First John T. Tate medal of american institute of physics

NXWS ITXMS

683

I n 1931 Victor W e i s s k o p f b e g a n his t r a v e l s r o u n d t h e Universities, w h i c h h e l p e d to m a k e h i m "a citizen of t h e world", a s c i e n t i s t freed f r o m t h e r e s t r i c t i o n of f r o n t i e r s a n d s u c h c o n v e n t i o n a l c o n c e p t s . W e i s s k o p f w a s t h e r e f o r e in Leipzig in 1931, a c t i n g as a n a s s i s t a n t to H e i s e n b e r g , a n d a y e a r l a t e r h e w a s in Berlin as a s s i s t a n t to Schr6dinger. H e s p e n t his s u m m e r s a t t h e I n s t i t u t e for T h e o r e t i c a l P h y s i c s directed b y Niels B o h r in C o p e n h a g e n . D u r i n g t h e e a r l y 1930's t h e difficult s i t u a t i o n d e v e l o p e d in C e n t r a l E u r o p e r e s u l t e d in t h e exile of m a n y t h o u s a n d s of E u r o p e a n s . Victor W e i s s k o p f w a s also d r a w n i n t o t h e m i g r a t o r y m o v e m e n t . D u r i n g t h e l a t t e r p a r t of 1932 h e a c c o m p a n i e d his colleague P l a c z e k to t h e I n s t i t u t e of P h y s i c s a n d T e c h n o l o g y a t K h a r k o v in t h e U S S R . T h e r e t h e y b o t h t o o k p a r t in theoretical research u n d e r t h e direction of L. L a n d a u . W e i s s k o p f r e t u r n e d to t h e W e s t in 1933. U n t i l 1935 h e w a s a s s i s t a n t to W o l f g a n g P a u l i a t t h e F e d e r a l P o l y t e c h n i c I n s t i t u t e ( E T H ) a t Zurich. H e t h e n rejoined Niels B o h r in C o p e n h a g e n to t a k e u p a n a p p o i n t m e n t as r e s e a r c h associate, w o r k i n g on t h e t h e o r y of r a d i a t i o n a n d n u c l e a r structure. T h e n , as m a n y o t h e r E u r o p e a n p h y s i c i s t s , Victor W e i s s k o p f joined in t h e m o v e accross t h e A t lantic: a t t h e e n d of 1937 h e a c c e p t e d a n a p p o i n t m e n t as professor a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y of R o c h e s t e r . H e r e m a i n e d t h e r e u n t i l 1943, w h e n he w e n t once m o r e W e s t , to Los A l a m o s , l~ew Mexico. W o r k i n g t h e r e o n a p p l i c a t i o n s of n u c l e a r e n e r g y , h e was to b e c o m e " t h e oracle" for his colleagues. I n O c t o b e r 1945, Victor W e i s s k o p f w a s offered a n a p p o i n t m e n t to t e a c h p h y s i c s a t t h e M a s s a c h u s e t t s I n s t i t u t e of T e c h n o l o g y in N e w E n g l a n d . V. W e i s s k o p f t a u g h t a t M.I.T. u n t i l 1960 a n d a t t h e s a m e t i m e s u p e r v i s e d r e s e a r c h on n u c l e a r a n d e l e m e n t a r y particles s t r u c t u r e . D u r i n g t h e p a s t 15 y e a r s h e h a s b e e n a f r e q u e n t visitor to E u r o p e . I n 1950 a n d 1951 he w a s g u e s t professor a t S o r b o n n e U n i v e r s i t y a n d a t t h e Z u r i c h P o l y t e c h n i c I n s t i t u t e where, 20 y e a r s before, he h a d d o n e r e s e a r c h w i t h Pauli. Prof. W e i s s k o p f first c a m e to M e y r i n on 9 A u g u s t 1957 as a g u e s t professor. H e s t a y e d for a y e a r w i t h t h e T h e o r e t i c a l S t u d i e s Division a n d t o o k p a r t in r e s e a r c h w o r k o n t h e 600 M e V s y n c h r o - c y c l o t r o n w h i c h C E R N w a s t h e n p u t t i n g i n t o o p e r a t i o n . H e w a s t h e r e f o r e n o s t r a n g e r to C E R N m a t t e r s w h e n his n a m e w a s p r o p o s e d as a m e m b e r of t h e d i r e c t o r a t e in c h a r g e of research. Victor W e i s k o p f w h o a l w a y s e n c o u r a g e d i n t e r n a t i o n a l co-operation, a c c e p t e d his a p p o i n t m e n t . M.I.T. g r a n t e d h i m a leave of a b s e n c e a n d on 12 S e p t e m b e r h e r e t u r n e d to Meyring. Victor W e i s k o p f ' s m a i n i n t e r e s t is t h e o r e t i c a l p h y s i c s a n d h e h a s p u b l i s h e d a n u m b e r of articles o n t h i s s u b j e c t a n d on philosophical m a t t e r s . H o w e v e r , his m a j o r w o r k is a 900 p a g e book, Theoretical Nuclear" Physics, w r i t t e n in co-operation w i t h J o h n NI. B l a t t in 1952 a n d t r a n s l a t e d into Russian. Prof. W e i s s k o p f is a c o r r e s p o n d i n g m e m b e r of t h e F r e n c h A c a d e m y of Science, a m e m b e r of t h e N a t i o n a l A c a d e m y of Science in t h e U.S. a n d u n t i l t h e e n d of 1960, h e w a s P r e s i d e n t of t h e A m e r i c a n Society of P h y s i c s . I n r e c o g n i t i o n of his w o r k h e w a s a w a r d e d t h e P l a n c k m e d a l b y t h e G e r m a n Society of P h y s i c s in 1960. C E R N P u b l i c I n f o r m a t i o n Office

FIRST JOHN

T. TATE MEDAL OF AMERICAN

INSTITUTE

OF PHYSICS

to Dr. Paul Rosbaud Dr. P a u l R o s b a u d , E u r o p e a n scientific editor w h o h a s m a d e d i s t i n g u i s h e d c o n t r i b u t i o n s to p u b l i c a t i o n s in p h y s i c s , is t h e first recipient of t h e J o h n T. T a r e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Medal for D i s t i n g u i s h e d Service to t h e Profession of P h y s i c s . O n 28 S e p t e m b e r 1961, in N e w York, D e a n R a l p h A. S a w y e r of t h e U n i v e r s i t y of Michigan, C h a i r m a n of t h e G o v e r n i n g B o a r d of t h e A m e r i c a n I n s t i t u t e of P h y s i c s , p r e s e n t e d h i m a gold m e d a l a n d a $ 1 0 0 0 a w a r d "for his s t i m u l a t i n g a n d u n c o n q u e r a b l e d e v o t i o n to c o n s c i e n t i o u s p u b l i c a t i o n in t h e p h y s i c a l sciences." T h e T a r e M e d a l h a s b e e n e s t a b l i s h e d in o r d e r to recognize d i s t i n g u i s h e d service to p h y s i c s b y i n d i v i d u a l s w h o are n e i t h e r r e s i d e n t s n o r citizens of t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . T h e late J o h n T o r r e n c c Tare, w h o died on M a y 27, 1950, w a s D e a n of t h e College of Science, L i t e r a t u r e , a n d A r t s a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y of M i n n e s o t a , a n d s e r v e d as R e s e a r c h P r o f e s s o r of P h y s i c s , C h a i r m a n of t h e Govern i n g B o a r d of t h e A m e r i c a n I n s t i t u t e of P h y s i c s (A.I.P), a n d M a n a g i n g E d i t o r of t h e A m e r i c a n P h y s i c a l Society.

684

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Dr. R o s b a u d before a n d d u r i n g t h e l a s t w a r w a s science editor for t h e S p r i n g e r C o m p a n y , a Berlin p u b l i s h i n g house. As a n editor, h e is credited w i t h b e i n g t h e d r i v i n g force b e h i n d t h e creation of n e w j o u r n a l s a n d t h e i m p r o v e m e n t of e x i s t i n g periodicals, as well as b e i n g responsible for t h e p u b l i c a t i o n of m a n y books b y scientists. O n e of his r e c e n t a c h i e v e m e n t s w a s t h e p r e p a r a t i o n of t h e v o l u m e in h o n o u r of W o l f g a n g Pauli, " T h e o r e t i c a l P h y s i c s in t h e T w e n t i e t h C e n t u r y " , p u blished b y I n t e r s c i e n c e Publishers, N e w York. H e s u g g e s t e d t h e p u b l i c a t i o n of t h e collected w o r k s of t h e f a m a u s British p h y s i c i s t , L o r d R u t h e r f o r d . T h e first v o l u m e will be i s s u e d in t h e n e a r f u t u r e . B o r n in Graz, A u s t r i a in 1896, Dr. l~osbaud received his d o c t o r a t e in Berlin a n d did r e s e a r c h in X - r a y c r y s t a l l o g r a p h y a t one of t h e K a i s e r W i l h e l m I n s t i t u t e s . H e joined t h e S p r i n g e r p u blishing h o u s e in t h e 1930's a n d succeeded in s e n d i n g its v a l u a b l e scientific b o o k s to s a f e t y before t h e b o m b i n g s . H i s e x t r a o r d i n a r y c o u r a g e a n d a c q u a i n t a n c e s h i p w i t h friends in h i g h places, w h o were u n c o m m i t t e d to t h e Nazi regime, e n a b l e d h i m to keep in t o u c h w i t h scientists in occupied E u r o p e d u r i n g t h e w a r a n d to b o o s t t h e i r m o r a l e . H e h a d t w o F r e n c h w a r prisoners, w h o were p h y s i c i s t s , s t a y i n g w i t h h i m on parole, a n d e n a b l e d t h e m to w o r k a n d keep in t o u c h w i t h scientific d e v e l o p m e n t s . T h e y a r e n o w p r o m i n e n t a t o m i c scientists. D u r i n g t h e w a r he risked his life a n d f r e e d o m b y c o m m u n i c a t i n g w i t h Allied scientists v i a t h e N o r w e g i a n u n d e r g r o u n d a n d n e u t r a l c h a n n e l s a n d b y b e i n g t h e c o n f i d a n t of G e r m a n p h y s i c i s t s w h o o p p o s e d t h e decline of science u n d e r t h e Nazis. A f t e r t h e w a r he w a s b r o u g h t to E n g l a n d b y t h e Allies a n d he b e c a m e editor for B u t t e r w o r t h Scientific P u b l i c a t i o n s , a n d l a t e r s e r v e d as Scientific D i r e c t o r for P e r g a m o n Press. Since 1956 h e h a s b e e n E u r o p e a n E d i t o r for I n t e r s c i e n c e P u b l i s h e r s a n d a c o n s u l t a n t to o t h e r p u b l i s h i n g c o m p a n i e s . H e s u c c e e d e d in o b t a i n i n g m a n u s c r i p t s for p u b l i c a t i o n f r o m R u s s i a n scientists a t a t i m e w h e n t h i s w a s v e r y difficult, s t i m u l a t e d t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l e x c h a n g e of scientific i n f o r m a t i o n , a n d s u g g e s t e d to t h e L o n d o n " T i m e s " a scientific s u p p l e m e n t for t h e i n t e l l i g e n t l a y m a n , a s u g g e s t i o n l a t e r b r o u g h t to reality.