Cloud Hosting

When Frank R. Tangherlini walks into a Lindy hop event, other dancers immediately take notice and smile. They walk over to greet him, sit and chat as he changes into his dance shoes and partner with him as he cuts a rug on the floor.

Last month during Tangherlinis birthday jam a tradition where other Lindy hoppers take turns cutting in to dance with the person of honor a steady stream of followers made sure they could each groove with him to a few bars of music. That celebratory dance was for his 99th birthday.

Frank R. Tangherlini, right, poses for a photo with his younger brother Burt Tangherlini during World War II, as seen in a poster board displayed during Franks 99th birthday party during First Saturday Swing at Infinity Dance Sport Center in Kearny Mesa on March 4, 2023.

(Lauren J. Mapp / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

For years, Tangherlini has been a staple in the San Diego scene for Lindy hop, a style of dance created in Harlem during the late 1920s that gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s. While Lindy hop spread around the world, the United States joined World War II.

As the conflict grew, many of Tangherlinis friends who he grew up with in Boston were drafted. Although he was exempt because he was an electrical engineering student at Boston College, he volunteered for the draft and enlisted in the Army.

Some of the kids I had grown up with had been drafted, and I didnt feel it was right that theyd be risking their life and I was getting by because I was a little better in mathematics than they were I felt it was only fair, he said.

Tangherlini fought in the Battle of the Bulge and the Battle of Alsace as part of the 101st Airborne Division.

He fondly remembers a windy day of parachute training where a second lieutenant jumped before everyone else to make sure it was safe. Once he landed, Tangherlini and the rest of the trainees followed, but they couldnt find him again until hours later.

Finally at midnight they found him in a pub. After that, we all want to be jumped as dummies, he said.

In recognition of his birthday last month, he received a proclamation from the San Diego City Council designating March 14 as Dr. Frank Tangherlini Day. The council members cited his service in World War II, contributions to the field of science and years of living in San Diego.

Carrie Shah (left), representative for Councilmember Joe LaCava, and Alana Austin (center), representative for Councilmember Kent Lee, give Frank R. Tangherlini a proclamation in honor of his 99th birthday outside his home in University City on March 23, 2023.

(Lauren J. Mapp / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Because he shares a birthday with Albert Einstein, maybe it was inevitable that Tangherlini would go into the field of theoretical physics. When the war ended, he returned to college and earned his bachelors degree in physics from Harvard University in 1948. He later earned a masters degree from the University of Chicago and his doctorate from Stanford University.

Tangherlini and his ex-wife raised four sons in Worcester, Mass. He now has eight grandchildren ranging in age from 12 to 31.

Over the course of his career, Tangherlini held research teaching positions at several prestigious universities, including the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Duke University and George Washington University. He retired from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester in 1994, becoming an associate professor emeritus.

Soon after, he moved to San Diego to be close to his younger brother, Burt Tangherlini. The two brothers would regularly attend the weekly Firehouse Swing Dance, and he supported Burt through a quadruple bypass surgery and other health conditions until his brothers death five years ago at age 90.

Erin Roos, who co-owns The Firehouse Swing Dance along with her husband, recalls dancing with Tangherlini when she first moved to San Diego.

Each year, his birthday is celebrated at The Firehouse with cake and ice cream, but Roos said he motivates other dancers in the scene throughout the year.

Beyond just swing dancing, I think its great just to be able to have a hobby that you love and enjoy so much that you can continue to do it until youre 99, she said. In the swing dance scene, I think he represents joy. You look at people watching him dance, and theyre just happy.

Frank Tangherlini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran and retired professor, dances with Elizabeth Nichols during a weekly Firehouse Swing Dance event in San Diego on Wednesday, April 05, 2023. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

(Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Just as Tangherlini inspires many on the dance floor, hes also an inspiration to scientists around the world.

His research in the field of theoretical physics has spanned decades and covered topics such as black holes, the velocity of light, dimensionality of space and relativity and quantum mechanics. A 1963 paper Tangherlini wrote on why space has three dimensions has been cited 1,069 times to date, including in 58 papers last year alone.

He also inspired a young woman and fellow dancer to become an engineer.

When University City resident Cami Asher first started Lindy hopping at 16, Tangherlini was a friendly face who made navigating a new social scene less intimidating.

Because he worked in education, he was really good at scaffolding his dances to appropriately meet the dancer at what level they were at, Asher said. I think that thats a unique skill that Frank brought because he had, even at his age, a wide breadth of of moves. He was able to make every dance incredibly welcoming because I didnt need to know everything.

1/8

SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 05, 2023: Frank Tangherlini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran and retired professor, dances with Cami Asher, 24, during a weekly Firehouse Swing Dance event in San Diego on Wednesday, April 05, 2023. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) (Hayne Palmour IV/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

2/8

SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 05, 2023: Frank Tangherlini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran and retired professor, dances with Cami Asher, 24, during a weekly Firehouse Swing Dance event in San Diego on Wednesday, April 05, 2023. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) (Hayne Palmour IV/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

3/8

SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 05, 2023: Frank Tangherlini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran and retired professor, dances with Cami Asher, 24, during a weekly Firehouse Swing Dance event in San Diego on Wednesday, April 05, 2023. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) (Hayne Palmour IV/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

4/8

SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 05, 2023: Frank Tangherlini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran and retired professor, watches other swing dancers during a weekly Firehouse Swing Dance event in San Diego on Wednesday, April 05, 2023. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) (Hayne Palmour IV/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

5/8

SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 05, 2023: Frank Tangherlini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran and retired professor, dances with Cami Asher, 24, during a weekly Firehouse Swing Dance event in San Diego on Wednesday, April 05, 2023. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) (Hayne Palmour IV/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

6/8

SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 05, 2023: Frank Tangherlini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran and retired professor, dances with Mollie Davis during a weekly Firehouse Swing Dance event in San Diego on Wednesday, April 05, 2023. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) (Hayne Palmour IV/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

7/8

SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 05, 2023: Frank Tangherlini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran and retired professor, gets a hug from Cami Asher, 24, after they danced together during a weekly Firehouse Swing Dance event in San Diego on Wednesday, April 05, 2023. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) (Hayne Palmour IV/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

8/8

SAN DIEGO, CA - APRIL 05, 2023: Frank Tangherlini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran and retired professor, dances with Elizabeth Nichols during a weekly Firehouse Swing Dance event in San Diego on Wednesday, April 05, 2023. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune) (Hayne Palmour IV/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Over time, the pair bonded over their shared interest in engineering, and he started bringing Asher scientific papers to read so they could discuss them the following week.

As she prepared for college, it was a recommendation letter written by Tangherlini that helped her get accepted to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo to pursue a degree in chemical engineering.

Asher, now 24, continues to draw inspiration from the theoretical physicist who decades after retiring from teaching continues to make significant contributions through his research and publications.

Frank highlights everything good about continuing to acquire knowledge and push the boundaries of what knowledge and exploration of your interests can be throughout your life, she said.

Most recently, hes been particularly interested in researching and publishing papers on wildfire management. In 2021, his paper on using catapults with water-filled containers to put out fires as a safer alternative to sending firefighters into wildfires to extinguish them from the inside was published in the Open Journal of Safety Science and Technology.

Frank Tangherlini, a 99-year-old World War II veteran and retired professor, at a weekly Firehouse Swing Dance event in San Diego on Wednesday, April 05, 2023.

(Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

When he isnt swing dancing, Tangherlini stays active by taking walks around his neighborhood and chatting with his friends. Hes proud to have recently renewed his drivers license, which will remain active until he turns 104.

The secret to Tangherlinis longevity? He attributes it to a diet primarily based on fish and vegetables.

With a newly replaced pacemaker, hes hoping to continue dancing and writing for the foreseeable future.

I am working on dark matter right now, so I have plenty to do intellectually I could write a half a dozen papers, Tangherlini said.

Read the rest here:

Between swing dancing and writing papers on theoretical physics ... - The San Diego Union-Tribune