Henry Winston Newson (November 26, 1909, in Lawrence, Kansas – May 14, 1978, in Durham, North Carolina) [1] was an American physical chemist and nuclear physicist, known for his research on nuclear resonances and as one of the co-inventors of the control system used in nuclear reactors. [2]
His parents were the mathematics professors Henry Byron Newson and Mary Frances Winston Newson. Henry Winston Newson graduated in 1931 with a B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and in 1934 with a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago. [2] His thesis advisor was William Draper Harkins. [3] Henry Newson married Meta F. Thode in 1934. The couple spent two years from 1934 to 1936 at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. There he worked as a research fellow assisting Ernest O. Lawrence in constructing the laboratory's cyclotron. [4] [5] At the University of Chicago from 1936 to 1941 Newson was an instructor, first in chemistry and subsequently in physics. [2] The Newson's first daughter, Meta Mary, [5] was born in Chicago in August 1941. [6] From 1941 to 1943 Henry Newson was a senior physicist in the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory (Met Lab), where in December 1942 the first controlled nuclear chain reaction was produced. From 1943 to 1944 he was a section chief at Clinton Laboratories (later renamed Oak Ridge National Laboratory). He was from 1944 to 1945 a technical expert at Hanford Engineering Works and from 1945 to 1946 a group leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory, during the development of the atomic bomb. From 1946 to 1948 he was a chief physicist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. [7] In 1948 the Newsons' second daughter, Caroline, was born, and he became a full professor in the physics department of Duke University. [8]
Newson chaired Duke University's physics department from 1973 to 1975. He was a professor of physics at Duke University and TUNL's director until his death in 1978. His successor as TUNL's director was his former doctoral student, Edward Bilpuch [2] (1927–2012). Newson's doctoral students include John H. Gibbons and Myron L. Good. [3]
Newson was elected in 1960 a Fellow of the American Physical Society. [9] Upon his death the Newson family established the Henry W. Newson Lecture Series Fund at Duke University. [7] The university established a Henry Newson Professorship of Physics (currently held by Haiyan Gao). [10] Henry Newson was survived by his widow, two daughters, and six grandchildren. [1]
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Henry Winston Newson (November 26, 1909, in Lawrence, Kansas – May 14, 1978, in Durham, North Carolina) [1] was an American physical chemist and nuclear physicist, known for his research on nuclear resonances and as one of the co-inventors of the control system used in nuclear reactors. [2]
His parents were the mathematics professors Henry Byron Newson and Mary Frances Winston Newson. Henry Winston Newson graduated in 1931 with a B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and in 1934 with a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Chicago. [2] His thesis advisor was William Draper Harkins. [3] Henry Newson married Meta F. Thode in 1934. The couple spent two years from 1934 to 1936 at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. There he worked as a research fellow assisting Ernest O. Lawrence in constructing the laboratory's cyclotron. [4] [5] At the University of Chicago from 1936 to 1941 Newson was an instructor, first in chemistry and subsequently in physics. [2] The Newson's first daughter, Meta Mary, [5] was born in Chicago in August 1941. [6] From 1941 to 1943 Henry Newson was a senior physicist in the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory (Met Lab), where in December 1942 the first controlled nuclear chain reaction was produced. From 1943 to 1944 he was a section chief at Clinton Laboratories (later renamed Oak Ridge National Laboratory). He was from 1944 to 1945 a technical expert at Hanford Engineering Works and from 1945 to 1946 a group leader at Los Alamos National Laboratory, during the development of the atomic bomb. From 1946 to 1948 he was a chief physicist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. [7] In 1948 the Newsons' second daughter, Caroline, was born, and he became a full professor in the physics department of Duke University. [8]
Newson chaired Duke University's physics department from 1973 to 1975. He was a professor of physics at Duke University and TUNL's director until his death in 1978. His successor as TUNL's director was his former doctoral student, Edward Bilpuch [2] (1927–2012). Newson's doctoral students include John H. Gibbons and Myron L. Good. [3]
Newson was elected in 1960 a Fellow of the American Physical Society. [9] Upon his death the Newson family established the Henry W. Newson Lecture Series Fund at Duke University. [7] The university established a Henry Newson Professorship of Physics (currently held by Haiyan Gao). [10] Henry Newson was survived by his widow, two daughters, and six grandchildren. [1]
![]() | This section may be
too long to read and navigate comfortably. (September 2022) |