John Harry Williams (July 7, 1908 – April 18, 1966) was a Canadian-American physicist.
Born in the
asbetos mining town of
Asbestos, Quebec
Val-des-Sources (), meaning "Valley of the Springs", formerly known as Asbestos (), is a town in the Estrie (Eastern Townships) region of southeastern Quebec, Canada on the Nicolet River."Asbestos" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chic ...
, he had three brothers: Elewyn, Lloyd, and Arthur.
John was an active child and participated in sports, developing a lifelong interest in the outdoors.
His father, a mining engineer, died during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, leaving his wife Josephine Stockwell to raise the family alone. She moved the family to
Kelowna, British Columbia
Kelowna ( ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the head office of the Regional District of Central Okanagan. The name Kelowna derives from the Okanagan word ''kiÊ ...
, where John attended public high school. He matriculated to the
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...
on a full scholarship,
where he graduated with a BS degree in 1928. During his last year at the university, he was married to Vera Martin; the couple had three children. Williams performed his graduate studies at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
, where he was awarded an MA degree in 1930 and a PhD the following year.
In his first year of graduate school he published his first paper about a double crystal
x-ray spectrometer
X-ray spectroscopy is a general term for several spectroscopic techniques for characterization of materials by using x-ray radiation.
Characteristic X-ray spectroscopy
When an electron from the inner shell of an atom is excited by the energy o ...
.
He joined the
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
with a postdoctoral fellowship from the
National Research Council National Research Council may refer to:
* National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development
* National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome
* National Research Council (United States), part of ...
during 1931–1933, then became an instructor of physics at the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Tw ...
. In 1934 he was named assistant professor, then associate professor in 1937 and full professor in 1946. Williams remained a member of the University of Minnesota physics faculty for the remainder of his career.
Initially, his work at Minnesota was in the field of ionization and dissociation of gases, but he developed an interest in
nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter.
Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...
. Together with William H. Wells, he worked on a
Van de Graaff generator
A Van de Graaff generator is an electrostatic generator which uses a moving belt to accumulate electric charge on a hollow metal globe on the top of an insulated column, creating very high electric potentials. It produces very high voltage direct ...
with the goal of generating 1 MeV of energy for nuclear physics research. This was found insufficiently energetic, so in 1937 funds were obtained from the
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...
for construction of a 3 MeV generator.
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he obtained his US citizenship and became a contract researcher for the US
Office of Scientific Research and Development
The Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) was an agency of the United States federal government created to coordinate scientific research for military purposes during World War II. Arrangements were made for its creation during May 1 ...
in 1942, then during 1943–46 he served as head of the Electrostatic Generator Group for the
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...
,
being placed in charge of Van de Graaff work. He began a study of neutron cross-section measurements for the atomic bomb program. In 1945, he was deputy director of the first atomic bomb explosion, known as
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
. He assisted with the
Bikini atomic experiments in 1946 before returning to his position at the University of Minnesota.
In 1951 at the age of 43, it was discovered that he had cancer.
He underwent medical treatment in an effort to combat the condition, which was finally brought under limited control in 1960. However, he suffered flare ups that lasted for the remainder of his life.
Williams was instrumental in obtaining funding from the
Atomic Energy Commission for the construction of a 50-MeV linear proton accelerator at the university, which became operational during the 1950s.
During 1955–58 he served on the board of the
Midwest Universities Research Association, and was the president in 1956–57.
He was appointed Director of the Research Division for the Atomic Energy Commission in 1958. The following year he was appointed Atomic Energy Commissioner by US President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
.
From 1960 to 1966, he was a member of the General Advisory Committee for the
United States Atomic Energy Commission
The United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) was an agency of the United States government established after World War II by U.S. Congress to foster and control the peacetime development of atomic science and technology. President H ...
. He was elected to the
National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...
in 1961 and was president of the
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...
in 1963.
In 1965, he was named as president of the
Argonne Universities Association.
Williams died of pneumonia in
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
, on April 18, 1966. During his career, he was awarded honorary doctorate of science by the University of British Columbia and an honorary doctorate of engineering from the
Pennsylvania Military College
Widener University is a private university in Chester, Pennsylvania. The university has three other campuses: two in Pennsylvania (Harrisburg and Exton) and one in Wilmington, Delaware.
Founded as The Bullock School for Boys in 1821, the school ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, John Harry
1908 births
1966 deaths
People from Val-des-Sources
Canadian physicists
20th-century American physicists
University of British Columbia alumni
University of California, Berkeley alumni
Manhattan Project people
Deaths from pneumonia in Minnesota
Canadian emigrants to the United States
Presidents of the American Physical Society
Fellows of the American Physical Society