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Table of Contents

Biography

AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjects

Relationships

PeopleInstitutions

Resources

Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as AuthorPublished as Subject

H. R. Crane

Photo

Dates

November 4, 1907 – April 19, 2007

Authorized Form of Name

Crane, H. R. (Horace Richard), 1907-2007

Additional Forms of Names

Crane, Horace R., 1907-2007

Biography

Abstract

Horace Richard Crane was the inventor of the University of Michigan's electron synchrotron. His research also provided evidence that neutrinos existed.

Important Dates

November 4, 1907Birth, Turlock (Calif.).

1930Obtained BS, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1934Obtained PhD in Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1934 – 1935Research Fellow in Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1935 – 2007Instructor and Research Physicist (1935-1938); Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Physics (1938-1946); Professor of Physics (1946-1978); Chair, Department of Physics (1965-1972); and Emeritus Professor of Physics (1978-2007), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Mich.).

1940 – 1941Researcher, Radiation Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

1941 – 1942Researcher, Proximity Fuse Project, Carnegie Institution of Washington.

1942 – 1945Director, Proximity Fuse Project Satellite, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Mich.).

1957 – 1960President, Midwestern Universities Research Association.

1964 – 1975Member (1964-1975) and Chair (1971-1975), Governing Board, American Institute of Physics.

1965President, American Association of Physics Teachers.

1966Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1967Awarded Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics, American Physical Society.

1969 – 1972Member, Standing Committee, Controlled Thermonulcear Research, United States Atomic Energy Commission.

1986Awarded National Medal of Science.

April 19, 2007Death, Chelsea (Mich.).

Occupation

Atomic physicist.

Places

Birth

Turlock (Calif.)

Undergraduate Education

Pasadena (Calif.)

Graduate Education

Pasadena (Calif.)

Employment

Ann Arbor (Mich.)

Death

Chelsea (Mich.)

Subjects

Atomic and molecular physics.

Biophysics.

Neutrinos.

Nuclear physics.

Particle accelerators.

Proximity fuzes.

Radiative capture.

Synchrotrons.

World War, 1939-1945 -- Science.

Relationships

People

Family

Crane, Florence LeBaron

Wife.

Crane, George

Son.

Crane, Horace Stephen

Father.

Crane, John William

Brother.

Crane, Mary Alice

Mother.

Crane, Stephen Horace

Grandfather.

Advisors & Collaborators

Lauritsen, Charles Christian, 1892-1968

PhD advisor at California Institute of Technology, "Artificial Radioactivity," and both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Wilkinson, David T.

Advised by Crane at University of Michigan, "A pricision measurement of the g-factor of the free electron," and both employed at University of Michigan.

Colleagues

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

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bateman, Harry, 1882-1946

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bonner, Tom Wilkerson, 1910-1961

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Case, Kenneth M.

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Dennison, David M. (David Mathias), 1900-1976

Both employed at University of Michigan.

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

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Duwez, Pol

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Edwards, David F. (David Franklin)

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Ehrlich, Gert

Both employed at University of Michigan.

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

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Furry, W. H. (Wendell Hinkle), 1907-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Glaser, D. A.

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Goudsmit, Samuel A. (Samuel Abraham), 1902-1978

Both employed at University of Michigan.

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

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Laporte, Otto, 1902-1971

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Luttinger, Joaquin M.

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Nierenberg, William Aaron, 1919-2000

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Perl, Martin L., 1927-2014

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Randall, Harrison M. (Harrison McAllister), 1870-

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Satchler, G. R. (George Raymond)

Both employed at University of Michigan.

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

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Trilling, George H.

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Uhlenbeck, George Eugène, 1900-1988

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Wieman, C. E. (Carl Edwin)

Both employed at University of Michigan.

Additional

Cockcroft, John, Sir, 1897-1967

Fermi, Enrico, 1901-1954

Fowler, William A.

Holbrow, Charles H.

Lawrence, Ernest Orlando, 1901-1958

McMillan, Edwin M. (Edwin Mattison), 1907-

Parkinson, W. C. (William Charles), 1918-

Smith, Gail Preston, 1915-

Tuve, Merle Antony, 1901-1982

Zorn, Jens C.

Institutions

Major Positions

Carnegie Institution of Washington

Researcher, Proximity Fuse Project.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Radiation Laboratory

Researcher.

University of Michigan. Department of Physics

Instructor and Research Physicist; Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Physics; Director, Proximity Fuse Project Satellite; Chair, Department of Physics; Professor of Physics; and Emeritus Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Association of Physics Teachers

President.

American Institute of Physics

Chairman, Governing Board.

American Physical Society

1967 Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics Recipient.

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

Obtained BS in 1930 and PhD (Physics) in 1934. Research Fellow in Physics.

General Electric Company. Research Laboratory

Midwestern Universities Research Association

President.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission

Member, Standing Committee, Controlled Thermonulcear Research.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

50th anniversary of the Kellogg Radiation Laboratory, 1981.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Horace Richard Crane papers, 1897-2000 (bulk 1933-1995).

Bentley Historical Library

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2113, USA

Joint ceremonial session of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers [sound recording], 1977 February 8.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with H. R. Crane, 1973 March 28 and 1974 June 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with H. R. Crane, 1990 June 29.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Reminiscences of H. R. Crane and David Dennison about the history of the VT fuze [sound recording], circa 1975.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Session on science and society [sound recording], 1969 February 3.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Sessions of the annual meeting of Corporate Associates [sound recording], 1971 September 23.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

University of Michigan Department of Physics records, 1873-2002. (bulk 1954-1991).

Bentley Historical Library

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2113, USA

Subject

Gail P. Smith autobiography, circa 1965.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

History of physics audio-visual collection, circa 1918-1996, 1960-1988 (bulk)

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Charles Christian Lauritsen, 1966 June 27.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with David Todd Wilkinson, 1984 September 27.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with William Aaron Nierenberg, 1986 February 6 and June 26, 30.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with William Alfred Fowler, 1972 June 8, 9, 1973 February 5, 6, and 1974 May 30.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Symposium in honor of H. Richard Crane [sound recording] / at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, 1997 November 8.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Symposium of the history of physics [videorecording]: the coming of age of nuclear physics - the 1930s.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Two examples of infrared absorption spectra and a letter from Horace Richard Crane describing the method used by Randall at the University of Michigan from about 1912 to the mid-1930s.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

How things work

How We Happened to Measure g-2: A Tale of Serendipity, Physics in Perspective 2 (2000): 135-140.

Subject

"Dick Crane's California Days," Physics in Perspective 13 (2011): 36-57

H. Richard Crane: 1907-2007, Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences.

Horace Richard Crane Physics Today obituary.