At SIC-Carbondale took his statistics course. I have to accept I found a white professor, Dr. Philip Feinsilver, perhaps smarter than I was. I still remember he solving difficult statistics problems on the blackboard, I trying to outpace him, but mostly he came out faster.
I got a reference letter from him and submitted that with my application for PhD program in statistics at UC, Berkeley. Was surprised when Steve Evans knew him. He was famous. Had thought a professor at SIU-C will be a virtual unknown.
One incident I remember very clearly. He mentioned that if you are not getting dates, and the chance of getting a date is 1%, just stand outside a night club and ask the girls coming out for a date. Out of a hundred girls coming out will say yes. I thought he looked at me. Why? That gave me the feeling that he was single, talking about probabilities in love and dating.
Over years have come in contact with many professors. Some were at IIT most of whom I unequivocally considered to be idiots, some very good ones were at University of California at Berkeley, and came close, but perhaps Dr. Feinsilver was the smarter – quicker than all, including most likely me.
