Samuel King Allison

Dates

November 13, 1900 – September 15, 1965

Authorized Form of Name

Allison, Samuel King, 1900-1965

Additional Forms of Names

Allison, Samuel K.

Allison, Samuel King

Biography

Abstract

Samuel King Allison is most notable for his role in the Manhattan Project. During his career he also researched linear accelerators, the Compton effect, and the dynamical theory of x-ray diffraction.

Important Dates

November 13, 1900Birth, Chicago (Ill.).

1921Obtained BS, University of Chicago, Chicago (Ill.).

1923Obtained PhD in Chemistry, University of Chicago, Chicago (Ill.).

1923 – 1925National Research Fellow, Harvard University.

1925 – 1926Research Fellow, Carnegie Institution of Washington.

1926 – 1929Instructor in Physics (1926-1928) and Assistant Professor of Physics (1928-1929), University of California, Berkeley.

1929 – 1965Associate Professor of Physics (1929-1942); Professor of Physics (1942-1959); and Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor of Physics (1959-1965), University of Chicago, Chicago (Ill.).

1940 – 1941Consultant, National Defense Research Committee.

1941 – 1942Member, S-1 Uranium Committee, Office of Scientific Research and Development.

1942 – 1944Experimental Chief Manhattan Project (1942); Leader, Chemical Group Manhattan Project (1942); and Director, Manhattan Project (1943-1944), Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Chicago (Ill.).

1944 – 1946Chair, Technical and Scheduling Committee (Manhattan Project), Los Alamos Laboratory, Los Alamos (N.M.).

1946Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1946 – 1957Director, Institute for Nuclear Studies, University of Chicago, Chicago (Ill.).

1960 – 1965Chair, Physics Section (1960-1963) and Chair, Committee on Nuclear Science (1962-1965), National Research Council.

1963 – 1965Director, Enrico Fermi Institute for Nuclear Studies, University of Chicago.

September 16, 1965Death, Oxford (England).

Occupation

Nuclear physicist.

Places

Subjects

Accelerators.

Betatrons.

Induced radioactivity.

Nuclear fission.

Nuclear physics.

X-rays.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Compton, Arthur Holly, 1892-1962

Both employed at University of Chicago and co-wrote "X-rays in theory and experiment."

Cronin, James W., 1931-2016

Advised by Allison in experimental nuclear physics at University of Chicago.

Harkins, William D. (William Draper), 1873-1951

Ph.D. advisor at University of Chicago.

Colleagues

Agnew, Harold M.

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Anderson, Herbert Lawrence

Both employed at University of Chicago, the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project, and the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Ashcroft, Neil W.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

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

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Beams, Jesse W. (Jesse Wakefield), 1898-1977

Both employed at the Office of Scientific Research and Development.

Bederson, Benjamin

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Birge, Raymond T. (Raymond Thayer), 1887-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Bloch, Felix, 1905-

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Boyd, George Edward, 1912-

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Breit, Gregory, 1899-1981

Both employed at the Office of Scientific Research and Development and Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Bridgman, P. W. (Percy Williams), 1882-1961

Both employed at Harvard University.

Briggs, Lyman J. (Lyman James), 1874-1963

Both employed at the Office of Scientific Research and Development.

Brode, Robert B. (Robert Bigham), 1900-1986

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Burton, Milton, 1902-

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Case, Kenneth M.

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Chamberlain, O. (Owen)

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Charney, Jule G.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Christy, Robert F.

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Cohen, Morrel H.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Condon, Edward Uhler, 1902-1974

Both employed at the Office of Scientific Research and Development.

Corson, Dale R.

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Coryell, Charles D. (Charles Du Bois), 1912-1971

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Creutz, E.

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Crewe, Albert V.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Daniels, Farrington, 1889-1972

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Dempster, Arthur Jeffrey

Both employed at University of Chicago and the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Deutsch, Martin, 1917-2002

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Duffield, Robert B.

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Eckart, Carl, 1902-1973

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Falicov, L. M. (Leopoldo Maximo), 1933-1995

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Ference, Michael, 1911-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Fermi, Enrico, 1901-1954

Both employed at University of Chicago, Institute for Nuclear Studies.

Fitch, Val L., 1923-2015

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Franck, James, 1882-1964

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Friedman, Jerome I. (Jerome Isaac), 1930-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Fritzsche, Hellmut

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Garwin, Richard L.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Gell-Mann, Murray

Both employed at University of Chicago, Institute for Nuclear Studies.

Glauber, Roy J., 1925-

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Goldberger, Marvin L.

Both employed at University of Chicago and the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Gunn, Ross, 1897-1966

Both employed at the Office of Scientific Research and Development.

Hilberry, Norman, 1899-

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Koshiba, Masatoshi, 1926-2020

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Lawrence, Ernest Orlando, 1901-1958

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Loeb, Leonard B. (Leonard Benedict), 1891-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Lyman, Theodore, 1874-1954

Both employed at Harvard University.

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

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Mason, Max, 1877-1961

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Mayer, Maria Goeppert, 1906-1972

Both employed at University of Chicago and the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

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

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Morrison, Philip

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Mulliken, Robert Sanderson

Both employed at University of Chicago and Harvard University.

Nambu, Yoichiro, 1921-2015

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

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

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Parker, E. N. (Eugene Newman), 1927-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Pegram, George Braxton, 1876-1958

Both employed at the Office of Scientific Research and Development.

Perlman, Isadore

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Phillips, J. C.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Rieser, Leonard M.

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory and the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Rosenfeld, Arthur H., 1926-

Both employed at University of Chicago, Institute for Nuclear Studies.

Rossi, Bruno, 1905-1993

Both employed at University of Chicago.

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

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Schrieffer, J. R. (John Robert), 1931-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Schwinger, Julian, 1918-1994

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Seaborg, Glenn T. (Glenn Theodore), 1912-1999

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Simpson, John A. (John Alexander), 1916-2000

Both employed at University of Chicago and the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Slater, John C. (John Clarke), 1900-1976

Both employed at Harvard University.

Smith, Lloyd Preston, 1903-

Both employed at the Office of Scientific Research and Development.

Smyth, Henry De Wolf, 1898-1986

Both employed at the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Spedding, F. H. (Frank Harold), 1902-

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Szilard, Leo

Both employed at University of Chicago and the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Telegdi, Val, 1922-2006

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Teller, Edward, 1908-2003

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Treiman, Sam B.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Turkevich, Anthony, 1916-2002

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project, University of Chicago and the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Tuve, Merle Antony, 1901-1982

Both employed at the Office of Scientific Research and Development.

Urey, Harold Clayton, 1893-1981

Both employed at the Office of Scientific Research and Development and University of Chicago, Institute for Nuclear Studies.

Weinberg, Alvin Martin, 1915-2006

Both employed at University of Chicago and the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Wentzel, Gregor, 1898-1978

Both employed at University of Chicago.

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

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-1995

Both employed at the Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Williams, John H. (John Harry), 1908-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Yang, Chen Ning, 1922-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Zacharias, Jerrold Reinach, 1905-1986

Both employed at the Los Alamos Laboratory, Manhattan Project.

Zener, Clarence, 1905-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Additional

Groueff, Stephane

Libby, Willard F.

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

Pauling, Linus, 1901-1994

Shankland, Robert S., 1908-

Wilson, Robert R., 1914-2000

Institutions

Major Positions

Carnegie Institution of Washington

Research Fellow.

Harvard University

National Research Fellow.

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

Chair, Technical and Scheduling Committee (Manhattan Project).

United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development. Metallurgical Laboratory

Experimental Chief, Manhattan Project; Leader, Chemical Group Manhattan Project; and Director, Manhattan Project.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Physics

Instructor in Physics and Assistant Professor of Physics.

University of Chicago. Department of Physics

Associate Professor of Physics; Professor of Physics; and Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor of Physics.

University of Chicago. Institute for Nuclear Studies

Director.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Association of Physics Teachers

American Physical Society

Enrico Fermi Institute

Director.

Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen

Manhattan Project (U.S.)

Experimental Chief, Leader, Chemical Group, and Director (Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory). Chair, Technical and Scheduling Committee (Los Alamos Laboratory).

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

National Research Council (U.S.)

Chair, Physics Section and Chair, Committee on Nuclear Science.

Optical Society of America

United States. Council of National Defense. National Defense Research Committee

Consultant.

United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development. National Defense Research Committee

Member, S-1 Uranium Committee.

University of Chicago. Department of Chemistry

Obtained B.S. in 1921 and Ph.D. in 1923.