John Hasbrouck Van Vleck, 13 March 1899 - 27 October 1980

Abstract

. Van Vleck’s long career at Harvard University, where he became professor in 1934, and in 1951 succeeded Bridgm an as Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, lasted to his retirement in 1969. He was Chairman of the Department of Physics from 1945 to 1949, and Dean of Engineering and Applied Physics from 1951 to 1957. During World War II he was head (1943-45) of the theory group at the Radio Research Laboratory at Harvard University, which was concerned w ith radio counter-measures. Throughout these periods, and afterwards in retirement, the steady flow of important scientific papers never ceased. His career was crowned in 1977 by the award of the Nobel Prize for Physics, jointly with his former student P. W. Anderson and Sir Nevill Mott.