Stephen Hawking's father worried he 'does not study much' and feared for his future, newly revealed diaries show

Frank Hawking, a tropical disease expert, expressed deep concern about his son, Stephen Hawking, in diaries from 1961, stating, "We are a little worried at the way Stephen is turning out. He hangs round the house with little initiative and does not study much." This insight is striking, given Stephen's later groundbreaking work in theoretical physics.

In the diaries, Frank remarked that Stephen showed little ambition, admitting, "...if only I had had half his advantages, I should have done much better." Such reflections paint a vivid picture of a father worried about his son’s future during formative years at Oxford. His observations about Stephen's perceived inferiority complex and lack of faith in physics reinforce the difficulties faced during his youth.

By 1967, Frank noted watching his son’s struggles was a "slow and ghastly experience" given Stephen’s condition, as he grappled with the challenges of ALS, ultimately defying doctors who predicted he would not live beyond his early 20s. Instead, he became one of the most renowned astrophysicists, surviving to age 76 and authoring the legendary book, A Brief History of Time, which sold over 25 million copies globally. Despite his father's early concerns, Stephen became known for his profound analyses of black holes and the cosmos.

Newly revealed diaries of Stephen Hawking's father, Frank, disclose his concerns in 1961 about his son's motivation, noting Hawking was 'hanging around the house with little initiative' and failing to study, leading to fears for his academic future, despite his later groundbreaking achievements in physics.