William Cronk Elmore: Difference between revisions
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==Early Life and Education== |
==Early Life and Education== |
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William Cronk Elmore was born in [[Montour Falls, New York]] to Thaddeus Percevil Elmore and Grace Cronk Elmore. Elmore had two sisters, Mary Elmore (b. 1902, d. 1907) and Eleanor Elmore (b. 1912, d. 2010). As a young man, Bill spent his days outside |
William Cronk Elmore was born in [[Montour Falls, New York]] to Thaddeus Percevil Elmore and Grace Cronk Elmore. Elmore had two sisters, Mary Elmore (b. 1902, d. 1907) and Eleanor Elmore (b. 1912, d. 2010). As a young man, Bill spent many of his days outside with the boy scouts, experimenting with electronics and other technology, and building crystal radios. He attended Cook Academy in [[Montour Falls, New York]] and was the valedictorian upon his graduation in 1928. After earning a B.Sc. in Engineering Physics from Lehigh University (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1932 and a Ph.D. from Yale in 1935. Elmore began his career as a physics instructor at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] from 1935 to 1938. In 1936, Elmore married Barbara Page, the daughter of [[Leigh Page]], who was one of his professors and mentors at [[Yale University]]. Bill and Barbara were married for the next 66 years<ref name='ELMOREOBIT'/>. |
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==World War II== |
==World War II== |
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Elmore was recruited to work on the [[Manhattan Project]] at Los Alamos in 1943. He played a major role in developing electronic circuits to handle the fast-pulse signals needed in the development of the atomic bomb. He also developed the electronics used to measure the strength of the first atomic |
Elmore was recruited to work on the [[Manhattan Project]] at Los Alamos in 1943. He played a major role in developing electronic circuits to handle the fast-pulse signals needed in the development of the atomic bomb. He also developed the electronics used to measure the strength of the first atomic test at [[Trinity test]] in [[New Mexico]]. At Trinity on July 16, 1945, Elmore observed the blast from the closest position of any observer, laying on a rubber mat next to [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]] behind a temporary wall of led bricks. |
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In 1946, Elmore and Matthew Sands wrote |
In 1946, Elmore and Matthew Sands wrote ''Electronics: Experimental Techniques'', which was published in 1949 by McGraw-Hill as part of the National Nuclear Energy Series<ref name='ELMORE-SANDS'/>. This book presented many ideas and circuits developed at Los Alamos, and became a standard reference for post-war nuclear instrumentation and influenced a generation of physics graduate students in the 1950s. |
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In 1957, Elmore returned to Los Alamos to work with the controlled fusion group |
In 1957, Elmore returned to Los Alamos to work with the controlled fusion group. He was a delegate to the second Atoms for Peace Conference in Geneva<ref name='ELMOREOBIT'/>. |
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==Swarthmore College== |
==Swarthmore College== |
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In 1938, he joined Swarthmore’s physics faculty, retiring in 1974. He served as department chair from 1948 to 1968. |
In 1938, he joined Swarthmore’s physics faculty, retiring in 1974. He served as department chair from 1948 to 1968. At Swarthmore, Elmore was known for developing laboratory experiments that effectively taught students the fundamentals of physics. |
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Elmore is fondly remembered by his students for his integration of imaginative laboratory work with theoretical content. |
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Elmore and Heald co-wrote the 1969 textbook Physics of Waves, which is still in print. |
Elmore and Heald co-wrote the 1969 textbook Physics of Waves, which is still in print. |
Revision as of 15:40, 29 December 2016
William Cronk Elmore | |
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![]() | |
Born | |
Died | January 21, 2003 | (aged 93)
Resting place | Montour Falls, New York |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Lehigh University Yale University |
Known for | Elmore delay |
Scientific career | |
Fields | physics |
Institutions | |
Thesis | Surface Magnetization of Ferromagnetic Crystals (1935) |
William Cronk Elmore (September 16 1909 - January 23 2003) was an American physicist, educator, and author who is best known for his work on and related to the Manhattan project during World War II and as a professor of Physics at Swarthmore College, PA from 1938 to 1974. Bill Elmore authored two influential books during his life, the Physics of Waves[1] with Mark Heald and Electronics-Experimental Techniques[2] with Matthew Sands. He is also known for deriving a simple approximation for the delay through an RC network, known as the Elmore delay[3].
Early Life and Education
William Cronk Elmore was born in Montour Falls, New York to Thaddeus Percevil Elmore and Grace Cronk Elmore. Elmore had two sisters, Mary Elmore (b. 1902, d. 1907) and Eleanor Elmore (b. 1912, d. 2010). As a young man, Bill spent many of his days outside with the boy scouts, experimenting with electronics and other technology, and building crystal radios. He attended Cook Academy in Montour Falls, New York and was the valedictorian upon his graduation in 1928. After earning a B.Sc. in Engineering Physics from Lehigh University (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1932 and a Ph.D. from Yale in 1935. Elmore began his career as a physics instructor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from 1935 to 1938. In 1936, Elmore married Barbara Page, the daughter of Leigh Page, who was one of his professors and mentors at Yale University. Bill and Barbara were married for the next 66 years[4].
World War II
Elmore was recruited to work on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos in 1943. He played a major role in developing electronic circuits to handle the fast-pulse signals needed in the development of the atomic bomb. He also developed the electronics used to measure the strength of the first atomic test at Trinity test in New Mexico. At Trinity on July 16, 1945, Elmore observed the blast from the closest position of any observer, laying on a rubber mat next to J. Robert Oppenheimer behind a temporary wall of led bricks.
In 1946, Elmore and Matthew Sands wrote Electronics: Experimental Techniques, which was published in 1949 by McGraw-Hill as part of the National Nuclear Energy Series[2]. This book presented many ideas and circuits developed at Los Alamos, and became a standard reference for post-war nuclear instrumentation and influenced a generation of physics graduate students in the 1950s.
In 1957, Elmore returned to Los Alamos to work with the controlled fusion group. He was a delegate to the second Atoms for Peace Conference in Geneva[4].
Swarthmore College
In 1938, he joined Swarthmore’s physics faculty, retiring in 1974. He served as department chair from 1948 to 1968. At Swarthmore, Elmore was known for developing laboratory experiments that effectively taught students the fundamentals of physics.
Elmore and Heald co-wrote the 1969 textbook Physics of Waves, which is still in print.
In 1965, Elmore received a Distinguished Service Citation from the American Association of Physics Teachers and was elected a fellow of the American Physical Society.
Later life
Also an accomplished musician, Elmore played accordion at square dances in Los Alamos and was the founding pianist of the Swarthmore faculty dance band The Moonshiners. Elmore's granddaughter, Amanda Elmore, is on the US National Rowing Team and won a gold metal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the Woman's eight.
References
- ^ Elmore, William C.; Heald, Mark (1969). Physics of Waves. McGraw-Hill. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^ a b Elmore, William C.; Sands, Matthew L. (1949). Electronics: experimental techniques. McGraw-Hill Book Co. p. 417. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ W.C. Elmore. The Transient Analysis of Damped Linear Networks with Particular Regard to Wideband Amplifiers , J. Applied Physics, vol. 19(1), 1948.
- ^ a b Brévart-Demm, Carol; Giardinelli, Alisa. "William Elmore" (PDF). Swarthmore College Bulletin, Volume C, number 4, page 7. Retrieved December 29, 2016.