The WKB approximation used in quantum
mechanics doesn't often draw attention, but it appears in John Knox's letter (PHYSICS TODAY, September
2005, page 17). Knox properly identifies Gregor Wentzel as the "W" in that acronym, thereby bringing
back memories of a period in 1948 when I took a quantum mechanics course taught by Wentzel at the University
of Chicago. He was a great teacher who was known for his humility and self-effacement. I remember
his first reference to WKB when he wrote on the blackboard, "BKW," clearly announced the names "Brillouin"
and "Kramers," and almost as an aside, mumbled the "Wentzel."
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