, (...) I went back to UCLA.

<End Segment 29> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.