Ernest Lawrence
American nuclear scientist, mechanical engineer, and mathematician who co-developed the Wigner-Wilkins approach for nuclear reactor design.
Ernest Orlando Lawrence (1901–1958) was an American physicist awarded the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing the cyclotron. He also contributed to the Manhattan Project by developing electromagnetic uranium-isotope separation and founded two major national laboratories. Born in Canton, South Dakota to Norwegian-immigrant parents, Lawrence earned his bachelor’s in chemistry from the University of South Dakota and a master’s in physics from the University of Minnesota. He completed his PhD at Yale in 1925, studying the photoelectric effect in potassium vapor. After a brief faculty stint at Yale, he joined the University of California, Berkeley in 1928 as an associate professor, becoming the youngest full professor there two years later. Inspired by a diagram of a particle accelerator, he conceived a compact circular accelerating chamber between electromagnet poles, leading to the first cyclotron. He subsequently built increasingly larger cyclotrons, and his Radiation Laboratory became an official UC department in 1936, with Lawrence as director. He supported medical uses of radioisotopes produced by his machines. During World War II, he oversaw electromagnetic isotope separation at the lab using calutrons—hybrids of mass spectrometers and cyclotrons. A massive separation plant, Y-12, was built at Oak Ridge, Tennessee; though inefficient, it succeeded. After the war, Lawrence became a leading advocate of "Big Science," pushing for large government-funded projects. He supported Edward Teller’s campaign for a second nuclear weapons lab, located in Livermore, California. Following his death, the University of California renamed both the Livermore and Berkeley labs after him. Element 103, lawrencium, discovered at Berkeley in 1961, was also named in his honor.
- born
- November 27, 1923
- died
- May 1, 2011
- field
- Nuclear science, mechanical engineering, mathematics
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Wigner-Wilkins approach for estimating neutron energy distribution in nuclear re
Lore & Background
Wilkins completed his AB in mathematics at the University of Chicago in 1940, then an MS in 1941 and a PhD in 1942, with a thesis titled 'Multiple Integral Problems in Parametric Form in the Calculus of Variations' advised by Magnus Hestenes. Initially unable to secure a research position, he taught mathematics from 1943 to 1944 at the Tuskegee Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. In 1944 he returned to the University of Chicago to work in its Metallurgical Laboratory as part of the Manhattan Project, under Arthur Holly Compton and Enrico Fermi, researching the extraction of fissionable nuclear materials. He was not told of the research group's ultimate goal until after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. When his team was about to be transferred to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Jim Crow laws would have prevented him from working there. Edward Teller wrote a letter on September 18, 1944, to Harold Urey, stating: 'Knowing that men of high qualifications are scarce these days, I thought that it might be useful that I suggest a capable person for this job. Mr. Wilkins in Wigner's group at the Metallurgical Laboratory has been doing, according to Wigner, excellent work. He is a colored man and since Wigner's group is moving to "X" it is not possible for him to continue work with that group.'
Reader's Guide
Wilkins earned five science degrees during his life, including bachelor's (1957) and master's degrees (1960) in mechanical engineering from New York University, which qualified him to design and build nuclear facilities. In 1970 he served Howard University as its distinguished professor of applied mathematical physics and helped found the university's PhD program in mathematics. From 1974 to 1975 he served as president of the American Nuclear Society, and in 1976 became the second African American elected to the National Academy of Engineering. From 1990 he worked at Clark Atlanta University as a distinguished professor of applied mathematics and mathematical physics, retiring in 2003. Throughout his career he published more than 100 papers on subjects including differential geometry, linear differential equations, integrals, nuclear engineering, gamma radiation shielding and optics. He was the co-discoverer or discoverer of the Wilkins effect and the Wigner–Wilkins spectra. Wilkins died on May 1, 2011, in Fountain Hills, Arizona, and was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery, Cave Creek, Arizona, on May 5.
Did You Know?
- Wilkins attended the University of Chicago at age 13, becoming its youngest ever student.
- He was hailed as 'the Negro Genius' in the national media after graduating at a young age.
- Edward Teller wrote a letter on September 18, 1944, to secure a new position for Wilkins after Jim Crow laws prevented him from working at Oak Ridge.
- Wilkins earned five science degrees, including bachelor's and master's in mechanical engineering from New York University.
- He became the second African American elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1976.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ernest Lawrence?
Ernest Orlando Lawrence (1901–1958) was an American physicist who created the cyclotron and is often credited with launching the era of large-scale, federally funded research known as Big Science. His career spanned fundamental particle physics, national defense, and the founding of major research institutions.
What did Ernest Lawrence invent?
He designed and built the cyclotron, a circular particle accelerator that uses a steady magnetic field paired with an oscillating electric field to spiral ions to high energies. The device unlocked new capabilities in nuclear physics, chemistry, and later medical isotope production.
What role did Ernest Lawrence play in the Manhattan Project?
Lawrence directed the electromagnetic uranium-isotope separation effort at Berkeley, which became one of three enrichment methods used to produce weapons-grade uranium. His team's work at the Radiation Laboratory was a critical piece of the overall wartime program.
When did Ernest Lawrence receive the Nobel Prize?
He was awarded the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention and development of the cyclotron. The citation recognized both the device itself and the new experimental possibilities it opened for studying atomic nuclei.
What laboratories did Ernest Lawrence found?
He established the Radiation Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, which evolved into Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and was a driving force behind the creation of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Both facilities continue to operate as leading centers for physics and energy research.
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