 |
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Today's most e-mailed
Prior days' news: By date | Search This week's print issue Back issues: By date | Search April 17, 2007Liviu LibrescuLiviu Librescu, 76, was born a Jew in Romania and, as a young teenager during World War II, survived the Holocaust. So it was a cruel irony that April 16, the day the Virginia Tech engineering professor was slain protecting his students, was Holocaust Remembrance Day. According to colleagues, Mr. Librescu barricaded the door of his classroom in the university’s engineering building, blocking the entry of Cho Seung-Hui, the student who massacred 30 people in the building. Mr. Librescu’s actions are credited with buying time for most of the 15 students in the room to jump out of the room’s second-story window and escape, before Mr. Cho shot him dead. (One student was killed in the classroom and two others were wounded there.) Family members and colleagues say Mr. Librescu’s heroic actions were in keeping with his strong commitment to his students and his work.  Librescu Family, AP Images “This was his life — the research and his students,” says his daughter-in-law, Inbar Librescu. “His son Joe said to me, ‘I am not surprised. I expected my dad to do this. This is who he was.’” Engineers from around the world are also mourning Mr. Librescu. The professor of engineering science and mechanics was known as a leading theoretician in the design of strong, lightweight materials used in aircraft and ships. His work had received support from NASA and the Office of Naval Research. “I’ve been receiving e-mails from people all over the world — from Italy, Russia, Armenia, Korea — who knew him as one of the leaders,” says Pier Marzocca, an assistant professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at Clarkson University, who worked for Mr. Librescu at Virginia Tech as a postdoctoral researcher. Mr. Librescu reached his position at Virginia Tech after remarkable efforts to overcome adversity earlier in his life. During World War II, his family faced persecution in Romania, which was allied with Nazi Germany. He later received a Ph.D. in fluid mechanics in Romania and found work as a researcher in a government institute. He smuggled a scientific book that he wrote out of the country so it could be published in the West, in the Netherlands. He was fired in the 1970’s after he repeatedly sought permission to emigrate to Israel. The government eventually gave him and his family an emigration permit, thanks to a program under which Israel paid Romania in exchange for letting Jews leave. Mr. Librescu became a professor at Tel Aviv University. He came to Virginia Tech in 1985 on sabbatical and stayed for good. His two sons, who live in Israel, graduated from Virginia Tech, one of them with a degree in mechanical engineering. Mr. Librescu had maintained an active schedule of teaching, publishing, and speaking at and organizing international scientific meetings. He also served on the editorial boards of seven scientific journals, published his most recent book last year, and wrote more than 200 scholarly papers. “If you met him, you would know that he would never think of retiring,” Mr. Marzocca says. “Seventy-six was like 40 for him.” Despite having established his academic reputation, he continued to work most nights and weekends, with classical music one of his few diversions, says Leonard Meirovitch, an emeritus professor who worked in Mr. Librescu’s department at Virginia Tech. “He was driven,” Mr. Meirovitch says. Mr. Librescu’s colleagues at Virginia Tech are devastated, says Muhammad R. Hajj, a professor in his department whose office is on the same floor. “I’ll miss the way he says good morning, good afternoon, he smiles all the time,” Mr. Hajj says. “He talks to you, and he’s interested in what’s going on with you. It will be hard to forget that way.” —Jeffrey Brainard and Matthew Kalman Posted on Tuesday April 17, 2007 | Permalink |Comments |
This man was a true hero—his picture should be in the dictionary beside “hero.” Perhaps God helped him survive the Holocaust so he, in turn, could save students at Va. Tech. What a guy!
— Brian Dille Apr 18, 10:31 AM #
This trully brought tears to my eyes. I am beyond words on expressing his actions.
— Lucia Apr 18, 08:04 PM #
As a faculty member at a community college in rural Montana, I hope I would have the same courage that Dr. Librescu demonstrated. Let’s all pray we never have to find out!
— Garth Apr 20, 01:23 PM #
When I read this incredible story, all I could think of what that line in the moving “Shindler’s List”....“he who saves one life, saves the world entire…” Rest in peace, good doctor.
— Dr. Vanessa Nelson-Reed Apr 20, 06:35 PM #
I worked with a student in Professor Librescu’s class. By some divine intervention, my student’s grandfather died one hour before his class began; thus, I did not attend Librescu’s class 4/16/07. Instead, I worked in Randolph, the building approximately 500-1000 feet from Norris Hall.
I was devastated at the news of his murder; however, I was not at all surprised at the manner in which he was murdered: protecting the students he genuinely cared for. He was a brilliant, kind, dignified, unassuming gentleman for whom I felt a great deal of affection. I don’t know why God chose to spare my life at the expense of this great man; but I do thank God that he allowed me to know this man—the only true hero I’ve ever met.
Goodbye, dear Librescu. You have touched and inspired me in ways I am only beginning to understand. Through some twist of fate, I was not with you that day; however, you will always be with me. LYM
— Michael DuVall Apr 22, 09:45 PM #
A previous poster said it well.. he who saves one life saves the world entire. G-d bless Dr. Librescu. He had suffered so much and brought so much good to this world. The events of this year’s Yom HaShoah were horrific… but he died a true hero.
— D Apr 22, 11:56 PM #
I wish to honor and recognize Mr. Librescu at our next Hillel meeting at The University of Texas—San Antonio. I want our students to know about the life of this man, the pain he endured in the Holocuast and how he gave his life years later for his students at Virginia Tech. He fulfilled his mission in life. I believe that he was meant to overcome the Holocuast and later save the lives of his students. All of the descriptions of this teacher show intellect and character beyond one’s imagination. May he rest in Peace and be a Blessing for all peoples of the World.
— Professor Rosalind Horowitz and Director, Hillel at Univ of Texas--San Antonio Apr 25, 12:38 AM #
You diserve to be declared rightous among nations by yad vashem.
— Andrew Weiner Apr 30, 09:04 PM #