Person Michelson; Albert Abraham (1852 - 1931); physicist Michelson Albert Abraham physicist 1852 - 1931 American Male Stzrelno, Poland, Europe 19 December 1852 18521219 Pasadena, California, USA 09/05/1931 19310509

University of Chicago (by 1902)

physicist Spectroscopy Physics Optics Metrology Education: United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland (1869-1873) Career: Science Instructor at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland (1875-1879); began work on accurately measuring the speed of light (1878); travelled to Europe (1880); resigned from the U.S. Navy (1891); professor of physics at the Case School of Applied Science, Cleveland (1883); professor of physics at Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts (1889-1892); first head of department of physics at University of Chicago (1892-1929); retired (1929). Medals and prizes: Matteucci Medal 1903 Nobel Prize (Physics) 1907 Elliott Cresson Medal 1912 Henry Draper Medal 1916 Albert Medal 1920 Gold Medal of RAS 1923 Franklin Medal 1923 Duddell Medal and Prize 1929 Parents: Samuel Michelson and Rozalia Przyłubska. Spouse: 1) Margaret Hemingway (1877-1898) 2) Edna Stanton (1899) Children: Two sons and a daughter from his first marriage, and three daughters from his second marriage. Established the speed of light as a fundamental constant. The first American to win the Nobel Prize in science. Remembered for his work on hyperfine structure; fine structure; the Mchelson-Morley experiment; Michelson-Gale-Pearson experiment; the Michelson interferometer; and the Michelson stellar interferometer. Medals and prizes: Copley Medal 1907 Foreign Member 27/11/1902 50 Joseph Larmor James Emerson Reynolds Alfred Bray Kempe William Thomas Blanford Charles Vernon Boys Robert Henry Scott Sources: Bulloch's Roll; DSB References: G V R Born, FRS, 'The wide-ranging family history of Max Born' in NR 2002 vol 56 pp 219-262 Obituaries: Obituary Notices of Fellows of the Royal Society 1932-1935 vol l pp 18-25, plate, by Hugh Frank Newall International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbm.1932.0006 19 Dec 1852 - 9 May 1931 The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 09/10/2024 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA721 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 08/09/2025 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes f5a063e7-3d42-4256-8380-ea38bc5a6d3d