I'd been aware of these statistics for many years. America had lost many famous smokers to lung cancer: Edward R. Murrow;

But two concerns made me very aware of them. At this "point of time" (silly jargon!), in the spring of 1957, while an instructor in math and physics at Inter American U., San Germá, Puerto Rico, I'd been smoking for twenty-years -- about two packs of cigarettes a day and several "pipes". But I developed a hacking cough. So I went to our physician, Dr. Rafael Blanco, a marvelous professional who did his own x-raying and lab work. (When Esther broke her paralyzed left leg and was in traction for months -- leaving me as a single parent to care for two small children, while teaching a heavy schedule, often 20 hours or more -- her physicians at St. Luke's Hospital, NYC, later said that they could not have treated her better than this family physician!) Blanco said an x-ray showed I had cloudy lungs. "Do you have to smoke?" "No." So I quit smoking that day. (Actually, I admit that I clintoned, that is, I did not inhale. So it was easier for me than for many others.)

The other concern was the approaching birth of our second child, Chris (10 months old when Esther broke her leg).

This personal concern focused my attention on smoking statistics. I became very annoyed at Tobacco Industry apologists who argued that there was "no proof that smoking causes lung cancer". You cannot prove anything in this real world!!! If American math teachers and professors had done a minimal job, Americans would know this! The term "proof" has total meaning only in mathematics where it denotes validity of language, and partial meaning in a science (such as physics) where it means experimental confirmation of several predictions from hypotheses. But ignorance of the American public and The Media allows the Tobacco Industry to get away with this casuistry!