My maternal grandfather lost his life during the first Chinese Revolution. After that, at the age of thirty-three, my grandmother decided to go to school, became a teacher, and brought my mother up alone. When I was young I often heard stories from my mother and grandmother recalling the difficult lives they had during that turbulent period and the efforts they made to provide my mother with a good education. Both of them were daring, original, and determined people, and they have left an indelible impression on me. When I was twenty years old I decided to return to the United States for a better education. My parents' friend, G.G. Brown, Dean of the School of Engineering, University of Michigan, told my parents I would be welcome to stay with him and his family. At that time I knew very little English and had no idea of the cost of living in the United States. In China, I had read that many American students go through college on their own resources. I informed my parents that I would do likewise. I arrived at the Detroit airport on 6 September 1956 with $100, which at the time seemed more than adequate. I was somewhat frightened, did not know anyone, and communication was difficult. Ting is the eldest son of his family. He has one brother, Ting Chao-hua () and one sister, Ting Chao-min (). In an interview with China Central Television, he explained that the combination of his siblings' and his name is the first three characters of "" (Republic of China). His parents named them after the country to commemorate their grandfather Wang Yicheng, who was a martyr in the Xinhai Revolution. In 1960, Ting married Kay Louise Kuhne, an architect, and together they had two daughters, Jeanne Ting Chowning and Amy Ting. In 1985 he married Dr. Susan Carol Marks, and they had one son, Christopher, born in 1986. Selected publications See also MIT Physics Department List of multiple discoveries J/ψ meson Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer References External links including the Nobel Lecture, December 11, 1976 The Discovery of the J Particle: A Personal Recollection Biography and Bibliographic Resources, from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, United States Department of Energy Faculty page at MIT Nobel-Winners.com Bio PBS bio Scientific publications of Samuel C. C. Ting on INSPIRE-HEP 1936 births Living people 20th-century American physicists 21st-century American physicists American