From drake@hindmost.LPL.Arizona.EDU Wed Apr  3 13:00:33 2002
Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2002 15:36:11 -0700 (MST)
From: drake@hindmost.LPL.Arizona.EDU
Cc: jruiz@geo.Arizona.EDU
Subject: Retirement

Office of the Head and Director
Department of Planetary Sciences
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
University of Arizona
PO Box 210092
Tucson Arizona 85721-0092


Tel: (520) 621-6962
Fax: (520) 626-6647
email: drake@lpl.arizona.edu


April 1, 2002

TO: All LPL

FROM: Michael J. Drake, Head and Director

SUBJECT: Retirement

I am extremely disappointed in the declining quality of the April 1 pranks 
over the past few years.  In fact, I can only assume that this is reflecting
the actual quality of the students themselves, which certainly has been
getting worse.  I can only assume that this trend will continue, and the small
contribution of the graduate students to the success of LPL will also continue
to decline.  At this rate, there is a possibility that within the next few 
years the tenured faculty will actually have to do real work.  I intend to 
retire before this happens.  In fact, to be on the safe side, I'm planning a
long year's sabbatical, to be followed by my retirement on April 1, 2003.
After that time, I plan to concentrate, as an emeritus professor, on my true
calling, the teaching and mentoring of new students.  Perhaps, within the next
10 years, this awful trend can be reversed.
I am happy to announce that Dr. Robert H. Brown has agreed to fill in as 
Head and Director while I am away on sabbatical.


	Sincerely,

	Mike Drake