László Rátz

László Rátz (1863 April 9 – 1930 September 30) was a Hungarian mathematics high school teacher best known for educating such people as Eugene Wigner and John von Neumann.

Biography

Born 1863, in Sopron, Hungary, his father, Ágost Rátz, was a hardware merchant, his mother Emma Töpler. He graduated from the Evangelical High School of Sopron in 1882. University studies at the Academy of Science in Budapest until 1887, then philosophy in Berlin (1888), then natural science in Strassburg (1889). From 1890 mathematics professor at the Evangelical High School of Budapest, first substitute teacher (1890-1892), then tenured (1892-1925). High school principal between 1909-1914. Died 1930 at Grünwald nursing home of Budapest.

Mathematics education reform

From the beginning active participant in a worldwide effort of science and mathematics teaching education reform, from 1909 gets official full liberty in improving educations methods in his own high school, gets Officer d'Académie award at a 1910 Paris congress. The objectives of this reform were the recognition of cultural and humane values of science education, besides tangible pragmatic values. According to the objectives, mathematics has important involuntarily acquirable subconscious elements that need to be enhanced in students. The teachers strived to deliver clearly articulated concepts at the voluntary, conscious level, but more importantly, learning of mathematics has to be tightly woven together with direct experience and practice, emphasizing mental calculations and practicing estimations, allowing students to acquire a subconscious knowledge of reality from experience with quantitative relations.

Recognizer and nurturer of talent

It is a rare, special human trait in teachers to be able to deal with students more talented than themselves, being able to kindly and effectively transfer their life experience and body of knowledge to those more gifted. László Rátz was such a teacher, with refined sense for talent that he dealt with as equals, as colleagues, as peers. He invited his own students to weekend cafe chit-chats, into the company of his university colleagues, which meant a great deal in days and times when teachers had the highest esteem in a society. For instance, when he felt he could no longer provide anything more to John von Neumann, he requested the university professor Michael Fekete to help out and teach him. Eugene Wigner he invited into his own home, provided him with "especially interesting" books, whose contents they would later discuss in detail.

Eugene Wigner was asked in the late 1970s 'Do you remember Rátz?' to which he answered: 'There he is!' and pointed to a picture of Rátz on his office wall.

He died in Budapest, Hungary.