Menu ☰

Back to Top

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 Books

Collections

Emilio Segré Visual Archives Digital Collections Oral Histories Archival Finding Aids Physics History Network Member Society Portals Ethical Cataloging Statement

Preservation and Support

Donating Materials Suggest a Book Purchase Saving Archival Collections Grants to Archives Documentation Projects History Newsletters

Center for History of Physics

Scholarship & Outreach

Main Navigation

HomeAboutTopic GuidesFeedback

Table of Contents

Biography

AbstractImportant DatesOccupationPlacesSubjects

Relationships

PeopleInstitutions

Resources

Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as AuthorPublished as Subject

Irving Langmuir

Photo

Dates

January 31, 1881 – August 16, 1957

Authorized Form of Name

Langmuir, Irving, 1881-1957

Biography

Abstract

Irving Langmuir was a physical chemist at the General Electric Company. He was awarded the 1932 Nobel Prize in Chemistry "for his discoveries and investigations in surface chemistry."

Important Dates

January 31, 1881Birth, Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.).

1903Obtained BS in Metallurgical Engineering, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).

1906Obtained PhD in Physical Chemistry, University of Gottingen (Universität Göttingen), Göttingenn (Germany).

1906 – 1909Instructor, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken (N.J.).

1909 – 1950Researcher and Associate Director, General Electric Company, Schenectady (N.Y.).

1915Awarded Nichols Medal.

1918Awarded Hughes Medal.

1920Awarded Nichols Medal.

1921Awarded Rumford Medal.

1925Awarded Cannizzaro Prize.

1928Awarded Perkin Medal.

1929President, American Chemical Society.

1929Awarded Chardler Medal.

1930Awarded Willard Gibbs Medal.

1932Awarded Popular Science Monthly Award.

1934Awarded Franklin Medal, Franklin Institute.

1934Awarded Holly Medal.

1937Awarded John Scott Award.

1941President, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

August 16, 1957Death, Falmouth (Me.).

Occupation

Physical chemist.

Places

Birth

Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)

Undergraduate Education

New York (N.Y.)

Graduate Education

Göttingenn (Germany)

Employment

Hoboken (N.J.)

Schenectady (N.Y.)

Death

Falmouth (Me.)

Subjects

Atomic and molecular physics.

Physical chemistry.

Relationships

People

Family

Langmuir, Marion Mersereau

Wife.

Advisors & Collaborators

Cole, Kenneth S. (Kenneth Stewart), 1900-1984

Research advised by Langmuir.

Dolezalek, Friedrich

PhD advisor at Universität Göttingen.

Mott-Smith, Harold Meade, 1897-

Research advised by Langmuir at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

Colleagues

Apker, LeRoy Woodard

Both employed at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

Bush, Vannevar, 1890-1974

Both employed at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

Coolidge, William David, 1873-1975

Both employed at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

DuMond, Jesse W. M. (Jesse William Monroe), 1892-1976

Both employed at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

Edgerton, Harold Eugene, 1903-1990

Both employed at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

Hull, Albert Wallace, 1880-1966

Both employed at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

Perl, Martin L., 1927-2014

Both employed at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

Seitz, Frederick, 1911-2008

Both employed at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

Slichter, Louis B. (Louis Byrne), 1896-1978

Both employed at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

Suits, C. Guy (Chauncey Guy), 1905-1991

Both employed at General Electric Company, Research Laboratory.

Additional

Bergmann, M. (Max)

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

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

Bohr, Niels, 1885-1962

Braham, Roscoe R.

Dennison, David M. (David Mathias), 1900-1976

Franck, James, 1882-1964

Hammett, Louis P. (Louis Plack), 1894-1987

Hammond, John Hays, Jr.,

Hildebrand, Joel Henry, 1881-1983

Lawrence, Ernest Orlando, 1901-1958

Leveranz, Humboldt Walter

Lewis, Gilbert Newton, 1875-1946

Loeb, Leonard B. (Leonard Benedict), 1891-

Morgan, Stanley Owen, 1900-

Pauling, Linus, 1901-1994

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

Schaefer, Vincent J.

Sponer, Hertha, 1895-1968

Tate, John T. (John Torrence), 1889-1950

Taylor, Hugh S. (Hugh Stott), 1890-1974

Thomson, Elihu, 1853-1937

Vonnegut, Bernard

Wrinch, Dorothy

Institutions

Major Positions

General Electric Company. Research Laboratory

Researcher and Associate Director.

Stevens Institute of Technology

Instructor.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Association for the Advancement of Science

President.

American Chemical Society

President.

Columbia University

Obtained BS in Metallurgical Engineering (1903).

Franklin Institute (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Awarded 1934 Franklin Medal.

Universität Göttingen

Obtained PhD in Physical Chemistry (1906).

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Irving Langmuir papers, 1911-1959.

Schenectady Museum

Nott Terrace Heights, Schenectady, NY 12308, USA

Irving Langmuir papers, circa 1871-1957.

Manuscript Division

Library of Congress

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

Pathological science [sound recording]: an address to General Electric's Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory Colloquium; 1953 December 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Bernard Vonnegut papers, 1928-1997.

Archives

State University of New York at Albany

University Libraries, B-43, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA

Columbia University Department of Physics Historical Records, 1862-1997.

Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Columbia University

Butler Library, 6th Floor East, New York, NY 10027, USA

Dorothy Wrinch papers, 1919-1975.

The Sophia Smith Collection

Smith College

Northhampton, MA 01063, USA

Elihu Thomson papers, 1853-1955.

Library

American Philosophical Society

105 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

General Electric Company selected records.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

General Electric photograph collection, 1890-1960.

Schenectady Museum

Nott Terrace Heights, Schenectady, NY 12308, USA

Gilbert Newton Lewis papers, 1908-1945.

The Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA, 94720-6000, USA

Hans Bethe papers, circa 1931-1992.

Carl A. Kroch Library. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections

Cornell University

2B Carl A Kroch Library, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA

John Hays Hammond papers, 1908-1965 (bulk 1912-1953).

Manuscript Division

Library of Congress

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

Max Bergmann papers, circa 1930-1945.

Library

American Philosophical Society

105 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA

Max Born Journey to Russia, 1945.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Niels Bohr collection of manuscripts by other authors, 1910-1961.

Niels Bohr Archive

Blegdamsvej 17, Copenhagen, Denmark

Niels Bohr scientific correspondence, supplement, 1910-1962.

Niels Bohr Archive

Blegdamsvej 17, Copenhagen, Denmark

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

Oral history interview with David Mathias Dennison, 1964 January 27, 28 and 30.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with H. M. Mott-Smith, 1977 March 1 and 2.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Humboldt Walter Leverenz, 1979 July 10.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Joel Henry Hildebrand, 1962 August 6.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Leonard B. Loeb, 1962 August 7.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Linus Carl Pauling, 1964 March 27.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Louis Plack Hammett, 1978 May 1 and 22.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Raymond Thayer Birge, 1960 May 9.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Roscoe R. Braham, 19 June 2002.

Archives

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

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

Oral history interview with Stanley Owen Morgan, 1975 July 3.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Vincent Schaefer, 8 May 1993.

Archives

National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

PO Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, 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

Reminiscences of Albert Wallace Hull, 1951.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Reviews of Modern Physics correspondence of John Torrence Tate, 1928.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Vincent J. Schaefer papers, 1891-1993.

Archives

State University of New York at Albany

University Libraries, B-43, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222, USA

Published Resources

Author

Molecular films: the cyclotron and the new biology/ by Hugh Stott Taylor, Ernest O. Lawrence [and] Irving Langmuir, with an introd. by J.R. Dunning.

Phenomena, atoms and molecules: an attempt to interpret phenomena in terms of mechanisms or atomic and molecular interactions.

The collected works of Irving Langmuir: with contributions in memoriam, including a complete bibliography of his works / General editor: C. Guy Suits ; executive editor: Harold E. Way.

Subject

Encyclopaedia Britannica - Irving Langmuir.

Incredible man of science.

Irving Langmuir Nobel Prize biography.

The quintessence of Irving Langmuir / by Albert Rosenfeld.