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Biography
AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjectsRelationships
PeopleInstitutionsResources
Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as AuthorPublished as SubjectFrancis Bitter
Dates
July 22, 1902 – July 26, 1967
Authorized Form of Name
Bitter, Francis, 1902-1967
Additional Forms of Names
Bitter, Francis
Biography
Abstract
Physicist, 1902-1967. Major affiliations include: Westinghouse Co., Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 1930-1934; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA, 1934-1967.
Important Dates
July 22, 1902Birth, Weehawken (N.J.).
1919 – 1922Undergraduate work at University of Chicago, Chicago (Ill.).
1924Obtained BS, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).
1925 – 1926Graduate work at University of Berlin, Berlin (Germany).
1928Obtained PhD in Physics, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).
1928 – 1930National Research Fellow working under Robert Millikan, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).
1930 – 1942Research Engineer (1930-1934) and consultant (1934-1942), Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh (Pa.).
1933 – 1934Guggenheim Fellow working under Petr Kapitsa, Cavendish Laboratories, Cambridge University.
1934 – 1967Associate Professor of Metallurgy (1934-1945), Associate Professor of Physics (1945-1951), Professor of Physics (1951-1960), Associate Dean of Science (1956-1960), and Professor of Geophysics (1960-1967), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Through Bitter's efforts the magnet laboratory was established by 1938. In 1960 Bitter became responsible for the design and completion of the National Magnet Laboratory, renamed the Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory after his death, Cambridge (Mass.).
1941 – 1945Officer, Bureau of Ordnance, United States Navy.
July 26, 1967Death, Cape Cod (Mass.).
Occupation
Physicist.
Places
Birth
Undergraduate Education
Graduate Education
Employment
Death
Subjects
Physics -- Study and teaching.
Relationships
People
Family
Bitter, Karl Theodore Francis, 1867-1915
Father.
Bitter, Marie Schevill.
Mother.
Ratan Devī.
First wife, married in 1928.
Welchman, Katherine.
Second wife.
Advisors & Collaborators
Brossel, Jean
Collaborated on experiments with double resonance.
Fowler, Clarence Maxwell.
Collaborated on work about the precise control of high explosives which led to megagauss magnets.
Harrison, George Russell, 1898-1979
Collaborated on the use of new magnets for investigations of optical phenomena, particularly the Zeeman effect.
Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953
Post-doc advisor at California Institute of Technology and both employed there.
Wills, A .P.
Ph.D. advisor at University of Columbia studying diamagnetic susceptibility of hydrocarbons.
Colleagues
Anderson, Carl D. (Carl David), 1905-1991
Both employed at California Institute of Technology.
Both employed at California Institute of Technology.
Benedek, George Bernard, 1928-
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Buechner, William W. (William Weber), 1914-1985
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Compton, K. T. (Karl Taylor), 1887-1954
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Condon, Edward Uhler, 1902-1974
Both employed at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company.
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Drell, Sidney D. (Sidney David), 1926-
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
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.
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Epstein, Paul S. (Paul Sophus), 1883-1966
Both employed at California Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Frank, Nathaniel H. (Nathaniel Herman), 1903-1984
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Friedman, Jerome I. (Jerome Isaac), 1930-
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Hansen, W. W. (William Webster), 1909-1949
Both employed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Herring, William Conyers, 1914-
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Houston, W. V. (William Vermillion), 1900-
Both employed at California Institute of Technology.
Jackson, John David, 1925-2016
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Kapitsa, P. L. (Petr Leonidovich), 1894-1984
Research scientist under Kapitsa at the Cavendish Laboratories, Cambridge University for a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Kendall, Henry W. (Henry Way), 1926-1999
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Keyes, Frederick G. (Frederick George), 1885-1976
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Killian, James Rhyne, 1904-1988
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Lauritsen, Charles Christian, 1892-1968
Both employed at California Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Livingston, M. Stanley (Milton Stanley)
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Low, Francis E. (Francis Eugene), 1921-2007
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
MacDonald, Gordon J. (Gordon James), 1929-2002
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Morse, Philip M. (Philip McCord), 1903-1985
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967
Both employed at California Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Pekeris, C. L. (Chaim Leib), 1908-1993
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Robertson, H. P. (Howard Percy), 1903-1961
Both employed at California Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Slater, John C. (John Clarke), 1900-1976
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Both employed at Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company.
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Stratton, Julius Adams, 1901-1994
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Tolman, Richard C. (Richard Chace), 1881-1948
Both employed at California Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Van de Graaf, Robert Jemison, 1901-1967
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Von Kármán, Theodore, 1881-1963
Both employed at California Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Weisskopf, Victor Frederick, 1908-2002
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Wiesner, Jerome B. (Jerome Bert), 1915-1994
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Zacharias, Jerrold Reinach, 1905-1986
Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Additional
Cockcroft, John, Sir, 1897-1967
Darrow, Karl K. (Karl Kelchner), 1891-
Rashevsky, Nicholas, 1899-1972
Roberts, John D., 1918-
Studied at University of Chicago together.
Tonks, Lewi, 1897-1971
Yensen, Trygve D. (Trygve Dewey), 1884-1950.
Zwicky, F. (Fritz), 1898-1974
Institutions
Major Positions
Arthur D. Little, Inc.
Consultant.
California Institute of Technology. Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy
National Research Fellow.
Cavendish Laboratory (Cambridge, England)
Guggenheim Fellow.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Associate Dean of Science.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Geology and Geophysics
Professor of Geophysics.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Associate Professor of Metallurgy; Associate Professor of Physics; and Professor of Physics.
United States. Navy. Bureau of Ordnance
Officer.
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company
Research Engineer and Consultant.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Association of Physics Teachers
Berlin Universitat. Dept. of Physics.
Completed graduate-level studies.
Columbia University. Department of Physics
Obtained BS (1924) and PhD in Physics (1928).
Educational Services Incorporated. Physical Science Study Committee. Education Development Center.
Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory
Responsible for the Laboratory's organization in 1960.
Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory
National Research Council (U.S.)
University of Chicago
Performed undergraduate studies before transferring to Columbia University.
Resources
Archival Resources
Author
Francis Bitter correspondence with Lewi Tonks, circa 1925-1930.
Manuscript Division
Library of Congress
James Madison Memorial Building, First Street and Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540, USA
Francis Bitter papers, 1925-1967.
Institute Archives and Special Collections
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. Libraries, Rm. 14N-118, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Subject
Francis Bitter National Magnet Laboratory records, 1957-1987.
Institute Archives and Special Collections
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. Libraries, Rm. 14N-118, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Heinrich Medicus notes, 1958-1959.
Institute Archives and Special Collections
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. Libraries, Rm. 14N-118, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Lewi Tonks correspondence with Francis Bitter, circa 1925-1930.
Manuscript Division
Library of Congress
James Madison Memorial Building, First Street and Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540, USA
MIT Office of the President records of Karl Taylor Compton and James Rhyne Killian, 1930-1959.
Institute Archives and Special Collections
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. Libraries, Rm. 14N-118, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Oral history interview with Jean Brossel, 1983 March 3 and 8.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with John D. Roberts, 2007 July 27.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Nicolaas Bloembergen, 1983 June 27.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Published Resources
Author
Currents, fields, and particles / Francis Bitter.
Introduction to ferromagnetism / by Francis Bitter.
Introduction to ferromagnetism [microform] / by Francis Bitter.
Magnets: the education of a physicist.
Mathematical aspects of physics, an introduction.
Selected papers and commentaries. Edited by T. Erber and C. M. Fowler.