Leonard Isaac Schiff was born in Fall River, Massachusetts on March 29, 1915 and died on January 21, 1971 in Stanford, California. He was a physicist best known for his book ''Quantum Mechanics'', originally published in 1949 (a second edition appeared in 1955 and a third in 1968).

Education

Leonard Schiff entered Ohio State University at age 14. Schiff received his B.S. & M.S. (working under

L. H. Thomas Llewellyn Hilleth Thomas (21 October 1903 – 20 April 1992) was a British physicist and applied mathematician. He is best known for his contributions to atomic and molecular physics and solid-state physics. His key achievements include calcul ...

) from Ohio State University and his doctorate from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1937 under

Philip M. Morse Philip McCord Morse (August 6, 19035 September 1985), was an American physicist, administrator and pioneer of operations research (OR) in World War II. He is considered to be the father of operations research in the U.S. Biography Morse graduat ...

with thesis ''Theory of the Collision of Light Elements''.

Career

Schiff was a theoretical physicist who, after completing his doctorate, worked as a research associate for two years at the University of California and the California Institute of Technology. From 1940-1945 he was a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania. From 1945-1947, he worked at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory and joined the physics faculty at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

in 1947. In 1948, Schiff became one of the initial directors of Varian Associates who provided technical support to the company, along with Edward Ginzton,

William Hansen William Hansen may refer to: Politics * William C. Hansen (1891–1983), American educator and politician * William D. Hansen, American businessman and politician * William O. Hansen (1860–1930), American politician * Bill Hansen (born 1931), ...

, and

Marvin Chodorow Marvin Chodorow (July 16, 1913 – October 17, 2005) was an American physicist who pioneered in uses of Klystron microwave tubes. [http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11912&page=53 National Academy of Engineering;Memorial Tributes: Volume 11 ...

. In 1959 and 1960 Schiff and fellow physicist George Pugh wrote papers which advocated using orbiting gyroscopes to test general relativity. Schiff teamed with fellow Stanford faculty Bob Cannon and William M. Fairbank, Bill Fairbank to conduct research that provided part of the foundation for the Gravity Probe B (GP-B) to test Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. He was the first chairman of the Faculty Senate at Stanford.

Family

Leonard Schiff was the son of Edward and Mathilda Schiff and was of

Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

Jewish descent. He married Francis Ballard in 1941. They were the parents of two children: Leonard Schiff and Ellen Schiff. His wife was a cousin of Artemus Ginzton, the wife of Schiff's friend and colleague Edward Ginzton.

Recognition

Schiff became a Fellow 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 1939. He was elected to membership in 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 1957. In 1966, he received the Oersted Medal of the American Association of Physics Teachers. Also, he received the Dinkelspiel Award for Excellence in Teaching at

. Schiff Hall, an undergraduate dormitory at Stanford, is named for him.

References

External links

*http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=577&page=300 National Academies Press Biography - Leonard Schiff *http://www.oac.cdlib.org/view?docId=tf609nb1db;developer=local;query=;style=oac4 Guide to the Leonard I. Schiff Papers, 1948–1971 *http://www.stanford.edu/dept/physics/history/# Quantum Mechanics and Leonard Schiff {{DEFAULTSORT:Schiff, Leonard I. 1915 births 1971 deaths Stanford University Department of Physics faculty Ohio State University alumni Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Fellows of the American Physical Society Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Jewish American scientists 20th-century American physicists American relativity theorists 20th-century American Jews