Paul D. Foote

Biography

Abstract

Paul D. Foote was Assistant Secretary (Research and Engineering) at the United States Department of Defense (1957-1958). Other institutional affiliations included Gulf Oil Corporation and the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research. His research interests included scientific instrumentation and the use of science by industry.

Important Dates

March 27, 1888Birth, Andover (Ohio).

1909Obtained AB, Western Reserve University, Lincoln (Neb.).

1911Obtained AM, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Neb.).

1911 – 1916Laboratory Assistant (1911-1913) and Assistant Physicist (1913-1916), National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg (Md.).

1916 – 1917Assistant Manager, Fisher Scientific Company.

1917Obtained PhD in Physics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Minn.).

1917 – 1927Associate Physicist (1917-1919) and Physicist (1919-1927), National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg (Md.).

1921 – 1932Editor, Journal of the Optical Society of America.

1922 – 1932Editor, Review of Scientific Instruments.

1927 – 1929Senior Gulf Fellow, Mellon Institute of Industrial Research.

1929 – 1953Researcher, Gulf Production Company (1929-1933); Executive Vice-President and Director of Research, Gulf Research and Development Company (1933-1953); and Vice President, Gulf Refining Company (1945-1953), Gulf Oil Corporation, Pittsburgh (Pa.).

1933President, American Physical Society.

1943Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1957 – 1958Assistant Secretary (Research and Engineering), United States Department of Defense.

1958 – 1961Consultant, Ordnance Department, United States Army.

August 2, 1971Death, Washington (D.C.).

Occupation

Industrial physicist.

Places

Birth

Andover (Ohio)

Undergraduate Education

Cleveland (Ohio)

Graduate Education

Lincoln (Neb.)

Minneapolis (Minn.)

Employment

Gaithersburg (Md.)

Pittsburg (Kan.)

Death

Washington (D.C.)

Subjects

Physics -- Industrial applications.

Quantum theory.

Science and industry.

Scientific apparatus and instruments.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Barton, Henry Askew, 1898-1983

Collaborated to found the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

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

Collaborated on work with the latent heat of evaporation of metals.

Colleagues

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

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

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

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Coblentz, William W. (William Weber), 1873-1962

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Dryden, Hugh L. (Hugh Latimer), 1898-1965

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

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

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Forbush, Scott E., 1904-1984

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Laporte, Otto, 1902-1971

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

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

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Swann, W. F. G. (William Francis Gray), 1884-1962

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Additional

Bohr, Niels, 1885-1962

Fajans, Kasimir, 1887-1975

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

Pegram, George Braxton, 1876-1958

Richtmyer, F. K. (Floyd Karker), 1881-1939

Ruark, Arthur Edward, 1899-

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

Institutions

Major Positions

Gulf Oil Corporation

Researcher, Gulf Production Company; Executive Vice-President and Director of Research, Gulf Research and Development Company; and Vice President, Gulf Refining Company.

Optical Society of America

Editor, Journal of the Optical Society of America.

United States. Army. Ordnance Department

Consultant.

United States. National Bureau of Standards

Laboratory Assistant; Assistant Physicist; Associate Physicist; and Physicist.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Institute of Physics

Member, first Governing Board and Editor, Review of Scientific Instruments.

American Physical Society

President.

Case Western Reserve University. Department of Physics

Obtained AB (1909).

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

University of Minnesota. Department of Physics and Astronomy

Obtained PhD in Physics (1917).

University of Nebraska -- Lincoln. Department of Physics and Astronomy

Obtained AM (1911).

Resources

Archival Resources

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

Arthur E. Ruark biographical material, 1963.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

J. H. Van Vleck selected correspondence and notes [microform], 1923-1959, (bulk 1923-1938).

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Kasimir Fajans papers, 1912-1975.

Bentley Historical Library

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2113, USA

Oral history interview with Henry A. Barton, 1970 March 3 and 16.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with J. H. Van Vleck, 1963 October 2 and 4.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Leonard B. Loeb, 1962 August 7.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Spectroscopy and Bohr's theory of atomic structure / by Paul D. Foote.

The origin of spectra, by Paul D. Foote and F.L. Mohler

Subject

"Paul Darwin Foote: 1888-1971", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences

Paul D. Foote Physics Today obituary.