Raymond John Seeger (September 20, 1906 – February 14, 1992) was an American physicist.
He was born in
Elizabeth, New Jersey and graduated from
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
in 1926 with a B.A. in theoretical physics.
[ He was awarded a doctorate in physics from ]Yale University
Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...
in 1929. That year he became an associate professor at the private Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College (PC) is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina.
History
Presbyterian College was founded in 1880 by the William Plumer Jacobs. He had served as the pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Cl ...
in South Carolina. In 1930, he joined the George Washington University
The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...
(GWU). From 1935, while remaining at GWU, he worked with Edward Teller
Edward Teller ( hu, Teller Ede; January 15, 1908 – September 9, 2003) was a Hungarian-American theoretical physicist who is known colloquially as "the father of the hydrogen bomb" (see the Teller–Ulam design), although he did not care for ...
in applied quantum mechanics. With the start of World War II
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 opposing ...
, in 1942 he began working at the Bureau of Ordnance The Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd) was a United States Navy organization, which was responsible for the procurement, storage, and deployment of all naval weapons, between the years 1862 and 1959.
History
Congress established the Bureau in the Departme ...
. He collaborated with John von Neumann
John von Neumann (; hu, Neumann János Lajos, ; December 28, 1903 – February 8, 1957) was a Hungarian-American mathematician, physicist, computer scientist, engineer and polymath. He was regarded as having perhaps the widest cove ...
and John G. Kirkwood to study shock-wave phenomena and fluid dynamics. He was awarded the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award
The Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, established in 1951, is an award presented by the U.S. Secretary of the Navy to civilians for specific courageous or heroic acts or exceptionally outstanding service of substantial and long-term benef ...
.[ In 1943, Seeger served as president of the ]Philosophical Society of Washington
Founded in 1871, the Philosophical Society of Washington is the oldest scientific society in Washington, D.C. It continues today as PSW Science.
Since 1887, the Society has met regularly in the assembly hall of the Cosmos Club. In the Club's pr ...
, a scientific organization.
Following the war, he remained a lecturer at GWU until 1947. He then worked at the Naval Ordnance Laboratory
The Naval Ordnance Laboratory (NOL) was a facility in the White Oak area of Montgomery County, Maryland. It is now used as the headquarters of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Origins
The U.S. Navy Mine Unit, later the Mine Laboratory at ...
in White Oak, Maryland
White Oak is a census-designated place and an unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It had a population of 16,347 in 2020.
White Oak was known for its Naval Ordnance Laboratory, which was closed in 1994. The headqua ...
until 1952 as head of the Mechanics Division and head of the Aeroballistic Research Department. He lectured at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...
until 1948, then organized the Fluid Dynamics and Applied Mechanics Institute at the University of Maryland
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
.[ From 1952 until 1970, he worked at the ]National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National ...
where he became deputy assistant director, then retired as a senior staff research associate.[ He taught at the American University from 1954 until 1972. He continued to work as an author and invited speaker up until his death in ]Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
of a heart ailment.[
Dr. Seeger published more than 200 papers on topics in physics and mathematics, including quantum mechanics and fluid dynamics. He authored a series of historical articles on notable scientists.][ He was awarded honorary D.Sc. degrees from ]Kent State University
Kent State University (KSU) is a public research university in Kent, Ohio. The university also includes seven regional campuses in Northeast Ohio and additional facilities in the region and internationally. Regional campuses are located in ...
and the University of Dubuque
The University of Dubuque (UD) is a private Presbyterian university in Dubuque, Iowa. About 2,200 students attend the university.
History
The University of Dubuque has had a long history in Dubuque since its founding in 1852.
Early years
Th ...
.[
]
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Seeger, Raymond
1906 births
1992 deaths
20th-century American physicists
Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award
People from Elizabeth, New Jersey
Rutgers University alumni
Yale University alumni
Fellows of the American Physical Society