Robert Andrews Millikan
Robert Millikan | |
|---|---|
Millikan in 1923 | |
| 1st President of the California Institute of Technology | |
| In office 1921–1945 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Lee DuBridge |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 22, 1868 Morrison, Illinois, US |
| Died | December 19, 1953 (aged 85) San Marino, California, US |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California |
| Alma mater |
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| Known for |
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| Spouse |
Greta Blanchard
(m. 1902; died 1953) |
| Children |
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| Awards | See list
|
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Particle physics |
| Institutions |
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| Thesis | On the Polarization of Light Emitted from the Surfaces of Incandescent Solids and Liquids (1895) |
| Doctoral advisor | Ogden Rood[3] |
| Doctoral students | See list[3]
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| Signature | |
Robert Andrews Millikan (March 22, 1868 – December 19, 1953) was an American experimental physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1923 "for his work on the elementary charge of electricity and on the photoelectric effect".
As Chairman of the Executive Council of Caltech (the school's governing body at the time) from 1921 until his retirement in 1945, Millikan helped to turn the school into one of the leading research institutions in the United States.[4][5] He also served on the board of trustees for Science Service, now known as Society for Science & the Public, from 1921 to 1953.
Millikan was an elected member of the American Philosophical Society,[6] the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,[7] and the United States National Academy of Sciences.[8] He was elected an Honorary Member of the Optical Society of America in 1950.[9]
- ^ "Comstock Prize in Physics". National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on December 29, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
- ^ "Millikan, son, aide get medals of merit". New York Times. March 22, 1949. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
- ^ a b "Robert A. Millikan - Physics Tree". academictree.org. Retrieved July 14, 2025.
- ^ "Archives : Fast Facts About Caltech History". archives.caltech.edu.
- ^ "Robert A. Millikan – Biographical". www.nobelprize.org. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022.
- ^ "APS Member History". search.amphilsoc.org. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ "Robert Andrews Millikan". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. February 9, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ "Robert A. Millikan". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
- ^ "R.A. Millikan | Optica". www.optica.org. Retrieved September 13, 2024.