John A. Wheeler, eminent particle physicist, member of the Manhattan Project team and the man who coined the term "black holes", died of pneumonia Sunday at his home in Hightstown, N.J.
Photo: Early pic of Wheeler. Credit: Clark Bennett
One of the great figures of twentieth century science, Wheeler worked with such highly respected physicists as Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr. In 1939 he collaborated with Bohr on the liquid drop model of nuclear fission.
In 1937 Wheeler introduced the S-matrix, an indispensable tool used in particle physics, before interrupting his academic career to contribute to the Manhattan Project, the US wartime development of the U.S. atomic bomb. He continued to work on the development of the American hydrogen bomb under Project Matterhorn B.
"For me, he was the last Titan, the only physics superhero still standing," Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientist Max Tegmark told The New York Times.
Both President Bush and first lady Laura Bush mourned the loss of "one of America's greatest physicists," and added "As a professor at Princeton University and the University of Texas-Austin, Dr. Wheeler inspired generations of students ... to transform their curiosity into scientific discoveries," they said.
Some of Wheeler's students have gone on to become luminaries in the field of physics and include Richard Feynman, Kip Thorne, and Hugh Everett.
Wheeler spent a considerable part of his career as a professor at Princeton University (1938-1976) before joining the University of Texas. He is survived by two daughters, Alison Wheeler Lahnston and Letitia Wheeler Ufford, and a son, James English Wheeler along with several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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