ECE alum Bernard Arfin celebrates his Michigan roots at his 100th birthday

When Bernie Arfin’s son, David, let us know that his Michigan alum father was about to celebrate his 100th birthday on November 7, 2024, the department wanted to help him remember his time at Michigan with some swag. After his party, we were able to chat with the now centenarian Bernie Arfin about his life, and especially his time at Michigan.

Arfin grew up in the Bronx and attended the Bronx High School of Science before attending the City College of New York (CCNY). His love for science and engineering was not handed down from his first generation immigrant parents. They came from Eastern Europe without much of an education, but Arfin said, “I always remember wanting to be an engineer.”

After serving in the Navy during WWII, Arfin wanted to further his education. After browsing all the college catalogs he received, he decided that Michigan looked like the place he should be.

He started his degree in September 1946, but had a bit of a rough start due to an emergency appendectomy. Arfin wouldn’t stay down for long, though, and he soon found a way to move from the veteran housing in Ypsilanti to live close to campus in Ann Arbor. After his experience at CCNY, a commuter school, he wanted to experience a real college campus.

Arfin needed to make some extra money, so he got a side-gig washing dishes in a frat house.

“If I washed the dishes I’d get a free lunch,” he recalled. “And they had good lunches. I could do my work and eat lunch in the same amount of time it would take to stand in the lines at the Union.”

He also graded papers for William Gould Dow, and recalled taking courses from Dow as well as Stephen Atwood and Lewis Holland.

“They were three good teachers,” said Arfin. “I accomplished what I wanted at Michigan.”

In September 1947, he got a job at the famed Willow Run research facility. He worked there until he graduated in February 1948 with his master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. 

After graduating from Michigan, he worked for three years before resuming further graduate studies at Stanford, earning his doctorate in 1957. His area of specialty was high power microwave tubes.

Arfin met his wife of 69 years, Joanne, while studying at Stanford, and they have lived most of their lives together in California. After working at several high tech companies and national labs, including the Naval Research Lab and Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Arfin retired in 1991.

During his time at Michigan, Arfin enjoyed watching football and basketball––and he continued this tradition of going to games at Stanford up until his 99th birthday, when he finally started watching from the comfort of home.

When asked what he’d like to say to today’s students, he said, “In the United States, we have great opportunities. Take advantage, and work hard.”