William Happer

Biography

Abstract

William Happer is Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor of Physics at Princeton University (1993-present). Other institutional affiliations include the United States Department of Energy and Columbia University. His research interests include optical and radiofrequency spectroscopy of atoms and molecules and spin-polarized atoms and nuclei.

Important Dates

July 27, 1939Birth, Vellore (India).

1960Obtained BS, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (N.C.).

1964Obtained PhD in Physics, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1964 – 1980Research Physicist (1964-1965); Instructor to Professor, Radiation Laboratory (1965-1980); and Director, Columbia Radiation Laboratory (1971-1978), Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).

1976 – presentMember (1976-present) and Chair, Steering Committee (1987-1990), JASON Defense Advisory Group.

1980 – 1991Professor of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1987 – presentMember, Board of Trustees, MITRE Corporation.

1991 – 1993Director, Office of Energy Research, United States Department of Energy.

1993 – presentProfessor of Physics (1993-1995); Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics (1995-2003); Chair, University Research Board, Princeton University (1995-2005); and Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor of Physics (2003-present), Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1996Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1997Awarded Herbert P. Broida Prize, American Physical Society.

2000Awarded Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics, American Physical Society.

2002 – 2005Member, Science and Technology Advisory Committee, United States Department of Homeland Security.

Occupation

Atomic physicist.

Places

Birth

Vellore (India)

Undergraduate Education

Chapel Hill (N.C.)

Graduate Education

Princeton (N.J.)

Employment

New York (N.Y.)

Princeton (N.J.)

Subjects

Atomic and molecular physics.

Optical spectroscopy.

Radiofrequency spectroscopy.

Relationships

People

Colleagues

Aizenman, Michael

Both employed at Princeton University.

Al'tshuler, B. L.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Anderson, P. W. (Philip W.), 1923-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Austin, Robert H.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Bargmann, V. (Valentine), 1908-1989

Both employed at Princeton University.

Bialek, William S.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Bleakney, Walker, 1901-1992

Both employed at Princeton University.

Brillouin, Léon, 1889-1969

Both employed at Columbia University.

Brinkman, William F. (William Frank), 1938-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Callan, Curtis G.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Chaikin, Paul M.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Christ, Norman

Both employed at Columbia University.

Coppersmith, Susan Nan

Both employed at Princeton University.

Cummins, Herman Z., 1933-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Devons, Samuel

Both employed at Columbia University.

Dicke, Robert H. (Robert Henry)

Both employed at Princeton University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Feinberg, Gerald, 1933-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Fitch, Val L., 1923-2015

Both employed at Princeton University.

Foley, Henry Michael, 1917-1982

Both employed at Columbia University.

Gross, David J. (David Jonathan)

Both employed at Princeton University.

Guth, Alan H.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Haldane, F. Duncan M.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Kaspi, Victoria Michelle, 1967-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Kusch, Polykarp, 1911-1993

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lederman, Leon M.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lee, T. D., 1926-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Libchaber, Albert J.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Lieb, Elliott H.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Luttinger, Joaquin M.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Marlow, Daniel R., 1954-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Novick, Robert

Both employed at Columbia University.

Page, Lyman A.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Peoples, John, Jr.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Polyakov, A. M.

Both employed at Princeton University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Randall, Lisa

Both employed at Princeton University.

Ruderman, Malvin A.

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Schwartz, Melvin, 1932-2006

Both employed at Columbia University.

Serber, R. (Robert)

Both employed at Columbia University.

Shenstone, A. G. (Allen Goodrich)

Both employed at Princeton University.

Smith, Stewart W.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Smyth, Henry De Wolf, 1898-1986

Both employed at Princeton University.

Steinberger, J.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Steinhardt, Paul J.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Tank, David William, 1953-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Taylor, Joseph H. (Joseph Hooton)

Both employed at Princeton University.

Thomas, Llewellyn Hilleth, 1903-1992

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Treiman, Sam B.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wick, G. C. (Gian Carlo)

Both employed at Columbia University.

Wightman, A. S. (Arthur Strong), 1922-2013

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-1995

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wilczek, Frank

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wilkinson, David T.

Both employed at Princeton University.

Wilson, Robert R., 1914-2000

Both employed at Columbia University.

Witherell, Michael S., 1949-

Both employed at Princeton University.

Witten, E.

Both employed at Princeton University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Institutions

Major Positions

Columbia University. Department of Physics

Research Physicist; Instructor to Professor, Radiation Laboratory; and Director, Columbia Radiation Laboratory.

Princeton University. Department of Physics

Obtained PhD in Physics (1964). Professor of Physics; Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics; and Cyrus Fogg Brackett Professor of Physics.

United States. Department of Energy. Office of Energy Research

Director.

United States. Department of Homeland Security

Member, Science and Technology Advisory Committee.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Physical Society

Received 1997 Herbert P. Broida Prize and 2000 Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics.

JASON Defense Advisory Group

Member and Chair, Steering Committee.

Mitre Corporation

Member, Board of Trustees.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Princeton University. University Research Board

Chair.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Department of Physics and Astronomy

Obtained BS (1960).

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Secrecy and physics [sound recording], 2010 February 13.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA