Parker Givens
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Miles Parker Givens (
Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...
, 9 June 1916 — 11 January 2013) was an American
optical physicist Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultraviole ...
, former acting director and professor emeritus at
The Institute of Optics The Institute of Optics is a department and research center at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. The institute grants degrees at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels through the University of Rochester School of Enginee ...
at the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...
. His work spanned several topics in physical optics, including
holography Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other applications. In principle, i ...
and
photogrammetry Photogrammetry is the science and technology of obtaining reliable information about physical objects and the environment through the process of recording, measuring and interpreting photographic images and patterns of electromagnetic radiant ima ...
. He made important contributions to the development of optical data processing and synthetic holography.


Career

After graduating in 1937 from the
University of Richmond The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approximately 4,350 undergraduate and graduate students in five schools: the School ...
, Givens studied physics at
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
, with particular focus on the
spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter wa ...
of metal surfaces. He received a doctorate degree from Cornell in 1942. Between 1942 and 1946, Givens served as instructor of physics at the
Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...
. He also spent a year with the
proximity fuze A proximity fuze (or fuse) is a Fuze (munitions), fuze that detonates an Explosive material, explosive device automatically when the distance to the target becomes smaller than a predetermined value. Proximity fuzes are designed for targets such ...
group of
Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...
's
Applied Physics Laboratory The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL) is a not-for-profit University Affiliated Research Center, university-affiliated research center (UARC) in Howard County, Maryland. It is affiliated w ...
. In 1947, Givens became an assistant professor at
The Institute of Optics The Institute of Optics is a department and research center at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. The institute grants degrees at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels through the University of Rochester School of Enginee ...
, where he would spend the rest if his career, eventually becoming an
emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...
professor there. He served as acting director of the Institute from 1975 to 1977 Although Givens officially retired in 1981 at the mandatory age of 65 (at that time a federal law), he continued to teach for another 22 years, and even served as Acting Dean of the University of Rochester's in 1984-1985. Givens retired for the second time in 2004.


Personal life

M. Parker Givens was born in
Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...
, on 9 June 1916. He was married to Gene M. Givens, and together they had a daughter, Jean F. Givens, and two sons, Robert P. Givens and R. Wayne Givens. The family lived in
Williamson, New York Williamson is a town on the south shore of Lake Ontario in the northwest part of Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 6,984 at the time of the 2010 census. The town is named after Charles Williamson, a land agent of the ...
, about an hour away from the
University of Rochester The University of Rochester (U of R, UR, or U of Rochester) is a private research university in Rochester, New York. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The University of Roc ...
. Givens died on 11 January 2013, at 96 years of age, having outlived his wife and his two sons — he was survived by Jean F. Givens, his only daughter. He was buried next to his wife, in
Crewe, Virginia Crewe is a town in Nottoway County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,326 at the 2010 census. History Crewe was founded in 1888 as a central location to house steam locomotive repair shops for the Norfolk & Western Railroad (now call ...
.


Legacy

While very successful in research, Givens said the main object of his career was helping people to learn. Givens' doctoral student James C. Wyant and his wife endowed the ', in recognition of his success as an inspirational educator. The first recipient of the chair was Robert W. Boyd.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Givens, M. Parker Cornell University alumni University of Richmond alumni University of Rochester faculty Optical physicists 1916 births 2013 deaths People from Richmond, Virginia People from Wayne County, New York