Claud Edwin Cleeton (December 11, 1907 – April 16, 1997) was an American

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

notable for his groundbreaking work, with

Neal H. Williams Neal Hooker Williams (1870–1956) was a physicist notable for the very first spectroscopic measurements at microwave frequencies. He carried this out with a magnetron and investigated the spectrum of gaseous ammonia together with his student Cla ...

, on the

microwave spectroscopy Microwave spectroscopy is the spectroscopy method that employs microwaves, i.e. electromagnetic radiation at GHz frequencies, for the study of matter. History The ammonia molecule NH3 is shaped like a pyramid 0.38 Å in height, with an equilatera ...

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous wa ...

. This was the groundwork that led to the eventual development of the

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

Education

In 1935 he completed his PhD at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, under

, with a thesis entitled: ''Electromagnetic-Waves of 1.1 cm Wavelength and the Absorption Spectrum of Ammonia.'' The 1934 paper by Cleeton and Williams has over 260 citations and was important in the development of

Career

After obtaining his PhD, Cleeton went to work for the Navy and during

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 ...

he was with the

Naval Research Laboratory The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. It was founded in 1923 and conducts basic scientific research, applied research, technological ...

, where he improved radar systems. After the war, he conceived and developed a space surveillance system that detected Soviet satellites.

Honors

For his wartime efforts, Cleeton received the President's Certificate of Merit from

Harry Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

in 1946 and the Meritorious Civilian Service Award the following year. After retiring from the Naval Research Laboratory in 1969, he was awarded the Navy Distinguished Civilian Award and in 1993 the IEEE Microwave Pioneer Award. He held patents on 15 electronic inventions and authored numerous papers in technical journals.

Retirement and death

When he retired, he wrote books on stock trading, and he taught himself to use the computer. Cleeton joined the First United Methodist Church of Bellevue, Washington and wrote computer programs to do the church's bookkeeping. Cleeton also developed computer programs for stock analysis. Cleeton died of heart failure April 16, 1997, at the age of 89. Cleeton was survived by his wife of 66 years, Mary Ellen; two daughters, Sue Guildi and Sarah Kakaley.

Books by Cleeton

* Claud E. Cleeton, ''The Art of Independent Investing,'' Pearson Education Limited, 1976, * Claud E. Cleeton, ''Strategies for the Option Trader,'' Wiley & Sons Limited, 1979,

References

* P. Staecker, "Awards," ''IEEE Microwave Magazine,'' Vol. 2, No. 2, 2001, p. 123.

Notes

External links

Cleeton obituaryCleeton's thesisCleeton's patent
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleeton, Claud E. 1907 births 1997 deaths University of Michigan alumni 20th-century American physicists American United Methodists 20th-century Methodists