Edward Leamington Nichols (September 14, 1854 – November 10, 1937) was an American scientist. He was a

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 caus ...

and astronomer, professor of physics at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

Biography

He was born of American parentage at Leamington, England, and received his education at

, graduating in 1875. After Studying at

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, and

Göttingen Göttingen (, , ; nds, Chöttingen) is a college town, university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the Capital (political), capital of Göttingen (district), the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. At the end of 2019, t ...

(

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

, 1879) he was appointed fellow in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its 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 which r ...

Johns Hopkins Johns Hopkins (May 19, 1795 – December 24, 1873) was an American merchant, investor, and philanthropist. Born on a plantation, he left his home to start a career at the age of 17, and settled in Baltimore, Maryland where he remained for most ...

. He then spent some time in the Thomas Edison laboratory at Menlo Park, N. J., and subsequently became

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

of physics and

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

in the Central University of Kentucky (1881), professor of physics and

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

(1883), and professor of physics at

(1887). In 1904, he was elected as a member to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

. He was elected a member of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, 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 Nati ...

, was

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

(1907) and of 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 k ...

(1907–08), and served as a member of the visiting committee of the United States Bureau of Standards. The degrees of LL.D. and Sc.D. were conferred on Professor Nichols by the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...

and

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

respectively. He was the author of several college textbooks on physics. In 1927 he was awarded the

Franklin Institute The Franklin Institute is a science museum and the center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memori ...

Elliott Cresson Medal The Elliott Cresson Medal, also known as the Elliott Cresson Gold Medal, was the highest award given by the Franklin Institute. The award was established by Elliott Cresson, life member of the Franklin Institute, with $1,000 granted in 1848. The ...

. In 1929 he was awarded the
Frederic Ives Medal
by the OSA. He was adviser of numerous outstanding scientists in Cornell University including Ernest Nichols, Arthur Foley, Rolla Roy Ramsey, and Floyd R. Watson. His Ph.D adviser was

Johann Benedict Listing Johann Benedict Listing (25 July 1808 – 24 December 1882) was a German mathematician. J. B. Listing was born in Frankfurt and died in Göttingen. He first introduced the term "topology" to replace the older term "geometria situs" (also called ...

in Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

Writings

A laboratory manual of physics and applied electricity v. 1
(New York : Macmillan, 1894)
A laboratory manual of physics and applied electricity v. 2
(New York : Macmillan, 1894)
The galvanometer : a series of lectures
( New York : McIlroy & Emmet, 1894)
The elements of physics. A college text-book v. 1. Mechanics and heat
(New York : Macmillan, 1896)
The elements of physics. A college text-book v. 2. Electricity and magnetism
(New York : Macmillan, 1896)
The elements of physics. A college text-book v. 3. Light and sound
(New York : Macmillan, 1896)
The outlines of physics: an elementary text-book
(New York : Macmillan, 1897)
Questions and exercises to be used in connection with Outlines of physics, an elementary text-book
(New York : Macmillan, 1897)
Studies in luminescence
( Washington DC, Carnegie Institution, 1912)
Fluorescence of the uranyl salts
( Washington DC, Carnegie Institution, 1919) *

References

External links

* ;E. L. Nichols and the ''Physical Review''
Founding of the Physical Review Cornell University, Ithaca New York
;Obituaries * Ernest Merritt
Edward Leamington Nichols

Physical Review ''Physical Review'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal established in 1893 by Edward Nichols. It publishes original research as well as scientific and literature reviews on all aspects of physics. It is published by the American Physical S ...

, 53, 1 (1938). *
Edward L. Nichols: 1854-1937
', Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 42, 51 (1939) * Ernest Merritt
Biographical memoir of Edward Leamington Nichols
Biographical memoirs of the National Academy of the Sciences, 21 (1940) {{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Edward Leamington Cornell University alumni Cornell University faculty 1854 births 1937 deaths Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences American physicists Members of the American Philosophical Society Presidents of the American Physical Society