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Table of Contents

Institutional History

AbstractImportant DatesPlacesSubjectsCitations

Relationships

PeopleInstitutions

Resources

Archival as AuthorArchival as Subject

University of Minnesota. Department of Physics and Astronomy

Photo

Dates

1889 – present

Authorized Form of Name

University of Minnesota. Department of Physics and Astronomy

Additional Forms of Names

University of Minnesota. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy

Institutional History

Abstract

The Department of Physics began at the University of Minnesota in 1889 when Frederick S. Jones was hired as professor of physics. In 1902, the first physical laboratory, now Jones Hall, was completed. The current physics laboratory building was built in 1928 and renamed the Tate Laboratory of Physics in 1963. In 1956, the Department of Physics in the College of Science, Literature and the Arts was raised to the status of a school and transferred to the Institute of Technology. In 1963, the Department of Astronomy was combined with the School of Physics to become the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Important Dates

1889Department began when Frederick S. Jones was hired as its first Professor of Physics, Minneapolis (Minn.).

1892 – 1915John Zeleny was on faculty.

1902First physical laboratory, Jones Hall was completed, Minneapolis (Minn.).

1913 – 1917Paul Klopsteg was on faculty.

1916 – 1917Arthur Compton was on faculty.

1918 – 1923William Swann was on faculty.

1923 – 1924Gregory Breit was on faculty.

1923 – 1928John Van Vleck was on faculty.

1926 – 1950John T. Tate edited the Physical Review while at Minnesota.

1929 – 1930Edward Condon was on faculty.

1930 – 1974Edward Hill was on faculty.

1930 – 1974John T. Tate was on faculty.

1933 – 1966John H. Williams was on faculty.

1936 – 1937Polykarp Kusch was on faculty.

1938 – 1941John Bardeen was on faculty.

1938 – 1994Alfred Nier was on faculty.

February 29, 1940Alfred O. C. Nier first isolated a detectable amount of U-235 in the basement of Tate Laboratory.

1947 – 1996Edward Ney was on faculty.

1949 – 2001John Winckler was on faculty.

1956The Department was raised to the status of school and transferred to the Institute of Technology.

1963The Department of Astronomy and School of Physics were combined.

1965 – presentAllen Goldmen has been on faculty.

1971 – 1973Joel Moss was on faculty.

1987Theoretical Physics Institute (TPI) was established by a major gift from William Fine, a real estate developer with a life-long interest in theoretical physics.

January 9, 2002Theoretical Physics Institute's name is changed to William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute.

Places

Headquarters

Minneapolis (Minn.)

Subjects

Biophysics.

Condensed matter.

Cosmic rays.

Nuclear physics.

Physics -- Study and teaching.

Citations

Historical information from History - Physics at Minnesota webpage (http://www.physics.umn.edu/about/history/).

Relationships

People

Employees & Officers

Bardeen, John

Assistant Professor of Physics.

Breit, Gregory, 1899-1981

Assistant Professor of Physics.

Compton, Arthur Holly, 1892-1962

Instructor of Physics.

Condon, Edward Uhler, 1902-1974

Professor of Theoretical Physics.

Goldman, Allen M.

Assistant Professor to Professor of Physics; Institute of Technology Distinguished Professor; Head, School of Physics and Astronomy; and Regents Professor.

Hill, Edward Lee, 1904-1974

Received BS and PhD in Physics in 1928; Assistant Professor of Theoretical Physics; Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics; Professor of Theoretical Physics; Professor of Physics; and Emeritus Professor.

Jensen, J. Hans D.

Visiting Professor.

Jones, Frederick S. (Frederick Scheetz)

First professor of the department.

Klopsteg, Paul E. (Paul Ernest), 1889-

Received BS, MA, and PhD, and Instructor to Assistant Professor of Physics.

Kusch, Polykarp, 1911-1993

Assistant in Physics.

Lieb, Elliott H.

Member, Board of Governors, Institute for Mathematics and its Applications.

Moss, Joel M.

Instructor in Physics.

Ney, Edward Purdy, 1920-

Received BS in 1942; Assistant Professor to Professor of Physics and Astronomy; Regents Professor of Physics and Astronomy; and Chair, Department of Astronomy.

Nier, Alfred O. (Alfred Otto), 1911-1994

Received PhD in 1936; Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Physics; Professor of Physics; Emeritus Professor of Physics; and Department Chair.

Phillips, Melba, 1907-2004

Visiting Professor.

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

Professor of Physics.

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

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

Van Vleck, J. H. (John Hasbrouck), 1899-1980

Assistant Professor; Associate Professor; and Professor of Physics.

Williams, John H. (John Harry), 1908-

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

Winckler, John R.

Assistant Professor to Professor of Physics, and Emeritus Professor of Physics.

Zeleny, John, 1872-

Received BS (1892) and PhD (1906). Instructor in Physics; Assistant Professor of Physics; Associate Professor of Physics; and Professor of Physics.

PhD Students

Bardeen, William A.

Received PhD in Physics in 1968.

Bleakney, Walker, 1901-1992

Received PhD in 1930.

Brattain, Walter H. (Walter Houser), 1902-1987

Received PhD in Physics in 1929.

Foote, Paul D. (Paul Darwin), 1888-1971

Received PhD in Physics in 1917.

Hagstrum, Homer D.

Received BA in 1936, MS in 1939, and PhD in Physics in 1940.

Associates & Members

Bartlett, Paul D.

Brueckner, Keith A.

Compton, Betty Charity McCloskey, 1916-

Daniels, Farrington, 1889-1972

Received B.S. and M.S.

Dawson, Jim (James L.)

Erikson, Henry A. (Henry Anton), 1869-

Hafstad, Lawrence, 1904-

Received BSc.

Hobbie, Russell K.

Hutchisson, Elmer, 1902-

Received PhD in Theoretical Physics.

Kruger, P. Gerald (Peter Gerald), 1902-

Lawrence, Ernest Orlando, 1901-1958

Received MA.

Oppenheimer, Frank, 1912-1985

Peery, B. F. (Benjamin F.)

Schmitt, Otto Herbert

Spilhaus, A. F. (Athelstan Frederick), Jr.

Tuve, Merle Antony, 1901-1982

Received BS (1922) and AM (1923).

Valasek, Joseph, 1897-1993

Institutions

Institutional Hierarchy

University of Michigan

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Pages from catalogs listing faculty of University of Minnesota Physics Department, 1915-1933.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

University of Minnesota Department of Physics history, 1870-1938.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

University of Minnesota Department of Physics papers, 1886-1972.

University Archives

University of Minnesota

Andersen Library, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Subject

Athelstan Spilhaus papers, 1912-2003.

Center for American History. University Archives

University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX 78713, USA

Edward L. Hill papers, 1928-1973.

University Archives

University of Minnesota

Andersen Library, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Elmer Hutchisson papers, 1919-1982.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Frank Oppenheimer papers, 1946-1959 (bulk 1946-1949).

University Archives

University of Minnesota

Andersen Library, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Henry A. Erikson papers, 1919-1928.

University Archives

University of Minnesota

Andersen Library, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Jim Dawson collection on Frank Oppenheimer, 1946-1999.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Joseph Valasek papers, circa 1917-1965.

University Archives

University of Minnesota

Andersen Library, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Keith Brueckner manuscript biography, 1986.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Athelstan Frederick Sphilhaus, 1976 March 9 and April 6.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Benjamin Peery, 1977 November 5.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, 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 Edward P. Ney, 1984 February 29.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Elmer Hutchisson, 1970 October 22.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Frank Oppenheimer, 1973 February 9 and May 21.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Joseph Valasek, 1969 May 8.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Melba Newell Phillips, 1977 December 5.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Melba Phillips, 1997 December 2.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Merle Antony Tuve, 1967 March 30.

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

Oral history interview with Paul Doughty Bartlett, 1978 July 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Paul E. Klopsteg, 1963 January 27.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Russell K. Hobbie, 1994 September 29.

University Archives

University of Minnesota

Andersen Library, Minneapolis, MN, USA

Otto Herbert Schmitt papers, 1901-1998.

University Archives

University of Minnesota

Andersen Library, Minneapolis, MN, USA

P. Gerald Kruger letters to Erika Wackenroder Kruger, Germany: 1939-1940.

The Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA, 94720-6000, USA