In 1965, I received my Ph.D. with a dissertation about polynomials over finite fields. I accepted a job at Western Reserve U., now Case W.R.U. There I immediately began trying to learn category theory, which I thought was the best math thing since sliced bread. (My thesis adviser hated category theory. He also hated computer science, which also fascinated me.)

I was really lucky, for during the next few years John Isbell, Peter Hilton and Paul Dedecker came to stay for a few years, allowing me to pick up a decent understanding of categories. Dedecker only stayed one year, but from him I learned about sheaves, cribles and the like, which inspired me to spend a summer at Bowdoin College learning about algebraic geometry from David Mumford and his Red Book.

It was only gradually that I learned that many of the most interesting ideas came from Alexandre Grothendieck. His ideas are now everywhere in math and we should all be grateful for his life and work.  I wish he had continued working.  He could have done wonders for computing science.

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