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
Institutional History
AbstractImportant DatesPlacesSubjectsCitationsRelationships
PeopleInstitutionsResources
Archival as AuthorArchival as SubjectPublished as AuthorJohns Hopkins University. Applied Physics Laboratory
Dates
1942 – present
Authorized Form of Name
Johns Hopkins University. Applied Physics Laboratory
Additional Forms of Names
APL
APL (Johns Hopkins University)
Applied Physics Laboratory. Baltimore, Md.
Institutional History
Abstract
Founded in 1942, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has helped solve some of the toughest technical problems. It was created to develop the proximity fuze that changed air defense during World War II. Since its founding, it has completed over 600 projects in areas such as air defense, undersea warfare, precision engagement, strategic systems, and space systems.
Important Dates
1941 – 1943Robert Brode was on staff.
1942James Van Allen was on staff.
1942Develops proximity fuze to help defend Navy ships from enemy air attacks during World War II.
1942Applied Physics Laboratory begins operations, Silver Spring (Md.).
1942 – 1943Gregory Breit was on staff.
1942 – 1949Lawrence Hafstad was on staff.
1944 – 1945Henry Foley was on staff.
1946Begins a high-altitude research program using captured German V-2 rockets and their own Aerobee rocket.
1946 – 1950James Van Allen was on staff.
1954Moved their headquarters, Laurel (Md.).
1958Develops Transit, the first Doppler-based, all-weather, satellite navigation system.
1960First Transit satellites are launched.
1965A collaborative biomedical program between the laboratory and Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions begins.
1966Begins testing and evaluation of strategic ballistic missile system.
1986Develops the disposable, single-use syringe.
1987Received a presidential commendation fro the Delta 180 program.
1994Treasury Department establishes a Securities Technologies Institute at the Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) to protect U. S. currency.
2004MESSENGER, the first Mercury-orbiting spacecraft, is launched.
Places
Headquarters
Subjects
Applied physics and engineering.
Citations
Historical information obtained from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory: 70 Years of Service to the Nation website (http://www.jhuapl.edu/aboutapl/anniversary/default.asp).
Relationships
People
Employees & Officers
Group Supervisor.
Brode, Robert B. (Robert Bigham), 1900-1986
Unit Supervisor.
Foley, Henry Michael, 1917-1982
Research Physicist.
Received PhD (Physics) in 1933; Research Physicist; Director; and Director, Institute for Cooperative Research.
Mindlin, Raymond D. (Raymond David), 1906-1987
Consultant.
Director.
Van Allen, James A. (James Alfred), 1914-2006
Physicist.
Vestine, E. H. (Ernest Harry), 1906-1968
Consultant on Missile Guidance.
Associates & Members
Alpher, Ralph, 1921-2007
Baldwin, Ralph Belknap, 1912-
Fastie, William G., 1916-2000
Fraser, Lorence
Ginzburg, V. L. (Vitaliĭ Lazarevich), 1916-2009
Green, Robert E. (Robert Edward), 1932-
Herman, Robert, 1914-
Krause, Ernst Henry, 1913-
McKinney, Chester M.
Roberts, Richard B. (Richard Brooke), 1910-
Singer, S. Fred (Siegfried Fred), 1924-
Institutions
Institutional Hierarchy
Johns Hopkins University
Collaborators
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Collaborated on numerous projects.
Associates
American Institute of Physics. Center for History of Physics
Participated in the study of multi-institutional collaborations.
Carnegie Institution of Washington. Department of Terrestrial Magnetism
Work on proximity fuzes done at Carnegie was transferred to the Applied Physics Laboratory in 1942.
National Air and Space Museum
Resources
Archival Resources
Author
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory records, 1942-1956.
Operational Archives Branch
Naval Historical Center
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5060, USA
Lecture on high temperature superconductivity [videorecording] / given at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory ; 1992 June 1.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Subject
Carl Eckart papers, 1921-1973 (bulk 1935-1970).
Manuscript Division
Library of Congress
James Madison Memorial Building, First Street and Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540, USA
Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. Library and Archives
Carnegie Institution of Washington
5241 Broad Branch Road NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA
James Van Allen papers, 1938-1990.
Main Library. Archives
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242-1420, USA
Johns Hopkins University oral history collection, 1999-[ongoing].
Special Collections. Milton S. Eisenhower Library.
Johns Hopkins University
3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Lawrence Hafstad papers, 1939-1976.
St. Olaf College
Norwegian-American Historical Association
Northfield, MN 55057, USA
Merle Antony Tuve papers, 1901-1982 (bulk 1941-1966).
Manuscript Division
Library of Congress
James Madison Memorial Building, First Street and Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540, USA
National Air and Space Museum space astronomy oral history project records, 1981-1986.
Archives Division
Smithsonian Institution. National Air and Space Museum
MRC 322, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
Oral history interview with Chester M. McKinney, 2002 October 22.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral History interview with Ernst Henry Krause, 1982 August 10.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral History interview with Fred Singer, 1991 April 23.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Herbert Friedman, 1980 August 21.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Lawrence Hafstad, 1984 June 4.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral History interview with Lorence Fraser, 1983 March 9.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Merle Antony Tuve, 1982 January 13 and February 5.
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 Ralph Belknap Baldwin, 1989 October 25.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Robert Green, 2000 August 25.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral history interview with Robert Herman, 1983 April 11.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Oral History interview with William G. Fastie, 1983 February 4.
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
Ralph Belknap Baldwin Highlighted story of a long and unusual life, 1998.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
Richard Brooke Roberts (1910-1979) autobiography, 1979.
Niels Bohr Library & Archives
American Institute of Physics
One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA
The deadly fuze : the secret weapon of World War II / Ralph B. Baldwin.