Robert J. Van de Graaff
| Robert J. Van de Graaff | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Robert Jemison Van de Graaff December 20, 1901 Tuscaloosa, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | January 16, 1967 (aged 65) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Princeton University |
| Alma mater |
University of Alabama La Sorbonne University of Oxford |
| Known for | Van de Graaff generator |
| Notable awards |
Elliott Cresson Medal (1936) Duddell Medal and Prize (1947) Tom W. Bonner Prize in Nuclear Physics (1966) |
Robert Jemison Van de Graaff (December 20, 1901 – January 16, 1967) was an American engineer, physicist, and noted for his design and construction of high-voltage Van de Graaff generators. He taught at Princeton University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Robert Jemison Van de Graaff was born at the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. His parents were of Dutch descent. His three older brothers Adrian, Hargrove, and William were all All-Southern college football players for the Alabama Crimson Tide. William was known as "Bully" and was Alabama's first All-American. In Tuscaloosa, Robert received his BS and master's degrees from The University of Alabama where he was a member of The Castle Club (later became Mu Chapter of Theta Tau). After a year at the Alabama Power Company, Van de Graaff studied at the Sorbonne. In 1926 he earned a second BS at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, completing his PhD in 1928.
Van de Graaff was the inventor of the Van de Graaff generator, a device which produces high voltages. In 1929 he developed his first generator, producing 80,000 volts. By 1933 he had constructed a larger generator generating 7 million volts.
...
Wikipedia