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Biography
AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjectsRelationships
PeopleInstitutionsResources
Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as SubjectOtto Stern
Dates
February 17, 1888 – August 17, 1969
Authorized Form of Name
Stern, Otto, 1888-1969
Biography
Abstract
Otto Stern was Emeritus Professor of Physics at Carnegie Institute of Technology (1945-1969). Other institutional affiliations included University of Hamburg and University of Frankfurt. His contributions to physics included the Stern-Gerlach experiment (the discovery of space quantization), the measurement of atomic magnetic moments, the development of the molecular-beam technique, the discovery of the anomalous magnetic moment of the proton, and the demonstration of the wave nature of atoms and molecules.
Important Dates
February 17, 1888Birth, Żory (Poland).
1912Obtained PhD in Physical Chemistry, University of Breslau, Wroclaw (Poland).
1913 – 1914Privatdozent in Physical Chemistry, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zurich.
1914 – 1921Privatdozent in Theoretical Physics, University of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main (Germany).
1921 – 1922Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Rostock.
1923 – 1933Professor of Physical Chemistry and Laboratory Director, University of Hamburg, Hamburg (Germany).
1933 – 1969Research Professor of Physics (1933-1945) and Emeritus Professor of Physics (1945-1969), Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh (Pa.).
1943Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics "for his contribution to the development of the molecular ray method and his discovery of the magnetic moment of the proton".
1945Member, National Academy of Sciences.
August 17, 1969Death, Berkeley (Calif.).
Occupation
Nuclear physicist.
Places
Birth
Graduate Education
Employment
Death
Subjects
Relationships
People
Advisors & Collaborators
Research advisor at University of Frankfurt.
Post-doc advisor at University of Zurich.
Frisch, Otto Robert, 1904-
Advised as post-doc by Stern at University of Hamburg.
Gerlach, Walther, 1889-1979
Performed the Stern-Gerlach Experiment.
Rabi, I. I. (Isidor Isaac), 1898-1988
Advised as post-doc by Stern at University of Hamburg.
Colleagues
Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Griffiths, R. B. (Robert Budington)
Both employed at Carnegie-Mellon University.
Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Carnegie-Mellon University.
Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.
Both employed at Carnegie-Mellon University.
Additional
Casimir, H. B. G. (Hendrik Brugt Gerhard), 1909-2000
Estermann, I. (Immanuel), 1900-1973
Heitler, Walter, 1904-
Herzfeld, Karl F. (Karl Ferdinand), 1892-
Jordan, Pascual, 1902-1980
Kapitsa, P. L. (Petr Leonidovich), 1894-1984
Klein, Oskar
Landé, Alfred, 1888-
Lewis, Gilbert Newton, 1875-1946
Meitner, Lise, 1878-1968
Reiche, F. (Fritz), 1883-1969
Thomson, J. J. (Joseph John), 1856-1940
Weisskopf, Victor Frederick, 1908-2002
Institutions
Major Positions
Carnegie Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Research Professor of Physics and Emeritus Professor of Physics.
Carnegie-Mellon University. Physics Department
Emeritus Professor of Physics.
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
Privatdozent in Physical Chemistry.
Universität Frankfurt am Main
Privatdozent in Theoretical Physics.
Universität Hamburg
Professor of Physical Chemistry and Laboratory Director.
Universität Rostock
Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
Member.
Schlesische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Breslau
Obtained PhD in Physical Chemistry (1912).
Resources
Archival Resources
Author
Alfred Landé autograph collection, 1919-1973.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Otto Stern, 1962 May 29 and 1963 May 30.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Otto Stern Collection.
Leo Baeck Institute at the Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011, USA
Otto Stern papers, circa 1888-1969.
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA, 94720-6000, USA
Subject
Albert Einstein letters to Otto Stern, 1914-1917.
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA, 94720-6000, USA
Alfred Landé papers, 1915-1970.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Gilbert Newton Lewis papers, 1908-1945.
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA, 94720-6000, USA
I. I. Rabi papers, 1899-1989 (bulk 1945-1968).
Manuscript Division
Library of Congress
James Madison Memorial Building, First Street and Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540, USA
Niels Bohr scientific correspondence, supplement, 1910-1962.
Niels Bohr Archive
Blegdamsvej 17, Copenhagen, Denmark
Norman Ramsey materials on the history of magnetic resonance, 1983-1995.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Alfred Landé, 1962 March 5, 6, 7, 8 and June 15.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Dudley Herschbach, 2003 May 21 and 22.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Emilio Gino Segrè, 1964 May 18.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Ernst Pascual Jordan, 1963 June 17, 18, 19 and 20.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Fritz Reiche, 1962 March 30 to May 9.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Hendrik Brugt Gerhard Casimir, 1963 July 5 and 6.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with I. I. Rabi, 1963 December 8.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Immanuel Estermann, 1962 December 13.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Isidor Isaac Rabi, 1980 February 11 and 21.
Oral History Research Office
Columbia University
Box 20, Room 801 Butler Library, New York, NY 10027, USA
Oral history interview with Karl F. Herzfeld, 1962 June 14.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Karl F. Herzfeld, 1978 May 11.
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 Lise Meitner, 1963 May 12.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Max Born, 1960 June 1, 1962 October 17 and 18.
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 Otto Laporte, 1964 January 29 and 31.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Otto Robert Frisch, 1963 May 8.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Otto Robert Frisch, 1967 May 3.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Philip Morrison, 1967 February 7.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Victor Frederick Weisskopf, 1963 July 10.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Walter Heitler, 1963 March 18 and 19.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Walther Gerlach, 1963 February 18 and 23.
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 joint interview with James Franck and Hertha Sponer-Franck, 1962 July 9 to 14.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Petr L. Kapitsa papers, 1920.
Institute of Physical Problems.
ul. A. N. Kosygina 2, Moscow 117973, Russia
Pupin lecture: Physics colloquium, 1966 May 13.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Wolfgang Pauli letters.
Bibliothek
Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
ETH Zentrum, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Published Resources
Subject
"Otto Stern: 1888-1969", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences
Otto Stern : Physiker, Querdenker, Nobelpreisträger / Horst Schmidt-Böcking; Karin Reich.
Otto Stern Nobel Prize biography.
Otto Stern, Co-discoverer of Space Quantization, Dies at 81 Physics Today obituary.