Val L. Fitch

Biography

Abstract

Val L. Fitch was James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Physics Emeritus at Princeton University (1954-2015). Other institutional affiliations included Los Alamos National Laboratory. His research interests included K-mesons and strange particles.

Important Dates

March 10, 1923Birth, Merriman (Neb.).

1944 – 1946Member, Special Engineering Detachment, United States Army, Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

1946 – 1947Staff Member, Los Alamos Laboratory.

1948Obtained BE, McGill University, Montréal (Québec).

1954Obtained PhD in Physics, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).

1954 – 2015Instructor to Professor of Physics (1954-1960); Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor (1976-1983); Chair, Department of Physics (1976-1981); James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Physics (1983-2005); and James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Physics (2005-2015), Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1961 – 1967Member, Board of Trustees, Associated Universities, Inc.

1966Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1970 – 1973Member, President's Science Advisory Committee (PSAC).

1980Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics with James Cronin "for the discovery of violations of fundamental symmetry principles in the decay of neutral K-mesons".

1987 – 1988President, American Physical Society.

1993Awarded National Medal of Science.

February 5, 2015Death, Princeton (N.J.).

Occupation

Nuclear physicist.

Places

Birth

Merriman (Neb.)

Undergraduate Education

Montréal (Québec)

Graduate Education

New York (N.Y.)

Employment

Princeton (N.J.)

Death

Princeton (N.J.)

Subjects

CP violation (Nuclear physics).

Kaons.

Nuclear physics.

Standard model (Nuclear physics).

Strange particles.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Cronin, James W., 1931-2016

Shared the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of violations of fundamental symmetry principles in the decay of neutral K-mesons." Both employed at Princeton University.

Rainwater, L. James (Leo James), 1917-1986

PhD advisor at Columbia University, "Studies of X-rays from mu-mesonic atoms."

Colleagues

Adelberger, Eric G.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Agnew, Harold M.

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Aizenman, Michael

Both employed at Princeton University.

Allison, Samuel King, 1900-1965

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Al'tshuler, B. L.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Anderson, Herbert Lawrence

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Anderson, P. W. (Philip W.), 1923-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Austin, Robert H.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Baldeschwieler, John D., 1933-

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Bargmann, V. (Valentine), 1908-1989

Both employed at Princeton University.

Barschall, H. H. (Henry Herman), 1915-1997

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Bederson, Benjamin

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Bennett, Ivan L., Jr.

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Berko, Stephan

Both employed at Princeton University.

Bertsch, George F.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Bialek, William S.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Bleakney, Walker, 1901-1992

Both employed at Princeton University.

Bloch, Felix, 1905-

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Bradbury, Norris, 1909-1997

Both employed at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.

Brinkman, William F. (William Frank), 1938-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Brown, G. E. (Gerald Edward), 1926-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Buchsbaum, Solomon J.

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Cairns, Theodore L. (Theodore Lesueur), 1914-1994

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Callan, Curtis G.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Case, Kenneth M.

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Chadwick, James, 1891-1974

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Chaikin, Paul M.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Chamberlain, O. (Owen)

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Christ, Norman

Both employed at Princeton University.

Christy, Robert F.

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Coleman, James S., 1926-1995

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Coppersmith, Susan Nan

Both employed at Princeton University.

Corson, Dale R.

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Creutz, E.

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

David, Edward E.

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Deutsch, Martin, 1917-2002

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Dicke, Robert H. (Robert Henry)

Both employed at Princeton University.

Drell, Sidney D. (Sidney David), 1926-

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

DuBridge, Lee A. (Lee Alvin), 1901-1994

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Duffield, Robert B.

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Ference, Michael, 1911-

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Fermi, Enrico, 1901-1954

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Fletcher, James Chipman, 1919-1991

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Freedman, Stuart J.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Friedman, Herbert, 1916-2000

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Garwin, Richard L.

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Gell-Mann, Murray

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Glauber, Roy J., 1925-

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Goldberger, Marvin L.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Gross, David J. (David Jonathan)

Both employed at Princeton University.

Haggerty, Patrick E.

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Haldane, F. Duncan M.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Happer, William, 1939-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Hartle, J. B. (James B.)

Both employed at Princeton University.

Hopfield, John J.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Kaspi, Victoria Michelle, 1967-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Libchaber, Albert J.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Lieb, Elliott H.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Marlow, Daniel R., 1954-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Marshak, Robert E. (Robert Eugene), 1916-1992

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Mayer, Maria Goeppert, 1906-1972

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

McDaniel, Boyce D. (Boyce Dawkins), 1917-

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Misner, Charles W.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Moynihan, Daniel P. (Daniel Patrick), 1927-2003

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Olsen, Kenneth H.

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Page, Lyman A.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Panofsky, Wolfgang K. H. (Wolfgang Kurt Hermann), 1919-2007

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Parsons, William Sterling, 1901-1953

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Pines, David, 1924-2018

Both employed at Princeton University.

Pollock, Robert Elwood, 1936-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Polyakov, A. M.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Randall, Lisa

Both employed at Princeton University.

Reines, Frederick, 1918-1998

Both employed at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.

Rieser, Leonard M.

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Schiff, Leonard I. (Leonard Isaac), 1915-1971

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Schwarz, John H.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Shenstone, A. G. (Allen Goodrich)

Both employed at Princeton University.

Simon, Herbert A. (Herbert Alexander), 1916-2001

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Smith, Lloyd H., 1924-

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Smith, Stewart W.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Smyth, Henry De Wolf, 1898-1986

Both employed at Princeton University.

Steinhardt, Paul J.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Tank, David William, 1953-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Tape, Gerald Frederick, 1915-2005

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Taylor, Joseph H. (Joseph Hooton)

Both employed at Princeton University.

Thorne, Kip S.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Townes, Charles H.

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Treiman, Sam B.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Truxal, John G.

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Turkevich, Anthony, 1916-2002

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Turner, Howard Sinclair, 1911-

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Ulam, Stanislaw M.

Both employed at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.

Warburton, Ernest Keeling

Both employed at Princeton University.

Weiss, Rainer

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wheeler, John Archibald, 1911-2008

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wiesner, Jerome B. (Jerome Bert), 1915-1994

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Wightman, A. S. (Arthur Strong), 1922-2013

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-1995

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wilczek, Frank

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wilkinson, David T.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Witherell, Michael S., 1949-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Witten, E.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wood, Harland G. (Harland Goff), 1907-1991

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

Wyngaarden, James B., 1924-

Both worked on President's Science Advisory Committee.

York, James W., Jr., 1939-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Zacharias, Jerrold Reinach, 1905-1986

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Additional

Kendall, Henry W. (Henry Way), 1926-1999

Low, Francis E. (Francis Eugene), 1921-2007

Teller, Edward, 1908-2003

Watson, Kenneth M.

Institutions

Major Positions

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

Staff Member and Member, Special Engineering Detachment, U.S. Army, Manhattan Project.

Manhattan Project (U.S.)

Member, Special Engineering Detachment, U.S. Army.

Princeton University. Department of Physics

Instructor to Professor of Physics; Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor; Chair, Department of Physics; James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Physics; and James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Physical Society

President.

Associated Universities, Inc.

Member, Board of Trustees.

Columbia University. Department of Physics

Received PhD in Physics (1954).

JASON Defense Advisory Group

McGill University. Physics Department

Obtained BE.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

United States. President's Science Advisory Committee

Member.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

American Physical Society Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) study records, 1983-1988.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

APS Office of the President records of Val Fitch, 1986-1988.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

High energy physics session [sound recording], 1964 April 30.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Val L. Fitch, 1986 December 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Sessions from the annual meeting of Corporate Associates [sound recording], 1969 September 30.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Brookhaven National Laboratory interview transcripts, 1966-1986.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Kenneth M. Watson, 1986 February 10.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

"The View from the Bottom," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists February (1975): 43-46.

Critical problems in physics : proceedings of a conference celebrating the 250th anniversary of Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, October 31, November 1, November 2, 1996 / Val L. Fitch, Daniel R. Marlow, Margit A.E. Dementi, editors.

Val Fitch's Interview by Atomic Heritage Foundation [YouTube].

Subject

Nobel Prize Autobiography

Val Logsdon Fitch Physics Today obituary.