Hawking honored with auditorium at Texas A&M

[April 20, 2010]  COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) -- A new auditorium in Texas A&M's two new physics buildings has been named for renowned British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking.

Hawking attended a Monday dedication ceremony at the school about 100 miles northwest of Houston. Hawking first came to A&M in 1995 and has visited regularly since 2003.

He lent his name to the new auditorium, while Texas oilman George Mitchell donated $35 million of the nearly $83 million price tag for the physics buildings.

Hawking greeted the dedication ceremony with "Howdy," the university's official greeting, in the synthesized voice created by the computer on his wheelchair.

The 68-year-old scientist suffers from an incurable degenerative disorder commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease that has left him almost completely paralyzed.

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On the Net:

Stephen Hawking: http://www.hawking.org.uk/

[Associated Press]

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