David Locke Webster (November 6, 1888 – December 17, 1976) was an American

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

and

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

professor, whose early research on

X-rays An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

and Parson's magneton influenced

Arthur Compton Arthur Holly Compton (September 10, 1892 – March 15, 1962) was an American particle physicist who won the 1927 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of the Compton effect, which demonstrated the particle nature of electromagnetic radiati ...

Biography

David Locke Webster was born November 6, 1888, in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, to Andrew Gerrish Webster and Elizabeth Florence Briggs. He attended

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, earning an A.B. in 1910 and a Ph.D. in

in 1913. His teaching career began at

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

as a mathematics instructor, 1910–1911; physics assistant, 1911–15; and physics instructor, 1915–1917, during which time he published several papers on

X-ray An X-ray (also known in many languages as Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than those of ultraviolet rays and longer than those of gamma rays. Roughly, X-rays have a wavelength ran ...

theory. This work continued while served as a

instructor at the nearby

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

from 1919 to 1920. He acted a professor of

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

from 1920 until his retirement in 1954, when he was awarded professor emeritus status. Webster was a member of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

, the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

, the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

, the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of ...

and the

American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, Atmospheric science, atmospheric, Oceanography, ocean, Hydrology, hydrologic, Astronomy, space, and Planetary science, planetary scientists and enthusiasts that ...

. A member of the

American Association of Physics Teachers The American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) was founded in 1930 for the purpose of "dissemination of knowledge of physics, particularly by way of teaching." There are more than 10,000 members in over 30 countries. AAPT publications includ ...

from its inception in 1930, Webster served as its Vice-President in 1933 and 1934 and as President in 1935 and 1936. During World War II, Webster served as head physicist in the

United States Army Signal Corps The United States Army Signal Corps (USASC) is a branch of the United States Army responsible for creating and managing Military communications, communications and information systems for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was ...

(1942), chief physicist in the Ordnance Department (1942–45), and consultant to these units after 1945. Webster died December 17, 1976.John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes, ed., "David Locke Webster (6 Nov. 1888-17 Dec. 1976)", ''American National Biography'', V22, pp. 868-69 (New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1999).

Bibliography

Books

* David L. Webster, ''General Physics for Colleges'' (Century, 1923).

Scientific papers

* * * * * * * * * * * David L. Webster, "The Scattering of Alpha Rays as Evidence on the Parson Magnetron Hypothesis",
Physical Review
' (Feb 1918). * * David L. Webster, "The Physics of Flight", (May 1920). * * David L. Webster, "The Present Conception of Atomic Structure", (Jul 1921). * David L. Webster, "A General Survey of the Present Status of the Atomic Structure Problem", (Jul 1921). * David L. Webster, "Note on the Masses of Stars", (Jan 1922). * * * * * * * * * * * * * David L. Webster, "Forces on Ferromagnets through which Electrons are Moving", (Dec 1946). * *

References

External links

Archival collections

American Association of Physics Teachers records of David Locke Webster, 1930-1958, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
{{DEFAULTSORT:Webster, David Locke 20th-century American physicists American particle physicists Harvard College alumni Harvard University faculty Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science faculty Stanford University Department of Physics faculty Scientists from Boston 1888 births 1976 deaths American theoretical physicists Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni Presidents of the American Association of Physics Teachers