In Memoriam

ICTP was saddened to learn of the passing of André-Marie Hamende, a nuclear engineer from Belgium who was present at the very inception of ICTP and served as the Centre's senior administrative and scientific information officer from 1964 to 1990.

Hamende completed studies in engineering and physics in Belgium and France. He joined the International Atomic Energy Agency in 1961, from which he was seconded to ICTP in 1964, right at the birth of the Centre. He remained in Trieste as senior administrative and scientific information officer until his retirement in December 1990. In retirement he maintained close contact with the centre, becoming the chronicler of ICTP's history and publishing his recollections in a series of books.

As ICTP's first administrative officer, Hamende worked closely with Abdus Salam in opening the centre and keeping it afloat throughout sometimes difficult financial circumstances. In a speech he made at the ceremony renaming ICTP to include its founder's name, he recalled the early austere days of ICTP during a period of slow expansion. That all changed, however, thanks to the awarding of the Nobel Prize in physics to Abdus Salam in 1979. "This prize," explained Hamende, "was the long awaited recognition of Salam's outstanding achievements in physics and, as an indirect consequence, the acknowledgement of the validity of his ideas on international cooperation in science and of the usefulness of the ICTP. For the Centre, it meant a first leap in the financing of its programmes."

"The whole Salam family mourn the passing of Andre," said Ahmad Salam. "Like dear Paolo Budinich, he played a pivotal role in the creation of ICTP. He helped build the platform which allowed ICTP to become what it is today."

"Father always spoke warmly of Andre and his contribution to the success of ICTP," recalled Salam, adding, "He remained cool under difficult circumstances and would always try to provide a solution to any problem. Father always acknowledged his role and importance to the ICTP in those early difficult years."

Hamende's ICTP books include the following (all available from the ICTP library catalogue):

• A guide to the early history of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (1960-1968)
• A guide to the early history of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (1968-1979)
• From a vision to a system: the International Centre for Theoretical Physics of Trieste (1964-1994)