Robert Green Sachs

Biography

Abstract

Robert Sachs was Emeritus Professor of Physics at University of Chicago (1986-1999). Other institutional affiliations included Argonne National Laboratory and University of Wisconsin, Madison. His research interests included high energy physics, fundamental particles, nuclear theory, solid state, terminal ballistics, and nuclear power reactors.

Important Dates

May 4, 1916Birth, Hagerstown (Md.).

1939Obtained PhD in Physics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (Md.).

1939 – 1941Research Fellow in Theoretical Physics, George Washington University.

1941Research Fellow in Theoretical Physics, University of California, Berkeley.

1941 – 1943Instructor in Physics, Purdue University.

1943 – 1959Chief, Air Blast Section (1943-1946) and Consultant (1946-1959), Ballistics Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, United States Army.

1946 – 1952Director, Theoretical Physics Division (1946-1947) and Consultant (1946-1952), Argonne National Laboratory.

1947 – 1964Associate Professor to Professor of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Madison (Wis.).

1955 – 1956Higgins Visiting Professor, Princeton University.

1955 – 1959Consultant, Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley.

1958 – 1961Member, Advisory Panel on Physics, National Science Foundation.

1959Visiting Scientist, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

1959 – 1960Guggenheim Fellow, École Normale Supérieure.

1960 – 1963Consultant, Argonne National Laboratory.

1964 – 1968Associate Laboratory Director, High Energy Physics, Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago (Ill.).

1966 – 1970Member, Science Policy Committee, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

1967 – 1969Member, High Energy Physics Advisory Panel, United States Atomic Energy Commission.

1968 – 1999Professor of Physics (1968-1986); Director, Enrico Fermi Institute (1968-1973; 1983-1986); and Emeritus Professor of Physics (1986-1999), University of Chicago, Chicago (Ill.).

1969 – 1972Member, Physics Survey Committee, National Research Council.

1973 – 1979Visiting Scientist, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

1973 – 1979Director, Argonne National Laboratory, Chicago (Ill.).

1974Visiting Professor, Tohoku University.

1991 – 1993Member, Task Force on Energy Research Priorities, United States Department of Energy.

April 14, 1999Death, Chicago (Ill.).

Occupation

Theoretical physicist.

Places

Birth

Hagerstown (Md.)

Graduate Education

Baltimore (Md.)

Employment

Madison (Wis.)

Chicago (Ill.)

Death

Chicago (Ill.)

Subjects

Atomic and molecular physics.

Ballistics.

Nuclear physics.

Particles (Nuclear physics).

Theoretical physics.

Relationships

People

Family

Sachs, Carolyn Levin

Second Wife. Married in 1968.

Sachs, Harry Maurice

Father.

Sachs, Jean Woolf

First Wife. Married 1950-1968.

Advisors & Collaborators

Capps, Richard H.

Advised by Sachs at University of Wisconsin, Madison, "Electromagnetic properties of nucleons."

Mayer, Maria Goeppert, 1906-1972

PhD advisor at Johns Hopkins University, "Nuclear spins and magnetic moments by the alpha-particle model."

Powell, John L. (John Leonard),

Advised by Sachs at University of Wisconsin, Madison, "On the Compton effect and Bremsstrahlung for protons."

Sakita, B.

Advised by Sachs at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Teller, Edward, 1908-2003

PhD advisor at Johns Hopkins University.

Wali, Kameshwar C.

Advised by Sachs at University of Wisconsin, Madison, "The nucleon structure and the electromagnetic form factors."

Colleagues

Adair, Robert K., 1924-

Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Anderson, Herbert Lawrence

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Aronson, Samuel, 1942-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Barschall, H. H. (Henry Herman), 1915-1997

Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Birge, Raymond T. (Raymond Thayer), 1887-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Bollinger, Lowell M. (Lowell Moyer)

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory.

Breit, Gregory, 1899-1981

Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

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

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Cohen, Morrel H.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Crabtree, G. W.

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory.

Crewe, Albert V.

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory and University of Chicago.

Cronin, James W., 1931-2016

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Dempster, Arthur Jeffrey

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory.

Duffield, Robert B.

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory.

Falicov, L. M. (Leopoldo Maximo), 1933-1995

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Fano, Ugo

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Fisk, Zachary

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Fritzsche, Hellmut

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Haeberli, W. (Willy)

Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Hartle, J. B. (James B.)

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Helmholz, August Carl, 1915-2003

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Herb, R. G. (Raymond George), 1908-1996

Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Hilberry, Norman, 1899-

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory.

Holt, R. J. (Roy J.)

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory.

Kadanoff, Leo P.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Kerst, Donald William, 1911-1993

Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Lawrence, Ernest Orlando, 1901-1958

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Lederman, Leon M.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Libchaber, Albert J.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Luttinger, Joaquin M.

Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Massey, Walter E.

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory and University of Chicago.

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

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Mulliken, Robert Sanderson

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Nagel, Sidney R.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Nambu, Yoichiro, 1921-2015

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Parker, E. N. (Eugene Newman), 1927-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Pieper, Steven C.

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory.

Schiffer, John P.

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory.

Schwinger, Julian, 1918-1994

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Segrè, Emilio

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Shochet, Melvyn J.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Simpson, John A. (John Alexander), 1916-2000

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Telegdi, Val, 1922-2006

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Tsui, D. C. (Daniel Chee), 1939-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Wald, Robert M.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Watson, Kenneth M.

Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Webb, M. B. (Maurice Barnett), 1926-

Both employed at University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Webb, R. A. (Richard Alan)

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory.

Wentzel, Gregor, 1898-1978

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Wilson, Robert R., 1914-2000

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Winstein, Bruce

Both employed at University of Chicago, Enrico Fermi Institute.

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

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Zinn, Walter H. (Walter Henry), 1906-2000

Both employed at Argonne National Laboratory.

Additional

Austern, Norman

Bray, Ralph, 1921-

Frauenfelder, Hans, 1922-

Goldhaber, Maurice, 1911-2011

Tuve, Merle Antony, 1901-1982

Wolfenstein, L. (Lincoln)

Institutions

Major Positions

Aberdeen Proving Ground (Md.)

Consultant and Chief, Air Blast Section, Ballistics Research Laboratory.

Argonne National Laboratory

Consultant; Director, Theoretical Physics Division; Associate Laboratory Director, High Energy Physics; and Director.

Enrico Fermi Institute

Director.

Purdue University. Department of Physics

Instructor in Physics.

University of Chicago. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics and Emeritus Professor of Physics.

University of Wisconsin--Madison. Department of Physics

Associate Professor to Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

École normale supérieure (France)

Guggenheim Fellow.

European Organization for Nuclear Research

Visiting Scientist.

George Washington University. Department of Physics

Research Fellow in Theoretical Physics.

Johns Hopkins University. Department of Physics

Obtained PhD (1939).

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

Consultant.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

National Research Council (U.S.)

Member, Physics Survey Committee.

National Science Foundation (U.S.)

Member, Advisory Panel on Physics.

Princeton University. Department of Physics

Higgins Visiting Professor.

Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

Member, Science Policy Committee.

Tōhoku Daigaku

Visiting Professor.

U.S. Atomic Energy Commission

Member, High Energy Physics Advisory Panel.

United States. Department of Energy

Member, Task Force on Energy Research Priorities.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Physics

Research Fellow in Theoretical Physics.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Conception and birth of the DPF (Division of Particles and Fields), 1996.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Joint session of the American Physical Society and the American Association of Physics Teachers [sound recording] : History of physics ; 1974 February 6.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Maria Mayer Memorial Session [sound recording], 1973 January 31.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Robert Green Sachs, 1981 March 31 and June 10.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Robert G. Sachs letters concerning Merle Tuve's and Raymond Herb's physics research at Johns Hopkins University and the Univerity of Wisconsin, 1983-1984.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Robert Green Sachs papers, 1947-1999.

The Joseph Regenstein Library. Department of Special Collections

University of Chicago

1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

Subject

Hans Frauenfelder response to survey on the impact of immigration on U.S. physics, 1999.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Norman Austern response to 1988 History of Nuclear Physics Survey, 1988-1989.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Lincoln Wolfenstein, 1997 April 19.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Maurice Goldhaber, 1967 January 10.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Ralph Bray, 1982 May 14.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

"Comments on Electromagnetic Form Factors of the Nucleon," in Pions to Quarks: Particle Physics in the 1950s, ed. Laurie M. Brown, Max Dresden, and Lillian Hoddeson (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press: 1989), 144-146

Nuclear theory.

The Nuclear chain reaction--forty years later : proceedings of a University of Chicago symposium, commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction / edited by Robert G. Sachs.

The physics of time reversal / Robert G. Sachs.

Subject

"Robert Green Sachs: 1916-1999", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences

Robert Green Sachs Physics Today obituary.