Physics History Network
Over 1000 biographies of physicists and histories of institutions with information pertaining to their lives, careers, and research.
Tip: Search within this page by using Ctrl + F or ⌘ + F
Search Our Catalogs
Archives BooksCollections
Emilio Segré Visual Archives Digital Collections Oral Histories Archival Finding Aids Physics History Network Member Society Portals Ethical Cataloging StatementPreservation and Support
Donating Materials Suggest a Book Purchase Saving Archival Collections Grants to Archives Documentation Projects History NewslettersCenter for History of Physics
Scholarship & OutreachMain Navigation
HomeAboutTopic GuidesFeedbackTable of Contents
Biography
AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjectsRelationships
PeopleInstitutionsResources
Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as SubjectLlewellyn Hilleth Thomas
Dates
October 21, 1903 – April 20, 1992
Authorized Form of Name
Thomas, Llewellyn Hilleth, 1903-1992
Additional Forms of Names
Thomas, Llewellyn
Biography
Abstract
Llewellyn Thomas was Emeritus Professor of Physics at North Carolina State University (1976-1992). Other institutional affiliations included Columbia University, International Business Machines (IBM), and Ohio State University. Thomas made two major discoveries with the "Thomas factor of 1/2," which reconciled the magnitude of the atomic-fine structure with the anomalous Zeeman effect, and the creation of a statistical model of the atom, known as the Thomas-Fermi Model. He contributed to accelerator physics with the invention of the isochronous, or radial-sector, cyclotron. Additionally, while working at IBM's Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory, he worked on the development of numerical methods and on the design principles and hardware for electronic computers.
Important Dates
October 21, 1903Birth, London (England).
1924Obtained BA, Cambridge University, Cambridge (England).
1927Obtained PhD in Theoretical Physics, Cambridge University, Cambridge (England).
1929 – 1943Assistant Professor to Professor of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus (Ohio).
1943 – 1945Physicist and Ballistician, Ballistic Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, United States Army.
1945 – 1946Professor of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus (Ohio).
1946 – 1968Member, Senior Staff, Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory, International Business Machines (IBM), New York (N.Y.).
1946 – 1992Professor of Physics (1946-1968) and Emeritus Professor of Physics (1968-1992), Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).
1958Member, National Academy of Sciences.
1968 – 1992Professor of Physics (1968-1976) and Emeritus Professor of Physics (1976-1992), North Carolina State University, Raleigh (N.C.).
1982Awarded Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics, American Physical Society.
April 20, 1992Death, Raleigh (N.C.).
Occupation
Theoretical physicist and applied mathematician.
Places
Birth
Undergraduate Education
Graduate Education
Employment
Death
Subjects
Relationships
People
Family
DeAngelis, Margaret Olwen Thomas
Daughter.
Frech, Naomi Estelle
Wife. Married 1933.
Thomas, Charles Frederick
Son.
Thomas, Charles James
Father.
Thomas, James Rhys
Son.
Thomas, Winifred May Lewis
Mother.
Viele, Ann Rhonwen May Thomas
Daughter.
Advisors & Collaborators
Research advisor at University of Copenhagen (Københavns Universitet).
Fowler, R. H. (Ralph Howard), 1889-1994
PhD advisor at Cambridge University.
Shaffer, Wave Henry
Advised by Thomas at Ohio State University.
Colleagues
Anderson, A. G. (Arthur George), 1926-
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Columbia University and Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Dunning, John R. (John Ray), 1907-1975
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Foley, Henry Michael, 1917-1982
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Hahn, E. L. (Erwin Louis), 1921-
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Lamb, Willis E. (Willis Eugene), 1913-2008
Both employed at Columbia University.
Landauer, Rolf William, 1927-1999
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Low, Francis E. (Francis Eugene), 1921-2007
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Nierenberg, William Aaron, 1919-2000
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Pegram, George Braxton, 1876-1958
Both employed at Columbia University.
Pekeris, C. L. (Chaim Leib), 1908-1993
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia 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.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Sachs, Allan M. (Allan Maxwell), 1921-1989
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Schawlow, Arthur L., 1921-1999
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center.
Ting, S. C. C. (Samuel Chao-chung), 1936-
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Both employed at Columbia University.
Wu, C. S. (Chien-shiung), 1912-1997
Both employed at Columbia University.
Additional
Dennison, David M. (David Mathias), 1900-1976
Dirac, P. A. M. (Paul Adrien Maurice), 1902-1984
Goudsmit, Samuel A. (Samuel Abraham), 1902-1978
Inglis, David Rittenhouse, 1905-1995
Klein, Oskar
Landé, Alfred, 1888-
Löwdin, Per-Olov, 1916-2000
Risley, John S.
Uhlenbeck, George Eugène, 1900-1988
Institutions
Major Positions
Aberdeen Proving Ground (Md.)
Physicist and Ballistician, Ballistic Research Laboratory, United States Army.
Columbia University. Department of Physics
Professor of Physics and Emeritus Professor of Physics.
North Carolina State University. Department of Physics
Professor of Physics and Emeritus Professor of Physics.
Ohio State University. Department of Physics
Assistant Professor to Professor of Physics.
Thomas J. Watson IBM Research Center
Member, Senior Staff, Watson Scientific Computing Laboratory.
United States. Army
Physicist and Ballistician, Ballistic Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
Received 1982 Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics.
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
Member.
University of Cambridge. Department of Physics
Obtained BA (1924) and PhD in Theoretical Physics (1927).
Resources
Archival Resources
Author
Distinguished speakers session [sound recording] 1982 April 27.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
History of physics contributed papers [sound recording], 2010 February 14.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Llewellyn Hilleth Thomas papers, 1925-1983.
Special Collections Research Center, NCSU Libraries
North Carolina State University
Box 7111, Raleigh, NC 27695-7111, USA
Manuscript on the equation of motion of a spinning electron, 1926.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Llewellyn Hilleth Thomas, 1962 May 10.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Student notes [microform], 1922-1925.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Subject
John S. Risley papers, 1961-2002.
Special Collections Research Center, NCSU Libraries
North Carolina State University
Box 7111, Raleigh, NC 27695-7111, USA
Oral history interview with Alfred Landé, 1973 October 3.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with David Rittenhouse Inglis, 1977 May 9 and 10.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Oskar Benjamin Klein, 1962 September 25 to 16 July 1963.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Per Olov Löwdin, 1975 January 27.
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
Published Resources
Subject
"Llewellyn Hilleth Thomas: 1903-1992", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences