Gordy, Walter, 1909-1985

Walter Gordy (1909-1985) was a James B. Duke Professor of Physics at Duke University. In his over thirty year career at Duke, he founded and directed the Duke Microwave Laboratory, and researched and published extensively.

Walter Gordy was born on April 20, 1909 in Newton County Mississippi. After receiving a B.A. from Mississippi College in 1932, he received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in 1932 and 1935, respectively. From 1935 to 1941, Gordy served as a professor of physics at Mary Hardin-Baylor College in Texas. He then worked at Cal Tech with Linus Pauling and later in the Radiation Kabiratirt at MIT.

In 1946, Gordy joined the faculty of the Duke University Department of Physics. During his tenure, he contributed to the development of microwave radar and microwave spectroscopy through his work in the Duke Microwave Laboratory, which he founded and headed. He published many articles and four books, and was a member of numerous professional organizations. In 1958, Gordy was named a James B. Duke Professor. Gordy died in Durham on October 6, 1985. He was survived by his wife of fifty years, Vida.