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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

2008Vera Rubin, Carnegie Institution of Washington, "Rotating Galaxies and Dark Matter."
2007Alex Filippenko, University of California, Berkeley "Evidence from Type Ia Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and Dark Energy."
2006Neil Ashby, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, "Practical Relativity."
2005Carlos Bustamante, University of California, Berkeley, "Measuring the Torsional Rigidity of DNA: An Old Problem with a New Twist."
2004Lene V. Hau, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, "Light at Bicycle Speed - and Slower Yet!"
2003Margaret Murnane, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, "Can We Make Atoms Sing and Molecules Dance? Using Fast Light Pulses to Observe and Control Nature."
2002Jordan A. Goodman, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, "Neutrinos, Dark Matter, and the Cosmological Constant"
2001Shirley Ann Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, "Probabilistic Risk Assessment and Its Use in Nuclear Reactor Regulation"
2000William D. Phillips, National Institute of Standards and Technology,
"Time, Einstein, and the Coldest Stuff in the Universe", Phys. Teach. 38, 203 (2000).
1999Wayne H. Knox, Bell Laboratories, "Ultrafast Science and Technology: What an Exciting Time!"
1998Douglas D. Osheroff, Stanford University,
"The Role of Luck in Physical Discovery: A Personal Perspective," Phys. Teach. 36, 133 (1998).
1997H. Eugene Stanley, Boston University,
"The Puzzling Physics of Liquid Water," Phys. Teach. 35, 263 (1997).
1996Carl E. Wieman, University of Colorado,
"Bose-Einstein Condensation in a Ultra Cold Gas," Phys. Teach. 34, 998 (1996).
1995Joseph 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."
1993Richard 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).
1991Larry 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).
1989Robert J. Birgeneau, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
"Novel Magnetic Phenomena in High Temperature Superconductors -- How Are They Connected?" Am. J. Phys. 58, 28 (1990).
1988Peter 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).
1985Gerry Neugebauer, Cal-Tech,
"Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS)."
1984David 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."
1982Karen McNally, Seismological Laboratory, Cal-Tech and University of California, Santa Cruz,
"Earthquake Prediction: A Problem of Physical Scaling."
1981Hans Frauenfelder, University of Illinois,
"Physics of Biomolecules."
1980Edward C. Stone, California Institute of Technology,
"The Voyager Encounters with Jupiter."
1979William A. Nierenberg, Scripps Institute of Oceanography,
"Physics and Oceanography."
1978Sidney Drell, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center,
"When is a Particle?" Am. J. Phys. 46, 597 (1978).
1977Michael Tinkham, Harvard University,
"Superconductivity: Pure and Applied."
1976Britton Chance, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine,
"Opticl Studies of Intracellular Spaces."
1975Riccardo Giacconi, Harvard University,
"Progress in X-Ray Astronomy," Am. J. Phys. 44, 121 (1976).
1974Steven Weinberg, Harvard University,
"Progress Toward a Unified Field Theory of Elementary Particles."
1973Michael E. Fisher, Cornell University,
"Critical Points and their Exponents."
1972Robert B. Leighton, California Institute of Technology,
"A Physicist Looks at Mars," Am. J. Phys. 40, 1569 (1972).
1971Edwin Land, Polaroid Corporation,
"The Retinex Theory of Color Vision."
1970Arthur L. Schawlow, Stanford University,
"Is Spectroscopy Dead?"
1969S. 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).
1967R.H. Dicke, Princeton University,
"Gravitation and Cosmic Physics," Am. J. Phys. 35, 559 (1967).
1966Murray Gell-Mann, California Institute of Technology,
"The Spectrum of Baryon and Meson States."
1965William M. Fairbank, Stanford University,
"Near Zero A Frontier of Physics."
1964Fred Hoyle, Cambridge University,
"Massive Objects in Astrophysics and General Relativity."
1963W.K.H. Panofsky, Stanford University,
"Photon and Electron High-Energy Physics: Present and Future," Am. J. Phys. 32, 409 (1963).
1962T. 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."
1959Charles H. Townes, Columbia University,
"Masers and Their Applications."
1958Philip Morrison, Cornell University,
"The Approximate Nature of Physical Symmetries."
1957Emilio Segre, University of California,
"Antinucleons," Am. J. Phys. 25, 363 (1957).
1956Walter H. Brattain, Bell Telephone Laboratories,
"Development of Concepts in Semi-Conductor Research," Am. J. Phys. 24, 421 (1956).
1955Eugene 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."
1953Edward M. Purcell, Harvard University,
"Nuclear Magnetism."
1952Enrico Fermi, University of Chicago,
"Large Cyclotron Research at the University of Chicago."
1951John 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).
1949Lee 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).
1947J.R. Oppenheimer, University of California,
"The Present Status of Atomic Physics."
1946Paul E. Klopsteg, Northwestern University,
"Technological Research in the University," Am. J. Phys. 14, 165 (1946).
1945 I.I. Rabi, Columbia University,
"Radio-Frequency Spectroscopy."
1944Karl 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).
1941Arthur H. Compton, University of Chicago,
"War Problems of the Physics Teacher," Am. J. Phys. 10, 92 (1942).


Grants, Competitions and Awards