Wilson, Robert R., 1914-2000

Robert Rathbun Wilson was born in 1914 in Frontier Wyoming, received an A.B. from the University of California, Berkeley, 1936, and after studying with Prof. Ernest O. Lawrence, a Ph. D. in 1940.

He participated in an early effort led by Enrico Fermi at Columbia University to build a nuclear reactor as part of a joint effort with Princeton University, where he was a lecturer and assistant professor, 1940-1942. He worked for Princeton University's reactor project, 1941-1942; becoming technical head of their isotope separation project, 1942-1943, and developing a uranium isotope-separating machine. He moved to Los Alamos Laboratory in 1943, one of the first to reside there, helping with early organization and formation of the Cyclotron Group, and becoming Head of the Research Division, 1944-1945. In 1945 he became Associate Professor of Physics at Harvard University where he designed the 150 MeV cyclotron and suggested radiological use of high-energy heavy particles for cancer therapy. He also worked on scattering of protons by protons to higher energies, using the cyclotron at the Radiation Laboratory at Berkeley, 1946-1947.

He came to Cornell University in 1947, working on building a series of electron synchrotrons, beginning with a 300 MeV machine and achieving 10 GeV in 1967. He and his colleagues made many discoveries regarding the inner structure of the proton including discovery of the first excited state of the proton and its next two excited states as well as scattering of electrons by protons. They were able to measure the production of K-mesons by X-ray beam. Dr. Wilson made the first measurement of the scattering of protons by the electric field of the nucleus of the atom, continuing this work while serving as Prof. d'Exchange at the University of Paris, France, in 1956. Also during his tenure at Cornell he conceived the idea to achieve the result of a high temperature in plasma by producing an imploding shock wave in an ionized gas through the sudden application of a strong magnetic field. He was one of the first to use the Monte Carlo method of mathematical computation, applying it to electron and proton initiated showers, invented the Quantometer to precisely measure the intensity of high-energy X-ray beams.

In 1967 he became first Director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batavia, Illinois. He held this position during its founding and assisted in the design and construction of the entire complex, which included a 500 GeV proton accelerator. The most notable of the approximately 250 experiments concerned interaction of neutrinos and muons at high energy and discovery of the "b quark." He also initiated to design and construction of the Tevatron, a system of superconducting magnets to raise the energy of the Fermilab synchrotron to one TeV (1000 GeV). In 1978 he was made Emeritus Director.

He then held the position of Peter B. Ritzma Professor at University of Chicago, 1978-1980, being named "Emeritus" in 1980. His then became I.I. Rabi Visiting Professor of Science and Human Relations at Columbia University in 1979; and the Michael Pupin Prof. at Columbia University, 1980-1982, becoming "Emeritus" in 1982.

During his career he assisted in the design and construction of cyclotrons and synchrotrons in the United States and Europe and participated in many international symposia relating to high energy physics. He became a member of the American Physical Society in 1938, president in 1985; helped found the Federation of American Scientists, Chairman in 1946 and 1963; was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1957, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1968, and the American Philosophical Society in 1969. He served on the Editorial Board of the magazine Daedalus. He was also affiliated with many other organizations having to do with teaching physics and high energy physics research, as well as arts and letters.

He received the Elliot Cresson Award in 1964, National Medal of Science in 1973, Enrico Fermi Award in 1984, del Gado Gold Medal of Radiology in 1989, and the Gemant Award in 1995. He has received honorary degrees from University of Notre Dame, Sci Dr 1969; North Central College, ScD 1975; University of Bonn, ScD 1978; Harvard University, Sci Dr 1986, and Wesleyan University, Sci Dr 1987. He co-authored, with Raphael Littauer, the book "Accelerators" published in 1958.

Dr. Wilson has been active in international physics attending numerous meetings including the conference organizing CERN, 1952, in Copenhagen; one of the earliest in the USSR, 1954; the Peoples Republic of China, 1974; meetings in New Orleans, 1975; Moscow, 1976; Hamburg, 1977; and Fermilab, 1978. He participated in the organization of the International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICFA), of which he was an American delegate.

While on sabbatic leave in Italy in 1961, Wilson studied sculpture at the Academia Belli Arte.

Robert Rathbun Wilson was born in 1914 in Frontier Wyoming, received an A.B. from the University of California, Berkeley, 1936, and after studying with Prof. Ernest O. Lawrence, a Ph.D. in 1940.

He participated in an early effort led by Enrico Fermi at Columbia University to build a nuclear reactor as part of a joint effort with Princeton University, where he was a lecturer and assistant professor, 1940-1942. He worked for Princeton University's reactor project, 1941-1942; becoming technical head of their isotope separation project, 1942-1943, and developing a uranium isotope-separating machine. He moved to Los Alamos Laboratory in 1943, one of the first to reside there, helping with early organization and formation of the Cyclotron Group, and becoming Head of the Research Division, 1944-1945. In 1945 he became Associate Professor of Physics at Harvard University where he designed the 150 MeV cyclotron and suggested radiological use of high-energy heavy particles for cancer therapy. He also worked on scattering of protons by protons to higher energies, using the cyclotron at the Radiation Laboratory at Berkeley, 1946-1947.

He came to Cornell University in 1947, working on building a series of electron synchrotrons, beginning with a 300 MeV machine and achieving 10 GeV in 1967. He and his colleagues made many discoveries regarding the inner structure of the proton including discovery of the first excited state of the proton and its next two excited states as well as scattering of electrons by protons. They were able to measure the production of K-mesons by X-ray beam. Dr. Wilson made the first measurement of the scattering of protons by the electric field of the nucleus of the atom, continuing this work while serving as Prof. d'Exchange at the University of Paris, France, in 1956. Also during his tenure at Cornell he conceived the idea to achieve the result of a high temperature in plasma by producing an imploding shock wave in an ionized gas through the sudden application of a strong magnetic field. He was one of the first to use the Monte Carlo method of mathematical computation, applying it to electron and proton initiated showers, invented the Quantometer to precisely measure the intensity of high-energy X-ray beams.

In 1967 he became first Director of Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batavia, Illinois. He held this position during its founding and assisted in the design and construction of the entire complex, which included a 500 GeV proton accelerator. The most notable of the approximately 250 experiments concerned interaction of neutrinos and muons at high energy and discovery of the "b quark." He also initiated to design and construction of the Tevatron, a system of superconducting magnets to raise the energy of the Fermilab synchrotron to one TeV (1000 GeV). In 1978 he was made Emeritus Director.

He then held the position of Peter B. Ritzma Professor at University of Chicago, 1978-1980, being named "Emeritus" in 1980. His then became I. I. Rabi Visiting Professor of Science and Human Relations at Columbia University in 1979; and the Michael Pupin Prof. at Columbia University, 1980-1982, becoming "Emeritus" in 1982.

During his career he assisted in the design and construction of cyclotrons and synchrotrons in the United States and Europe and participated in many international symposia relating to high energy physics. He became a member of the American Physical Society in 1938, president in 1985; helped found the Federation of American Scientists, Chairman in 1946 and 1963; was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1957, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1968, and the American Philosophical Society in 1969. He served on the Editorial Board of the magazine Daedalus. He was also affiliated with many other organizations having to do with teaching physics and high energy physics research, as well as arts and letters.

He received the Elliot Cresson Award in 1964, National Medal of Science in 1973, Enrico Fermi Award in 1984, del Gado Gold Medal of Radiology in 1989, and the Gemant Award in 1995. He has received honorary degrees from University of Notre Dame, Sci Dr 1969; North Central College, ScD 1975; University of Bonn, ScD 1978; Harvard University, Sci Dr 1986, and Wesleyan University, Sci Dr 1987. He co-authored, with Raphael Littauer, the book "Accelerators" published in 1958.

Dr. Wilson has been active in international physics attending numerous meetings including the conference organizing CERN, 1952, in Copenhagen; one of the earliest in the USSR, 1954; the Peoples Republic of China, 1974; meetings in New Orleans, 1975; Moscow, 1976; Hamburg, 1977; and Fermilab, 1978. He participated in the organization of the International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICFA), of which he was an American delegate.

While on sabbatic leave in Italy in 1961, Wilson studied sculpture at the Academia Belli Arte.