Ricker, Norman Hurd, 1896-1980

Physicist (acoustics, geophysics) and inventor. Physicist, Hughes Tool Company, 1928-1933; senior research physicist, Carter Oil Company, 1938-1958; on physics faculty at University of Oklahoma from 1959.

Physicist (acoustics, geophysics) and inventor. Physicist, Hughes Tool Company (1928-1933); senior research physicist, Carter Oil Company (1938-1958); and on the physics faculty at University of Oklahoma from 1959.

Norman Hurd Ricker (1896-1980) was raised in Galveston and Albany, Texas, and was a member of Rice's first freshman and first graduating class. After receiving his doctorate in 1920 (the first given in Physics by Rice), Ricker remained at the Institute for a year before leaving to pursue his career in industrial research, first at Western Electric (1920-1923), and later at Humble Oil Refining Company (1923-1927), Hughes Tool Company (1927-1938), and Carter Oil Company (1938-1959). He ended his career of seismic and geophysical exploration in 1959 to return to academic life, taking a professorship of physics at the University of Oklahoma at Norman (1959-1980). Listed among his inventions are the paper cone loudspeaker and equipment for Texas's first deep oil wells, including the plunger lift pump for drilling. He is the author of numerous articles and a book, Transient Waves in Visco-Elastic Media . See Sallyport, April 1978.