Alan Tower Waterman

Biography

Abstract

Alan Waterman was Director of the National Science Foundation (1951-1963). Other institutional affiliations included Yale University. His research interests included thermionic emission, theory of electrical conductors, photoelectric effect, and electrical properties of solids.

Important Dates

June 4, 1892Birth, Cornwall on Hudson (N.Y.).

1913Obtained AB, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1914Obtained MA, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1916Obtained PhD in Physics, Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1916 – 1917Instructor in Physics, University of Cincinnati.

1917 – 1948Instructor in Physics (1917-1923); Assistant Professor of Physics (1923-1930); and Associate Professor of Physics (1931-1948), Yale University, New Haven (Conn.).

1927 – 1928International Education Board Fellow, King's College, London.

1942 – 1946Vice Chair, Division D, National Defense Research Committee (1942-1943); Deputy Chair, Office of Field Services (1943-1945); and Chief, Office of Field Services (1945-1946), Office of Scientific Research and Development.

1946 – 1951Chief Scientist, Office of Research and Inventions (1946) and Chief Scientist, Office of Naval Research (1946-1951), United States Navy.

1950 – 1957Member, United States Interdepartmental Committee on Scientific Research and Development.

1951 – 1955Member, Science Advisory Committee, United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

1951 – 1963Director, National Science Foundation, Washington (D.C.).

1951 – 1963Member, National Science Board.

1952 – 1958Member, Board of Directors, Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University.

1956 – 1963Consultant, Defense Science Board.

1957 – 1963Consultant, President's Science Advisory Committee (PSAC).

1958 – 1960Member, National Aeronautics and Space Council.

1963President, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

1963 – 1966Member, Research Advisory Council, United States Office of Education.

1963 – 1967Member, Advisory Committee, Pacific Science Center.

1963 – 1967Consultant to the Director, National Science Foundation.

1963 – 1967Member, Advisory Board, Center for Strategic Studies, Georgetown University.

1964 – 1967Consultant to the Administrator, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

1964 – 1967Consultant to the President, National Academy of Sciences.

1965 – 1967Member, Federal Woman's Award Board.

1965 – 1967Member, Board of Trustees, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

November 30, 1967Death, Washington (D.C.).

Occupation

Science administrator and physicist.

Places

Birth

Cornwall on Hudson (N.Y.)

Undergraduate Education

Princeton (N.J.)

Graduate Education

Princeton (N.J.)

Employment

New Haven (Conn.)

Washington (D.C.)

Death

Washington (D.C.)

Subjects

Electric conductivity.

Photoelectricity.

Physics -- Administration.

Science and state.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Richardson, O. W. (Owen Willans), 1879-1959

PhD advisor at Princeton University, "On the positive ionization from certian hot salts together with some observations on the electrical properties of molybdenite at high temperatures."

Colleagues

Bacher, Robert F. (Robert Fox), 1905-2004

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Beams, Jesse W. (Jesse Wakefield), 1898-1977

Both employed at Yale University.

Bethe, Hans A. (Hans Albrecht), 1906-2005

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Bradbury, Norris, 1909-1997

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Breit, Gregory, 1899-1981

Both employed at Yale University.

Bronk, Detlev W. (Detlev Wulf), 1897-1975

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Buckley, Oliver Ellsworth, 1887-1959

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Conant, James Bryant, 1893-1978

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

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

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

DuBridge, Lee A. (Lee Alvin), 1901-1994

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Fisk, James B. (James Brown), 1910-1981

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Haskins, Caryl P. (Caryl Parker), 1908-2001

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Killian, James Rhyne, 1904-1988

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Land, Edwin Herbert, 1909-1991

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Lauritsen, Charles Christian, 1892-1968

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Lawrence, Ernest Orlando, 1901-1958

Both employed at Yale University.

Loeb, Robert F. (Robert Frederick), 1895-1973

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Montroll, E. W.

Both employed at Yale University.

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

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

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Spitzer, Lyman, 1914-1997

Both employed at Yale University.

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

Both employed at Yale University.

Wiesner, Jerome B. (Jerome Bert), 1915-1994

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

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

Both employed at Yale University.

Zacharias, Jerrold Reinach, 1905-1986

Both worked at United States Office of Defense Mobilization.

Zeleny, John, 1872-

Both employed at Yale University.

Additional

Bush, Vannevar, 1890-1974

Compton, Betty Charity McCloskey, 1916-

Compton, K. T. (Karl Taylor), 1887-1954

Gamow, George, 1904-1968

Loomis, F. W. (Francis Wheeler), 1889-1976

Malone, Thomas F.

McMath, Robert R. (Robert Raynolds), 1891-1962

Newell, Homer E. (Homer Edward), 1915-1983

Roberts, Walter Orr

Roman, Nancy Grace, 1925-

Institutions

Major Positions

National Science Foundation (U.S.)

Director and Consultant to the Director.

United States. Navy

Chief Scientist, Office of Research and Inventions.

United States. Office of Naval Research

Chief Scientist.

University of Cincinnati. Department of Physics

Instructor in Physics.

Yale University. Physics Department

Instructor; Assistant Professor of Physics; and Associate Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Association for the Advancement of Science

President.

Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (Stanford, Calif.)

Member, Board of Directors.

Center for Strategic and International Studies (Washington, D.C.)

Member, Advisory Board.

Federal Woman’s Award. Board of Trustees

Member.

King's College (University of London)

International Education Board Fellow.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Consultant to the President.

National Science Board (U.S.)

Member.

Pacific Science Center

Member, Advisory Committee.

Princeton University. Department of Physics

Obtained AB (1913), MA (1914), and PhD (1916).

United States. Defense Science Board

Consultant.

United States. Interdepartmental Committee on Scientific Research and Development

Member.

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Consultant to the Administrator.

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Council

Member.

United States. Office of Education

Member, Research Advisory Council.

United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development

Deputy Chief and Chief, Office of Field Services.

United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development. National Defense Research Committee

Vice Chair, Division D.

United States. President's Science Advisory Committee

Consultant.

United States. Science Advisory Committee

Member.

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

Member, Board of Trustees.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Alan Tower Waterman papers, 1918-1967 (bulk 1940-1963).

Manuscript Division

Library of Congress

James Madison Memorial Building, First Street and Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540, USA

Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy records, 1953-1974.

Bentley Historical Library

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2113, USA

O. W. Richardson papers, 1897-1959 (bulk 1920-1940).

Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center

University of Texas at Austin

P.O. Drawer 7219, Austin, TX 78713-7219, USA

Robert R. McMath papers, 1916-1962.

Bentley Historical Library

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2113, USA

Sessions from the tenth annual meeting of Corporate Associates [sound recording], 1967 October 2.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Dwight D. Eisenhower records as President, White House Central files, 1953-1961.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Library

Abilene, KS 67410, USA

F. W. Loomis papers, 1920-1976.

University Archives

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

1408 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, USA

Files of the Director (Alan T. Waterman), 1950-1963

Office of the National Archives

National Archives and Records Administration

8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20408, USA

Lee A. DuBridge papers, 1932-1986.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology records of James R. Killian and George B. Kistiakowsky, 1957-1961.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Library

Abilene, KS 67410, USA

Oral history interview with Betty Compton, 1968 April 11 and 15.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Homer Edward Newell, 1980 July 17 and October 20.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Lyman Spitzer, Jr., 1977 April 8 and 1978 May 10.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Nancy Grace Roman, 1980 August 19.

Oral history interview with Thomas F. Malone, 1995 January 4.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Walter Orr Roberts, 1987 August 21.

Archives.

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, USA

President's Committee on Scientists and Engineers records, 1956-1958.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Library

Abilene, KS 67410, USA

President's Science Advisory Committee records, 1957-1961.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Library

Abilene, KS 67410, USA

Published Resources

Author

A college text-book of physics / by Arthur L. Kimball.

Subject

Alan Waterman, Leading Science Administrator Physics Today obituary.