John Simpson
- Born: November 3, 1916 (Portland, Oregon)
- Died: August 31, 2000 (Chicago, Illinois)
Education
- 1940: AB, Reed College
- 1942: SM, New York University
- 1943: PhD, New York University (Physics)
Major Positions
- 1943–1946: Manhattan Project, Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, Group Leader
- 1945–1947: University of Chicago, Instructor in Physics
- 1947–1949: University of Chicago, Assistant Professor of Physics
- 1949–1954: University of Chicago, Associate Professor of Physics
- 1954–1968: University of Chicago, Associate Professor of Physics
- 1968–1974: University of Chicago, Edward L. Ryerson Distinguished Service Professor
- 1973–1987: University of Chicago, Arthur H. Compton Distinguished Service Professor of Physics
- 1987–2000: University of Chicago, Emeritus Arthur H. Compton Distinguished Service of Physics
Other Positions
- 1945–1946: Atomic Scientists of Chicago, Chair, Executive Committee
- 1973–1987: University of Chicago, Director, Enrico Fermi Institute
Selected Part-Time Positions
- 1946–1954: Science Consultant, Argonne National Laboratory
- 1951–1952: Chair, Committee on Biophysics, University of Chicago
- 1954–1960: Member, Special Committee, International Geophysical Year
- 1955–1958: Member, United States National Committee, International Geophysical Year
- 1955–1958: Member, Technical Panel on Cosmic Rays, International Geophysical Year
- 1958–1966: Member, Space Science Board, National Academy of Science
- 1964–1967: President, International Commission on Cosmic Radiation
- 1970–1971: Chair, Division of Cosmic Physics, American Physical Society
Selected Awards and Honors
Archival Resources
University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center, Chicago, Illinois
Online Finding Aid
Addenda: University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center, Chicago, Illinois
Online Finding Aid
Oral History Interviews
- 1993: National Institute for Standards and Technology Research Library and Archives
Published Resources
Eugene N. Parker, "John Alexander Simpson: 1916-2000", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences
John A. Simpson, "Cosmic Ray Astrophysics at Chicago (1947-1960)," in Early History of Cosmic Ray Studies, ed. Yentaro Sekido and Harry Elliot (Boston: D. Reidel: 1985), 385-409
Allan A. Needell, "Preparing for the Space Age: University-Based Research, 1946-1957," Historical Studies in the Physical and Biological Sciences 18 (1987): 89-109
James A. Van Allen, "Origins of Magnetospheric Physics," in History of Rocketry and Astronautics, ed. Cargill R. Hall (San Diego: American Astronautical Society: 1994)
