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Table of Contents

Biography

AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjects

Relationships

PeopleInstitutions

Resources

Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as AuthorPublished as Subject

John R. Dunning

Photo

Dates

September 24, 1907 – August 25, 1975

Authorized Form of Name

Dunning, John R. (John Ray), 1907-1975

Additional Forms of Names

Dunning, J. R.

Biography

Abstract

John R. Dunning was Professor of Applied Science at Columbia University (1969-1976). Other affiliations included the Manhattan Project. His research interests included nuclear fission and neutrons.

Important Dates

September 24, 1907Birth, Shelby (Neb.).

1929Obtained AB, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln (Neb.).

1933 – 1976Instructor in Physics (1933-1935); Assistant Professor of Physics (1935-1938); Associate Professor of Physics (1938-1946); Professor of Physics (1946-1969); Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (1950-1969); and Thayer Lindsey Professor of Applied Science (1969-1976); Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).

1934Obtained PhD in Physics, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).

1941 – 1945Director of Research, Division I, Substitute Alloy Materials (SAM) Laboratories, Columbia University, Manhattan Project..

1948Member, National Academy of Sciences..

August 25, 1975Death, Key Biscayne (Fla.).

Occupation

Nuclear physicist.

Places

Birth

Shelby (Neb.)

Undergraduate Education

Lincoln (Neb.)

Graduate Education

New York (N.Y.)

Employment

New Brunswick (N.J.)

Death

Key Biscayne (Fla.)

Subjects

Neutrons.

Nuclear energy.

Nuclear fission.

Nuclear physics.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Booth, Eugene

They demonstrated the first measurable U-235 enrichment through gaseous diffusion and both employed at Columbia University.

Paxton, Hugh Campbell

Co-wrote "Matter, energy, and radiation."

Pegram, George Braxton, 1876-1958

Collaborated on experiments at Columbia University.

Rainwater, L. James (Leo James), 1917-1986

Advised by Dunning at Columbia University, "Neutron Beam Spectrometer Studies of Boron, Cadmium, and Energy Distribution from Paraffin," and both employed at Columbia University.

Colleagues

Anderson, Herbert Lawrence

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Balluffi, R. W.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Boehm, Felix

Both employed at Columbia University.

Brillouin, Léon, 1889-1969

Both employed at Columbia University.

Brown, Harold, 1927-2019

Both employed at Columbia University.

Christ, Norman

Both employed at Columbia University.

Commins, Eugene D.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Cummins, Herman Z., 1933-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Davis, Bergen, 1869-1958

Both employed at Columbia University.

Devons, Samuel

Both employed at Columbia University.

Feinberg, Gerald, 1933-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Fermi, Enrico, 1901-1954

Both employed at Columbia University.

Fletcher, Harvey, 1884-1981

Both employed at Columbia University.

Foley, Henry Michael, 1917-1982

Both employed at Columbia University.

Frosch, Robert A. (Robert Alan), 1928-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Goldhaber, Gerson

Both employed at Columbia University.

Guth, Alan H.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Happer, William, 1939-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Henley, Ernest M.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Hughes, Vernon W.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Javan, Ali, 1926-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Kinoshita, T. (Toichiro)

Both employed at Columbia University.

Kraichnan, Robert H., 1928-2008

Both employed at Columbia University.

Kroll, Norman Myles, 1922-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Kusch, Polykarp, 1911-1993

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lamb, Willis E. (Willis Eugene), 1913-2008

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lederman, Leon M.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lee, T. D., 1926-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Low, Francis E. (Francis Eugene), 1921-2007

Both employed at Columbia University.

Luttinger, Joaquin M.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Mandelstam, Stanley

Both employed at Columbia University.

Mayer, Maria Goeppert, 1906-1972

Both employed at Columbia University.

Mindlin, Raymond D. (Raymond David), 1906-1987

Both employed at Columbia University.

Nierenberg, William Aaron, 1919-2000

Both employed at Columbia University.

Novick, Robert

Both employed at Columbia University.

Nygren, David R.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Pekeris, C. L. (Chaim Leib), 1908-1993

Both employed at Columbia University.

Peoples, John, Jr.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Press, Frank, 1924-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Rabi, I. I. (Isidor Isaac), 1898-1988

Both employed at Columbia University.

Ramsey, Norman, 1915-2011

Both employed at Columbia University.

Ruderman, Malvin A.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Sachs, Allan M. (Allan Maxwell), 1921-1989

Both employed at Columbia University.

Samios, Nicholas P.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Schawlow, Arthur L., 1921-1999

Both employed at Columbia University.

Schwartz, Melvin, 1932-2006

Both employed at Columbia University.

Serber, R. (Robert)

Both employed at Columbia University.

Steinberger, J.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Szilard, Leo

Both employed at Columbia University.

Teller, Edward, 1908-2003

Both employed at Columbia University.

Thomas, Llewellyn Hilleth, 1903-1992

Both employed at Columbia University.

Ting, S. C. C. (Samuel Chao-chung), 1936-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Townes, Charles H.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Weinberg, Steven, 1933-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Wick, G. C. (Gian Carlo)

Both employed at Columbia University.

Wu, C. S. (Chien-shiung), 1912-1997

Both employed at Columbia University.

Additional

Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988

Gentner, Wolfgang, 1906-1980

Grosse, Aristid von, 1905-1985

Groueff, Stephane

Hammett, Louis P. (Louis Plack), 1894-1987

Havens, William W. (William Westerfield), 1920-2004

Nix, Foster Cary, 1905-

Rosenfeld, L. (Leon), 1904-1974

Shockley, William, 1910-1989

Wood, Robert Williams, 1868-1955

Institutions

Major Positions

Columbia University. Department of Physics

Obtained Ph.D. in Physics (1934). Instructor in Physics; Assistant Professor of Physics; Associate Professor of Physics; Professor of Physics; Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science; Thayer Lindsey Professor of Applied Science.

Columbia University. Division of War Research

Director of Research, Division I, Substitute Alloy Materials (SAM) Laboratories, Manhattan Project.

Manhattan Project (U.S.)

Director of Research, Division I, Substitute Alloy Materials (SAM) Laboratories, Columbia University.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Obtained AB.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Graduate School of Journalism lectures, 1959-1972.

Oral History Research Office

Columbia University

Box 20, Room 801 Butler Library, New York, NY 10027, USA

Invited papers on the history of fission physics [sound recording], 1967 April 27.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Recording of radio programs [sound recording] : NBC Interview and WABC "Adventures in Science," 1947 December 15 and 30.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Twenty-fifth anniversary celebration [motion picture].

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Columbia University Department of Physics records, 1870-1983 (bulk 1940-1970).

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Columbia University

Butler Library, 6th Floor East, New York, NY 10027, USA

Eugene T. Booth account of early work and recollections of John Ray Dunning, 1975-1984.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Mildred Howie student research files on cyclotrons, 1939.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Aristid Victor Grosse, 1974 January 11 and April 5.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Foster Cary Nix, 1975 June 27.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Herbert Anderson, 1981 January 13 and 16.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Léon Rosenfeld, 1963 July 1, 19, 22.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Louis Plack Hammett, 1978 May 1 and 22.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Luis Alvarez, 1967 February 14 and 15.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Robert Serber, 1967 February 10.

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 Shockley, 1974 September 10.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with William W. Havens, 1991 February 21, July 17, 29, Augut 5, 12 and 14.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Wolfgang Gentner, 1971 November 15.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Papers of physicists and astronomers in Hoover Library, 1918-1965.

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library

West Branch, IA 52358, USA

Robert Williams Wood papers, 1927-1942.

Special Collections, Milton S. Eisenhower Library

Johns Hopkins University

3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA

Stephane Groueff papers, 1955-1975

Mugar Library Special Collections

Boston University

771 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Published Resources

Author

Learn how Dagwood splits the atom! / by Joe Musial.

Matter, energy and radiation, by J.R. Dunning and H.C. Paxton (textbook and microform).

Subject

"John Ray Dunning: 1907-1975", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences.

John R. Dunning Physics Today obituary.