#SoCaltech: Les Deutsch — Caltech Magazine

Deutsch at the 2013 Commencement ceremony

“I came to Caltech in the fall of ’72 as a freshman, and I discovered at some point during that first year that Caltech had a commencement ceremony that featured an organ. I went to the public events office and said, ‘I'm an organist, and I'm a student at Caltech. Maybe I should be doing this?’ It turns out that the organist who had been doing it for several years had retired, but also that I had come too late. They had already hired a replacement for 1973. But I started the next year, and have done it ever since.

“I do enjoy it. First of all, it's a chance to give an organ recital. I give a 45-minute organ recital every year before commencement starts, and I can brag to all my organist friends who give recitals in churches and have 50 people at their recitals: I can give a recital and have thousands of people there.”

Les Deutsch (BS '76, PhD '80), retired JPL deputy director of the Interplanetary Network Directorate, has played organ at every Caltech Commencement since 1974 and is set to make his 50th appearance at the 130th Commencement ceremonies on Friday, June 14, at 10 a.m. Watch the livestream here.

In this video, Deutsch recalls the most memorable ceremonies, and traces a life in music and in mathematics at JPL, where he recently retired after a 42-year career.

#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.