Victor E. Weisskopf wins 1992 Compton Medal
Victor E. Weisskopf
About the Winner
In 1943, Victor E. Weisskopf joined the Manhattan Project, working at Los Alamos, New Mexico as a group leader and associate head of the theory division. Concerned about international control of nuclear weapons, in 1944 he participated in the founding of the Federation of Atomic Scientists, and in 1949 became a member of the Emergency Committee of Scientists.
Weisskopf is noted for his ground-breaking theoretical work in quantum electrodynamics and radiation theory, the structure of the atomic nucleus, and elementary particle physics. He has co-authored one of the most widely used textbooks on theoretical nuclear physics and two volumes on particle physics, and has written several books for the general public.
Weisskopf’s numerous prizes and awards include the Wolf Prize in Physics, the National Medal of Science, the J. Robert Oppenheimer Medal, and the Enrico Fermi Award of the US Department of Energy. He was president of the American Physical Society (APS ) in 1960-1961, and of the American Academy of Arts and Science from 1976 to 1979.As a teacher and author, Victor Weisskopf encourages and strengthens the finest traditions and deepest values of science.