Robert B. Leighton

Biography

Abstract

Robert B. Leighton was Emeritus Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology (1947-1997). His research interests included the electromagnetic spectrum and telescopes.

Important Dates

September 10, 1919Birth, Detroit (Mich.).

1941Obtained BS, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1943 – 1945Researcher, California Institute of Technology.

1944Obtained MS, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1947Obtained PhD in Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1947 – 1997Research Fellow (1947-1949); Assistant Professor to Professor of Physics (1949-1985); William L. Valentine Professor of Physics (1985-1986); and Emeritus Professor of Physics (1986-1997), California Institute of Physics, Pasadena (Calif.).

1966Member, National Academy of Sciences.

March 9, 1997Death, Pasadena (Calif.).

Occupation

Astrophysicist.

Places

Birth

Detroit (Mich.)

Undergraduate Education

Pasadena (Calif.)

Graduate Education

Pasadena (Calif.)

Employment

Pasadena (Calif.)

Death

Pasadena (Calif.)

Subjects

Astrophysics.

Electromagnetic fields.

Particles (Nuclear physics).

Telescopes.

Relationships

People

Family

Leighton, Alan

Son.

Leighton, Alice

First wife.

Leighton, Marge

Second wife.

Leighton, Ralph

Son.

Advisors & Collaborators

Epstein, Paul S. (Paul Sophus), 1883-1966

PhD advisor at California Institute of Technology, "The vibrational spectrum of a mon-atomic face-centered cubic crystal lattice," and both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Houston, W. V. (William Vermillion), 1900-

PhD advisor at California Institute of Technology, "The vibrational spectrum of a mon-atomic face-centered cubic crystal lattice," and both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Noyes, Robert W., 1934-

Advised by Leighton at California Institute of Technology, "Observations of oscillatory motions in the solar atmosphere."

Colleagues

Adelberger, Eric G.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Anderson, Carl D. (Carl David), 1905-1991

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bacher, Robert F. (Robert Fox), 1905-2004

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bahcall, John N.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bardeen, James Maxwell, 1939-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Barish, B. C. (Barry Clark), 1936-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Boehm, Felix

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bowman, J. D. (J. David)

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Brown, Harold, 1927-2019

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Christy, Robert F.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Cole, Julian D.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Dashen, Roger F.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

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

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

DuMond, Jesse W. M. (Jesse William Monroe), 1892-1976

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Eisenstein, James P. (James Philip)

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Everhart, Thomas E.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Feynman, Richard P. (Richard Phillips), 1918-1988

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Fowler, William A.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Freedman, Daniel Z.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Gates, S. James

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Gell-Mann, Murray

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Glashow, Sheldon L.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Glauber, Roy J., 1925-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Goldberger, Marvin L.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Gould, Roy W. (Roy Walter), 1927-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Hellwarth, Robert Willis, 1930-2021

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Holdren, John P.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Kaspi, Victoria Michelle, 1967-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Kimble, H. Jeff (Harry Jeffrey), 1949-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Koonin, Steven E.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Kryder, Mark H.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Lange, Andrew

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Lauritsen, Charles Christian, 1892-1968

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Lauritsen, Thomas, 1915-1973

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

McKeown, R. D.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Oddone, Piermaria J.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Politzer, H. David, 1949-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Robertson, H. P. (Howard Percy), 1903-1961

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Schwarz, John H.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Sciulli, Frank J.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Spitzer, Frank, 1926-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Teukolsky, Saul A. (Saul Arno), 1947-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Thorne, Kip S.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Tollestrup, Alvin

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Tolman, Richard C. (Richard Chace), 1881-1948

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Trilling, George H.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Tsuei, Chang C.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Will, Clifford M., 1946-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Wilson, Robert Woodrow, 1936-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Wise, Mark B., 1953-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Ye, Jun, 1967-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Zweig, George

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Additional

Low, Frank James

Osterbrock, Donald E.

Sands, Matthew L. (Matthew Linzee)

Tombrello, Thomas A.

Institutions

Major Positions

California Institute of Technology. Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy

Obtained BS (1941), MS (1944), and PhD in Physics (1947). Researcher; Research Fellow; Assistant Professor to Professor of Physics; William L. Valentine Professor of Physics; and Emeritus Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

History of Modern Astrophysics collection, 1849-1979.

Library

American Philosophical Society

105 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

Joint ceremonial session of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers [sound recording], 1972 February 1.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Robert Benjamin Leighton, 1977 July 29 and August 5.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Robert B. Leighton papers, 1938-1988 (bulk 1961-1988).

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Subject

Oral History interview with Donald E. Osterbrock, 2003 February 10.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Oral history interview with Frank J. Low, 2000 January 25 and May 4.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Matthew L. Sands, 1987 May 4 and 5.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Robert W. Noyes, 2007 December 5.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Thomas Tombrello, 2010 December 26-31.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Timothy Ferris interviews conducted for book, THE RED LIMIT, 1974-1976.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Exercises in introductory physics [by] R.B. Leighton [and] R.E. Vogt.

Principles of modern physics.

Six easy pieces: essentials of physics, explained by its most brilliant teacher / Richard P. Feynman; originally prepared for publication by Robert B. Leighton and Matthew Sands; new introduction by Paul Davies.

The Feynman lectures on physics / [by] Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton [and] Matthew Sands.

Subject

"Robert B. Leighton: 1919-1997", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences

Robert Benjamin Leighton Physics Today obituary.

Robert Leighton California Institute of Technology obituary.

Robert Leighton New York Times obituary.