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THE INSTITUTE GAZETTE New Physics Head ONE of Dr. Compton's first acts after his inauguration as President was his announcement that Processor John C. Slater of Harvard University is to be the new Head of the Department of Physics at the Institute, succeeding Processor Charles L. Norton, '93, who will in the future devote himself to the administration of the Division of Industrial Coöperation and Research. Professor Norton has long been the moving spirit of the Division and its great usefulness is largely attributable to his policies and ideals. Professor Slater, although a young man (he was born in 1900), has a distinguished record in both this country and abroad. Primarily a theoretical physicist, he has also carried out experimental researches and has been particularly interested in the coördination of experimental and theoretical work. He received his A.B. from the University of Rochester, and his Ph.D. in physics from Harvard in 1923. His research for a doctorate on the compressibility of the alkali halides was carried on under Professor P. W. Bridgman. During the following year he studied in Europe on a traveling fellowship from Harvard, spending part of the time in Cambridge, England, and leader working with Professor Neils Bohr at Copenhagen. He returned in 1924 to become an instructor at Harvard and there he remained teaching, doing research work in the quantum theory, and becoming successively an assistant professor and associate professor. In the summer of 1926 he taught at Stanford University and in the summer of 1928 at the University of Chicago. Last year as a Guggenheim fellow he worked in Europe for a time at Zurich and later at Leipzig with Professors Heisenberg and Hund. In announcing the appointment president Compton said: “This move is being made with the complete approval of the Harvard physicists as opening the way to increased coöperation between the physics departments of the two institutions in building up a great center of physics in Cambridge. . . . "When the new laboratory for research in physics and chemistry is built, which will probably be within a year and a half, there will be opportunity at the Institute for a great development in physics and chemistry, which are fundamental to practically all branches of engineering. The Institute is very fortunate to have Professor Slater’s leadership in the physics portion of this program.” [[image: Portrait of John C. Slater]] Bachrack Dr. John C. Slater, of Harvard, New Head of the Department of Physics New Department Among the most enduring accomplishments of the alumni Council may be included its recommendation presented to the corporation in 1913 that “a new course be established aim shall be to furnish a broad foundation for ultimate administrative physicians in commerce and industry by combining with a general engineering training instruction in business methods, Business economics, and business law.” In accordance with this report, the Faculty of the Institute at the request of the Corporation establish the Course in Engineering Administration which graduated at first class in 1917. In only a few years Course XV grew to be one of the largest courses at the Institute and this past academic year it had an enrollment of 298 students. The members of the Council who were sufficiently foresighted to conceive of such a Course and bring about its creation have seen their efforts bring forth fruit richly and only recently they received additional testimony of the value of their work when Dr. Stratton announced that the present course is to be established as a Department of Business and Engineering Administration. 451
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