Biographical Memoirs Volume 59 (1990) / Chapter Skim
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Raymond Thayer Birge
Raymond Thayer Birge
Pages 72-85
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From page 73... ...
Prominent in the fielct of physics from 1920 to 1955, he retirect as chairman of the Department of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, after a tenure of twenty-three years. His determination of the precise values of physical constants anct his work in spectroscopy establishect his excellence as a physicist, while his key role in builcting a worict class Department of Physics at Berkeley established him as an equally outstanct· · 1ng ac mlnlstrator.
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From page 74... ...
degree in 1910, ant} the Astrophysical fournal published his thesis, "Formulae for the Spectral Series for the Alkali Metals and Helium." His Ph.D. thesis (1913,1)
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From page 75... ...
Nevertheless, Ray stayed there for five years, winning promotion after two to assistant professor. While at Syracuse he published several papers: on temperature effects in the use of concave gratings; on "Mathematical Structure of Band Series," an extension of his thesis work; anti, in the journal of the New York State Teachers Association, on "Some Popular Misconceptions in Physics." With S
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From page 76... ...
During his early years in Berkeley, Birge published a steady stream of papers, many on band spectra, some on the accurate values of the physical constants. From 1920 to 1925, for example, he produced eleven publications and thirteen
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From page 77... ...
In 1928 he submitted "Molecular Constants Derived from Band Spectra of Diatomic Molecules" to the International Critical Tables (1929,1) , and it was natural that he should also submit a review paper, "Probable Values of the General Physical Constants" (1929,3)
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King, of At. Wilson Observatory, was in Berkeley in July, 1929, at a meeting of the American Physical Society.
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When Hall died, Birge was named acting chairman, then chairman, a post he occupiec} until his retirement in 1955. During his tenure both faculty and graduate students quadruplet!
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A new building was necessary, and with help from Harvey White, new LeConte Hall joined to old LeConte was opened in late 1950. HONORS AND DISTINCTIONS The Department continued to grow after Birge's retirement in 1955, and the American Physical Society, meeting in Berkeley on December 2l, 1964, set aside the afternoon to
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From page 81... ...
Campus wags used to accuse Birge of arranging the calendar so that physicists could attend the meetings of the American Physical Society and of the National Academy during the spring vacation. He himself liked to tell of one ideal calendar suggestion he had received, whose only fault was a schedule of fifty-three weeks in the year.
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From page 82... ...
He kept an office in LeConte Hall for a number of years and finished a history of the Physics Department from 186S, the year the University opened, to 1955. This admittedly not very readable work is yet packed with information, and is, for many matters, the only reference source available.
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From page 83... ...
Rev.,28:259-83. 1929 Molecular constants derived from band spectra of diatomic molecules.
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From page 84... ...
1956 Physics and physicists of the past fifty years. Address of Retiring President of American Physical Society, delivered in New York City, February 2, 1956.
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