Elmer Hutchisson

Biography

Abstract

Physicist (atomic physics). On the physics faculty at University of Pittsburgh, 1926-1944; on faculty of Case Institute of Technology: dean of faculty, 1944-1950, dean of the Graduate School and director of Research Division, 1952-1957; director of the American Institute of Physics, 1957-1964.

Important Dates

December 29, 1902Birth, Cleveland (Ohio).

1923B.S. in Physics, Case School of Applied Science, Cleveland (Ohio).

1923 – 1924M.S. in Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).

1924 – 1926Assistant in Physics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Minn.).

1926Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Minn.).

1926 – 1944Instructor (1926), Assistant Professor (1927-1936), Professor in Physics and Head of Department of Physics (1937-1944), University of Pittsburgh. On leave 1929, 1936-1937 and 1941-1944, Pittsburgh (Pa.).

1929 – 1930Studied under Erwin Schrödinger, University of Berlin.

1936 – 1937Assistant Director, American Institute of Physics (AIP).

1937 – 1953Founding Editor, Journal of Applied Physics.

1941 – 1944Chief Technical Aide, Division 6 (Undersea Warfare), National Defense Research Committee, Office of Scientific Research and Development, New York (N.Y.).

1944Awarded the Presidential Certificate of Merit for War Research.

1944 – 1957Dean of Faculty (1944-1955), Acting President (1950-1952), Dean of the Graduate School (1955-1957) and Director of the Research Division (1955-1957), Case Institute of Technology, Cleveland (Ohio).

1947 – 1957Member, Advisory Committee on Industrial Information, Atomic Energy Commission.

1947 – 1957Member, Subcommittee on Unclassified Reactors, National Research Council (NRC).

1948 – 1953Chairman, Board of Editors, American Institute of Physics (AIP).

1950 – 1957Member, Publication Commission, International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP).

1950 – 1959Chairman, Committee on Science Abstracts of the American Physical Society (APS) and American Institute of Physics (AIP).

1951Awarded gold Outstanding Achievement Medal, University of Minnesota.

1953 – 1965Vice-Chairman, Abstracting Board, International Council of Scientific Meetings.

1955 – 1957Chairman, Committee on the Role of Physics in Engineering Education, American Institute of Physics (AIP).

1955 – 1957Chairman, Advisory Committee on Russian Translations, American Institute of Physics (AIP).

1956Awarded Meritorious Service Award, Case Alumni Association.

1957Member, Governing Board, American Institute of Physics (AIP).

1957Awarded Distinguished Service Citation, American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).

1957Honorary D. Sc., Case Institute of Technology, Cleveland (Ohio).

1957 – 1964Director, American Institute of Physics (AIP). Hutchisson was the driving force to establish the Education Division, the Center for the History of Physics, and the Niels Bohr Library & Archives, New York (N.Y.).

1958Honorary D. Sc., Washington College (Chestertown, MD).

1958 – 1963Member, U.S. National Commission for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

1958 – 1963Member, Board of Directors, The Foundation for Instrumentation Education and Research Incorporated.

1958 – 1963Member, Scientific Information Council, National Science Foundation (NSF).

1960 – 1963Trustee, Engineering Index, Inc.

1960 – 1963Chairman, Advisory Committee on Documentation, National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council (NAS-NRC).

1962 – 1964Member, Committee on International Education in Physics, American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).

1965 – 1983Director Emeritus, American Institute of Physics (AIP).

1977Awarded gold medal, Case Alumni Association.

April 10, 1983Death.

Occupation

Physicist and educator.

Places

Birth

Cleveland (Ohio)

Undergraduate Education

Cleveland (Ohio)

Graduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Minneapolis (Minn.)

Employment

Pittsburgh (Pa.)

New York (N.Y.)

Cleveland (Ohio)

Subjects

Applied physics and engineering.

Atomic and molecular physics.

Journalism, Scientific.

Physics -- Study and teaching.

Citations

From the Oral History Interview with Elmer Hutchisson, American Institute of Physics.

Relationships

People

Family

Hutchisson, Anna Bertha Merrick

Mother.

Hutchisson, Harry

Father.

Hutchisson, Rose Valasek

Wife, married September 14, 1925.

Advisors & Collaborators

Blackwood, Oswald H. (Oswald Hance), 1888-1953

Co-wrote the textbook "Outline of Atomic Physics" and "A Manual for Experimental Physics." Both employed at the University of Pittsburgh.

Heymans, Paul

M.S. advisor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Muskat, M. (Morris), 1907-

Co-wrote a number of articles.

Osgood, Thomas H.

Co-wrote the textbook "Outline of Atomic Physics."

Ruark, Arthur Edward, 1899-

Co-wrote the textbook "Outline of Atomic Physics."

Schrödinger, Erwin, 1887-1961

Advisor at University of Berlin.

Torreson, O. W.

Collaborated on undergraduate thesis at Case Institute of Technology.

Van Vleck, J. H. (John Hasbrouck), 1899-1980

Ph.D. advisor at University of Minnesota.

Colleagues

Barton, Henry Askew, 1898-1983

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Colpitts, Edwin Henry

Both employed for Division 6 of the Office of Scientific Research and Development.

Erikson, Henry A. (Henry Anton), 1869-

Both employed at the University of Minnesota.

Gilbert, Gerald F.

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Gleason, Dorothy G.

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Glennan, Thomas Keith, 1905-1995

Both employed at Case Institute of Technology.

Gockley, Nancy

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

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

Both employed at Division 6 of the Office of Scientific Research and Development.

Kone, Eugene H.

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Lasky, Dorothy M.

Both employed at Division 6 of the Office of Scientific Research and Development and at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Meyers, Audrey

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Mitchell, Madeline

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Pegram, George Braxton, 1876-1958

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Seitz, Frederick, 1911-2008

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Shankland, Robert S., 1908-

Both employed in the Office of Scientific Research and Development and Case Institute of Technology.

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

Both employed at the University of Minnesota and for Division 6 of the Office of Scientific Research and Development.

Waterfall, Wallace, 1900-1974

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Wickenden, William E. (William Elgin), 1882-1947

Both employed at Case Institute of Technology.

Williams, Van Zandt

Both employed at the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

Worthing, Archie G. (Archie Garfield), 1881-

Both employed at the University of Pittsburgh.

Zeleny, Anthony, 1870-1947

Both employed at the University of Minnesota.

Additional

Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988

Bromley, D. Allan (David Allan), 1926-2005

Buchta, J. W. (J. William), 1895-1966

Lived together at the University of Minnesota.

Condon, Edward Uhler, 1902-1974

Cranberg, Lawrence, 1917-

Darrow, Karl K. (Karl Kelchner), 1891-

Dodge, Homer L. (Homer Levi), 1887-1983

Evans, Robley Dunglison, 1907-

Fermi, Enrico, 1901-1954

Fletcher, Harvey, 1884-1981

Fowler, William A.

Herring, William Conyers, 1914-

Kelly, Mervin Joe

Koch, Herman William, 1920-

Lindsay, Robert Bruce, 1900-

Loomis, F. W. (Francis Wheeler), 1889-1976

Meggers, William F. (William Frederick), 1888-1966

Michelson, Albert A. (Albert Abraham), 1852-1931

Miller, Dayton Clarence, 1866-1941

Ramsey, Norman, 1915-2011

Sawyer, Ralph A. (Ralph Alanson), 1895-1978

Stratton, Julius Adams, 1901-1994

Institutions

Major Positions

American Institute of Physics

Founding Editor of "Journal of Applied Physics," Assistant Director, Director, and Director Emeritus. Chairman, Board of Editors. Chairman, Committee on Science Abstracts. Chairman, Committee on the Role of Physics in Engineering Education. Chairman, Advisory Committee on Russian Translations. Member, Governing Board.

Case Institute of Technology

Obtained B.S. in physics in 1923. Dean of Faculty, Acting President, Dean of the Graduate School, and Director of the Research Division.

United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development

Chief Technical Aide.

University of Pittsburgh. Department of Physics

Instructor; Assistant Professor; Professor in Physics; and Head, Department of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Acoustical Society of America

American Association for the Advancement of Science

American Association of Physics Teachers

Member, Committee on International Education in Physics.

American Physical Society

Chairman, Committee on Science Abstracts.

Engineering Index, inc.

Trustee.

Gamma Alpha Graduate Scientific Fraternity

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Studied under Erwin Schrodinger.

IBM Research

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics

Member, Publication Commission.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics

Obtained M.S. in physics in 1924.

National Research Council (U.S.)

Chairman, Advisory Committee on Documentation. Member, Subcommittee on Unclassified Reactors.

National Science Foundation (U.S.)

Member, Scientific Information Council.

Optical Society of America

Sigma Pi Sigma

Society of Rheology (U.S.)

Society of the Sigma Xi

Tau Beta Pi

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission

Member, Advisory Committee on Industrial Information.

Unesco

Member, U.S. National Commission for United Nations Educational.

University of Minnesota. Department of Physics and Astronomy

Obtained Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics in 1926.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

AIP Office of the Director records of Elmer Hutchisson, 1948-1966, (bulk 1957-1964).

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

An outline of atomic physics manuscript, 1954.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Elmer Hutchisson papers, 1919-1982.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Elmer Hutchisson, 1970 October 22.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

The story of the American Institute of Physics, 1956-1966.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

AIP Office of the Director records of Henry A. Barton, 1931-1964.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

AIP Office of the Director records of Van Zandt Williams, 1964-1966.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

F. W. Loomis papers, 1920-1976.

University Archives

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

1408 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

Homer L. Dodge papers, 1852-1994 (bulk 1910-1960).

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Lawrence Cranberg papers, 1962-2000.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Frederick Seitz, 1982 October 6 and 7.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Herman William Koch, 1986 September 16 to 11 October 1987.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Ralph Alanson Sawyer, 1967 March 16 and 1970 September 24.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Robley D. Evans, 1972 May 2, 3, 1974 May 5 and 1978 June 14.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

William F. Meggers addition to papers, 1870-1973 (bulk 1906-1966).

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

A manual for experimental physics

An outline of atomic physics

Atoms, radiation and nuclei : 1964 edition of An outline of atomic physics

Subject

Elmer Hutchisson Physics Today obituary