Alexander Calandra (January 12, 1911 – March 8, 2006) was a scientist,[1] educator, and author, perhaps best remembered for his short story, "Angels on a Pin (101 Ways to Use a Barometer)."
Fermi brought Calandra to the attention of the Nobel laureate physicist Arthur Holly Compton, and when Compton moved to St. Louis to become chancellor of Washington University in 1948, he invited Calandra there, to develop a program of science education for liberal arts students.
"[4] In 1969 Calandra joined the faculty of Webster College as chairman of the science department, where he worked to develop programs until 1980.
[7] An article in The New York Times of January 25, 1964, ("Grade Schools Accused of Stressing Sensation and Ignoring Basic Facts, 'Sputnik Panic' Blamed: Professor of Physics Tells at Parley Here of Two Major Defects"), outlined Dr. Calandra's views, as presented to a symposium on elementary school science teaching at the annual meeting of the American Association of Physics Teachers.
Osmundsen discussed the story as an attack on closed-minded teaching methods, advocating encouragement of nontraditional problem-solving techniques.
A biography by Albert A Bartlett (University of Colorado) was written at the time.,[4] where he describes Calandra as having "devoted a lifetime to the challenging task of imparting an interest in and an understanding of science to students of all ages."