John H. Williams

Biography

Abstract

John Williams was Professor of Physics at the University of Minnesota (1946-1966). Other institutional affiliations included the United States Atomic Energy Commission. His research interests included x-ray natural line widths and spectroscopy; nuclear physics; light nuclei reactions; scattering of light nuclei; and proton linear accelerator.

Important Dates

July 7, 1908Birth, Asbestos (Québec).

1928Obtained BS, University of British Columbia, Vancouver (B.C.).

1930Obtained MA, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1931Obtained PhD in Physics, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1931 – 1933National Research Council (NRC) Fellow, University of Chicago.

1933 – 1966Instructor in Physics (1933-1934); Assistant Professor of Physics (1934-1937); Associate Professor of Physics (1937-1946); and Professor of Physics (1946-1966), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Minn.).

1942 – 1943Contract Researcher, Office of Scientific Research and Development.

1943 – 1946Leader, Electrostatic Generator Group, Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

1958 – 1966Director, Division of Research (1958-1959); Commissioner (1959-1960); and Member, General Advisory Committee (1960-1966), United States Atomic Energy Commission.

1961Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1963President, American Physical Society.

April 18, 1966Death, Minneapolis (Minn.).

Occupation

Nuclear physicist.

Places

Birth

Asbestos (Québec)

Undergraduate Education

Vancouver (B.C.)

Graduate Education

Berkeley (Calif.)

Employment

Minneapolis (Minn.)

Death

Minneapolis (Minn.)

Subjects

Linear accelerators.

Nuclear physics.

Relationships

People

Family

Williams, Vera Martin

Wife. Married in 1928.

Advisors & Collaborators

Tate, John T. (John Torrence), 1889-1950

Research assistant and protégé at the University of Minnesota.

Colleagues

Allison, Samuel King, 1900-1965

Both employed at University of Chicago.

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

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Bainbridge, Kenneth T. (Kenneth Tompkins), 1904-1996

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Bardeen, John

Both employed at University of Minnesota.

Bradbury, Norris, 1909-1997

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Dempster, Arthur Jeffrey

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Eckart, Carl, 1902-1973

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Fermi, Enrico, 1901-1954

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Froman, Darol K. (Darol Kenneth), 1906-1997

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Goldman, Allen M.

Both employed at University of Minnesota.

Hill, Edward Lee, 1904-1974

Both employed at University of Minnesota.

Hubbard, Jack

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Kerst, Donald William, 1911-1993

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Kistiakowsky, George B. (George Bogdan), 1900-1982

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Kusch, Polykarp, 1911-1993

Both employed at University of Minnesota.

Manley, John Henry, 1907-

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Mulliken, Robert Sanderson

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Ney, Edward Purdy, 1920-

Both employed at University of Minnesota.

Nier, Alfred O. (Alfred Otto), 1911-1994

Both employed at University of Minnesota.

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Rossi, Bruno, 1905-1993

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Segrè, Emilio

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Waldman, Bernard, 1913-1986

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Weisskopf, Victor Frederick, 1908-2002

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Wilson, Robert R., 1914-2000

Both employed at Los Alamos Laboratory and on Project Trinity, Manhattan Project.

Winckler, John R.

Both employed at University of Minnesota.

Institutions

Major Positions

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

Leader, Electrostatic Generator Group, Manhattan Project.

Manhattan Project (U.S.)

Leader, Electrostatic Generator Group, Los Alamos Laboratory.

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission

Director, Division of Research; Commissioner; and Member, General Advisory Committee.

United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development

Contract Researcher.

University of Minnesota. Department of Physics and Astronomy

Instructor in Physics; Assistant Professor of Physics; Associate Professor of Physics; and Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Physical Society

President.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

University of British Columbia. Department of Physics

Obtained BS (1928).

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Physics

Obtained MA (1930) and PhD (1931).

University of Chicago. Department of Physics

National Research Council (NRC) Fellow in Physics.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Los Alamos report 24: lecture series on nuclear physics, 1943-1944.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Notes on physics courses given at Los Alamos, 1943-1946.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission lecture series on nuclear physics, 1943.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Midwestern Universities Research Association records, 1953-1974.

University Archives

University of Minnesota

Andersen Library, Minneapolis, MN, USA

University of Minnesota Department of Physics papers, 1886-1972.

University Archives

University of Minnesota

Andersen Library, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Published Resources

Subject

"John Harry Williams: 1908-1966", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences

John Harry Williams Physics Today obituary.