My search for synchronously dividing E. coli began in late 1958. Unfortunately, it took 4 years to come up with an acceptable tech- nique, another 4 years to finally figure out an optimal way to apply it, and two additional years to generate and correctly inter- pret key data on the division cycle. What an unexpectedly long and difficult experience that was. Of course there were personal milestones along the way, including the births of sons Charlie and Michael, but without sheer stubbornness in the face of endless setbacks, my research career would have collapsed on more than one occasion.