Richtmyer Memorial Award
Established in 1941
The Richtmyer Memorial Award recognizes outstanding contributions to physics and their communication to physics educators. The Richtmyer Memorial Award recipient is asked to make a major presentation at an AAPT Winter Meeting on a topic of current significance suitable for non-specialists. A $7,500 monetary award, an Award Certificate, and travel expenses to the meeting are presented to the recipient.
Award Winners 2008/
2009 | Vera Rubin, Carnegie Institution of Washington, "Rotating Galaxies and Dark Matter." | | 2007 | Alex Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley "Evidence from Type Ia Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and Dark Energy." | | 2006 | Neil Ashby, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, "Practical Relativity." | | 2005 | Carlos Bustamante, University of California, Berkeley, "Measuring the Torsional Rigidity of DNA: An Old Problem with a New Twist." | | 2004 | Lene V. Hau, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, "Light at Bicycle Speed - and Slower Yet!" | | 2003 | Margaret Murnane, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, "Can We Make Atoms Sing and Molecules Dance? Using Fast Light Pulses to Observe and Control Nature." | | 2002 | Jordan A. Goodman, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, "Neutrinos, Dark Matter, and the Cosmological Constant" | | 2001 | Shirley Ann Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, "Probabilistic Risk Assessment and Its Use in Nuclear Reactor Regulation" | | 2000 | William D. Phillips, National Institute of Standards and Technology,
"Time, Einstein, and the Coldest Stuff in the Universe", Phys. Teach. 38, 203 (2000). | | 1999 | Wayne H. Knox, Bell Laboratories, "Ultrafast Science and Technology: What an Exciting Time!" | | 1998 | Douglas D. Osheroff, Stanford University,
"The Role of Luck in Physical Discovery: A Personal Perspective," Phys. Teach. 36, 133 (1998). | | 1997 | H. Eugene Stanley, Boston University,
"The Puzzling Physics of Liquid Water," Phys. Teach. 35, 263 (1997). | | 1996 | Carl E. Wieman, University of Colorado,
"Bose-Einstein Condensation in a Ultra Cold Gas," Phys. Teach. 34, 998 (1996). | | 1995 | Joseph Henry Taylor, Princeton University,
"Binary Pulsars and Relativistic Gravity," Phys. Teach. 33, 200 (1995). | | 1994 | Sheldon Lee Glasho, Harvard University,
"The Unification of the Large and the Small." | | 1993 | Richard E. Smalley, Rice University,
"Carbon and the Challenge of Nanotechnology," Phys. Teach. 31, 266 (1993). | | 1992 | Kip S. Thorne, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena,
"Black Holes and Gravitational Waves," Phys. Teach. 30, 198 (1992). | | 1991 | Larry W. Esposito, University of Colorado at Boulder,
"History of Planetary Rings," Phys. Teach. 29, 209 (1991). | | 1990 | Steven Chu, Stanford University,
"Laser-Cooled Atoms: How and Why?" Phys. Teach. 28, 141 (1990). | | 1989 | Robert J. Birgeneau, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
"Novel Magnetic Phenomena in High Temperature Superconductors -- How Are They Connected?" Am. J. Phys. 58, 28 (1990). | | 1988 | Peter A. Franken, University of Arizona,
"Newton's First Law, Star Wars, and AIDS." | | 1987 | Clifford M. Will, Washington University, St. Louis,
"Was Einstein Right?" | | 1986 | Leon M. Lederman, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory,
"Unification, Grand Unification, and the Unity of Physics," Am. J. Phys. 54, 594 (1986). | | 1985 | Gerry Neugebauer, Cal-Tech,
"Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)." | | 1984 | David N. Schramm, University of Chicago,
"On the Matter of the Universe." | | 1983 | Edward A. Frieman, Science Applications Inc., La Jolla, California,
"Fusion From Strange Attractors to Energy Policy." | | 1982 | Karen McNally, Seismological Laboratory, Cal-Tech and University of California, Santa Cruz,
"Earthquake Prediction: A Problem of Physical Scaling." | | 1981 | Hans Frauenfelder, University of Illinois,
"Physics of Biomolecules." | | 1980 | Edward C. Stone, California Institute of Technology,
"The Voyager Encounters with Jupiter." | | 1979 | William A. Nierenberg, Scripps Institute of Oceanography,
"Physics and Oceanography." | | 1978 | Sidney Drell, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center,
"When is a Particle?" Am. J. Phys. 46, 597 (1978). | | 1977 | Michael Tinkham, Harvard University,
"Superconductivity: Pure and Applied." | | 1976 | Britton Chance, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,
"Opticl Studies of Intracellular Spaces." | | 1975 | Riccardo Giacconi, Harvard University,
"Progress in X-Ray Astronomy," Am. J. Phys. 44, 121 (1976). | | 1974 | Steven Weinberg, Harvard University,
"Progress Toward a Unified Field Theory of Elementary Particles." | | 1973 | Michael E. Fisher, Cornell University,
"Critical Points and their Exponents." | | 1972 | Robert B. Leighton, California Institute of Technology,
"A Physicist Looks at Mars," Am. J. Phys. 40, 1569 (1972). | | 1971 | Edwin Land, Polaroid Corporation,
"The Retinex Theory of Color Vision." | | 1970 | Arthur L. Schawlow, Stanford University,
"Is Spectroscopy Dead?" | | 1969 | S. Chandrasekhar, University of Chicago,
"Some Historical Notes," Am. J. Phys. 37, 577 (1969). | | 1968 | Robert R. Wilson, National Accelerator Laboratory,
"Particles, Accelerators, and Society," Am. J. Phys. 36, 490 (1968). | | 1967 | R.H. Dicke, Princeton University,
"Gravitation and Cosmic Physics," Am. J. Phys. 35, 559 (1967). | | 1966 | Murray Gell-Mann, California Institute of Technology,
"The Spectrum of Baryon and Meson States." | | 1965 | William M. Fairbank, Stanford University,
"Near Zero A Frontier of Physics." | | 1964 | Fred Hoyle, Cambridge University,
"Massive Objects in Astrophysics and General Relativity." | | 1963 | W.K.H. Panofsky, Stanford University,
"Photon and Electron High-Energy Physics: Present and Future," Am. J. Phys. 32, 409 (1963). | | 1962 | T. Gold, Cornell University,
"The Arrow of Time," Am. J. Phys. 30, 403 (1962). | | 1961 | William A. Fowler, California Institute of Technology,
"Deuteronomy: The Synthesis of Deuterons and Other Light Nuclei during the Early History of the Solar System," Am. J. Phys. 29, 393 (1961). | | 1960 | James A. Van Allen, State University of Iowa,
"Physics in Space." | | 1959 | Charles H. Townes, Columbia University,
"Masers and Their Applications." | | 1958 | Philip Morrison, Cornell University,
"The Approximate Nature of Physical Symmetries." | | 1957 | Emilio Segre, University of California,
"Antinucleons," Am. J. Phys. 25, 363 (1957). | | 1956 | Walter H. Brattain, Bell Telephone Laboratories,
"Development of Concepts in Semi-Conductor Research," Am. J. Phys. 24, 421 (1956). | | 1955 | Eugene P. Wigner, Princeton University,
"On the Development of the Compound Nucleus Model," Am. J. Phys. 23, 371 (1955). | | 1954 | John A. Wheeler, Princeton University,
"Fields and Particles." | | 1953 | Edward M. Purcell, Harvard University,
"Nuclear Magnetism." | | 1952 | Enrico Fermi, University of Chicago,
"Large Cyclotron Research at the University of Chicago." | | 1951 | John C. Slater, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
"The Electron Theory of Solids," Am. J. Phys. 19, 368 (1951). | | 1950 | John H. Van Vleck, Harvard University,
"Landmarks in the Theory of Magnetism," Am. J. Phys. 18, 495 (1950). | | 1949 | Lee A. DuBridge, California Institute of Technology,
"The Effects of World War II on the Science of Physics," Am. J. Phys. 17, 273 (1949). | | 1948 | Homer L. Dodge, Norwich University,
"New Frontiers," Am. J. Phys. 16, 209 (1948). | | 1947 | J.R. Oppenheimer, University of California,
"The Present Status of Atomic Physics." | | 1946 | Paul E. Klopsteg, Northwestern University,
"Technological Research in the University," Am. J. Phys. 14, 165 (1946). | | 1945 | I.I. Rabi, Columbia University,
"Radio-Frequency Spectroscopy." | | 1944 | Karl K. Darrow, Columbia University,
"The Future of Physics, Past and Present," Am. J. Phys. 12, 55 (1944). | | 1942 | Gordon Ferris Hull, Dartmouth College,
"The New Spirit in American Physics," Am. J. Phys. 11, 23 (1943). | | 1941 | Arthur H. Compton, University of Chicago,
"War Problems of the Physics Teacher," Am. J. Phys. 10, 92 (1942). | |
