#SoCaltech: Andy Ingersoll

"I played tennis and squash in college, but I took up pingpong at Caltech about 10 years ago because it requires quick reflexes and cunning. They fade more slowly with age than the skills needed for other sports. Now I'm 84, and I still have cunning. The graduate students were great. They shepherded me along, got me used to 11-point scoring, and got me into tricky serves and spin. 

“I bought a table for the GPS division and set it up on the rooftop of South Mudd. First the wheels came off on the tiles, so I put the table on a rolling platform. Then the wind blew the table over, so I attached it to the wall. The GPS administration let us play in the Salvatori Room, but we still had only one table and more than four players. So, I issued an invitation to everyone in the division, which soon became a campuswide announcement. That was early in 2024. By late May we had over 30 players signed up for the Ping Pong Club.

“The most enthusiastic person, and maybe the best player, is [research support technician] John Truong from BBE. John is keeping the pingpong club going, although we call it “table tennis” and play 11-point games—all in accord with international rules.” 

Andy Ingersoll is professor of planetary science, emeritus. For more information about the club, or to join, contact John Truong at jtruong@caltech.edu.

#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.