American physicist (1901–1994)
Lee Alvin DuBridge (21 September 1901 – 23 January 1994) was an American educator and
physicist , best known as president of the
California Institute of Technology from 1946–1969.
[1]
Background
Lee Alvin DuBridge was born on 21 September 1901, in
Terre Haute, Indiana . His father was
Fred DuBridge , a football coach at
Indiana State Normal School .
[2] He graduated from
Cornell College in 1922, and then began a teaching assignment at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison , from which he received an M.A. degree in 1924
[3] and a Ph.D. in 1926.
[4] DuBridge continued his academic work at the
California Institute of Technology , as assistant, then associate professor at
Washington University in St. Louis (1928–1934), and the
University of Rochester .
[1]
[5]
Career
Academia
At Rochester, DuBridge began a long career as an academic administrator, serving as dean of the faculty of arts and sciences. On leave from Rochester between 1940 and 1946, he became the founding director of the
Radiation Laboratory at
MIT . In 1946, DuBridge began serving as president of the California Institute of Technology through 1969.
[1]
Civil service
In 1958, he, along with
William A. Fowler ,
Max Mason ,
Linus Pauling , and
Bruce H. Sage , was awarded the
Medal for Merit .
[6]
[7] DuBridge served as presidential
Science Advisor under President
Harry S. Truman from 1952–53 and under President
Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953-55, and (after retiring from Caltech) under President
Richard Nixon from 1969–70.
[1]
Associations
DuBridge served on boards for:
RAND Corporation (1948–1961),
National Science Board (1950–1954),
Western College Association (president, 1950–1951),
[8]
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (1951–1957), Air Pollution Foundation (1953–1961), Institute for Defense Analysis (1956–1960),
Rockefeller Foundation (1956–1976), National Science Board (vice chair, 1958–1964), board of governors for the Los Angeles Town Hall (1959–1963), Edison Foundation (1960–1968),
KCET (1962–1968),
Huntington Library (1962–1968), and
National Educational Television (1964–1968).
[1]
Personal and death
DuBridge died of
pneumonia at a retirement home in
Duarte, California , on 23 January 1994.
[2]
Awards
References
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k Greenstein, Jesse L. (1997-08-23). "Lee Alvin DuBridge".
Biographical Memoirs, Volume 72 . Vol. 72.
National Academies Press . pp. 89–112.
doi :
10.17226/5859 .
ISBN
978-0-309-05788-2 .
ISSN
0077-2933 .
LCCN
05026629 .
OCLC
44748015 . Retrieved 2017-11-07 .
^
a
b
"Historical Perspective: Lee A. DuBridge: America's Senior Statesman of Science" .
Tribune-Star . 2015-09-27.
Archived from the original on 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2018-12-06 .
^ Dubridge, Lee Alvin (1924).
Positive rays produced by ultra violet light (Ph.D. thesis).
University of Wisconsin–Madison .
OCLC
608883548 .
^ Dubridge, Lee Alvin (March 1926).
"Variations in the photo-electric sensitivity of platinum" (PDF) .
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 12 (3): 162–168.
Bibcode :
1926PNAS...12..162D .
doi :
10.1073/pnas.12.3.162 .
ISSN
0027-8424 .
JSTOR
00278424 .
LCCN
16010069 .
OCLC
43473694 .
PMC
1084478 .
PMID
16576969 .
Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-03-18.
^
"DuBridge, Lee A. (Lee Alvin), 1901–1994" .
American Institute of Physics .
Archived from the original on 2021-11-20. Retrieved 2019-12-29 .
^
a
b
"Presidential Medal for Merit. February 2, 1948. - Published Papers and Official Documents - Linus Pauling and the International Peace Movement" .
Oregon State University .
Archived from the original on 2018-07-18. Retrieved 2022-02-26 .
^
"5 Caltech Scientists to Get War Medals" . Pasadena Independent . 1948-10-03. p. 8. Retrieved 2022-02-28 – via
Newspapers.com .
^ Herrick, Francis H. (1976).
History of the Western College Association: 1924–1974 .
Oakland, California :
Western College Association . p. 84.
OCLC
2749685 – via
Google Books .
^
"APS Member History" . search.amphilsoc.org . Retrieved 2023-04-19 .
^
"Lee Alvin DuBridge" . American Academy of Arts & Sciences . 9 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-19 .
^
"Emmys Bestowed by Television Academy" .
The Los Angeles Times . Vol. 86. 1967-04-20. p. IV-14.
ISSN
0458-3035 – via
Newspapers.com .
^
"Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement" .
Academy of Achievement .
Archived from the original on 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2022-03-22 .
^
"Leon Lederman Biography. Photo: June 24, 1982: Awards Council member and President of Caltech, 1946-1969, Dr. Lee A. DuBridge, presenting the Academy of Achievement's Golden Plate Award at the Banquet ceremonies held in New Orleans, Louisiana" .
American Academy of Achievement .
Archived from the original on 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). "(5678) DuBridge".
Dictionary of Minor Planet Names (5th ed.).
Berlin :
Springer Nature . pp. 481–482.
doi :
10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_5374 .
ISBN
978-3-540-29925-7 .
External links
Oral history interview transcript with Lee DuBridge on 13 December 1968, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
Oral history interview transcript with Lee DuBridge on 9 June 1972, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
Oral history interview transcript with Lee DuBridge on 14 February 1986, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
Oral history interview transcript with Lee DuBridge on 6 March 1987, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
"Lee A. Dubridge - Key Participants - It's in the Blood! A Documentary History of Linus Pauling, Hemoglobin, and Sickle Cell Anemia" .
Oregon State University .
Archived from the original on 2021-06-15. Retrieved 2022-03-22 .
"Lee A. Dubridge - Key Participants - Linus Pauling and the International Peace Movement: A Documentary History" .
Oregon State University .
Archived from the original on 2020-05-18. Retrieved 2022-03-22 .
1959 film on Golden Key award, "The School Story" on
YouTube
Prowitt, David ; Mossman, Tom; et al. (Dubridge, Lee A. and Ramo, Simon).
"Science and Society: A Race Against Time" . Spectrum . Episode 52.
Los Angeles :
KCET .
Archived from the original on 2022-03-22. Retrieved 2022-03-22 .
DuBridge, Lee (1981-02-19).
"Lee Alvin DuBridge (Part I) (1901-1993)" (PDF) .
Caltech (Interview). Interviewed by
Goodstein, Judith R.
Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2022-03-22 .
DuBridge, Lee (1981-02-19).
"Lee Alvin DuBridge (Part II) (1901-1993)" (PDF) .
Caltech (Interview). Interviewed by
Goodstein, Judith R.
Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-08. Retrieved 2022-03-22 .
DuBridge, Lee (1983-03-30).
"Lee DuBridge's Interview - Part 1" . Voices of the Manhattan Project (Interview). Interviewed by
Sherwin, Martin .
Archived from the original on 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
DuBridge, Lee (1983-03-30).
"Lee DuBridge's Interview - Part 2" . Voices of the Manhattan Project (Interview). Interviewed by
Sherwin, Martin .
Archived from the original on 2021-04-19. Retrieved 2022-03-23 .
Early Throop leaders (before Caltech)
Presidents of Caltech
# denotes an acting or interim president
1899–1925 1926–1950 1951–1975 1976–2000 2001–
International National Academics People Other