Lewis M. Branscomb
Lewis McAdory Branscomb | |
|---|---|
Branscomb in 2007 | |
| 6th Director of the National Bureau of Standards | |
| In office 1969–1972 | |
| President | Richard Nixon |
| Preceded by | Allen V. Astin |
| Succeeded by | Richard W. Roberts |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 17, 1926 Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | May 31, 2023 (aged 96) Redwood City, California, U.S. |
| Parent | Harvie Branscomb |
| Relatives | Lewis C. Branscomb (paternal grandfather) |
| Alma mater | Duke University Harvard University |
| Website | www |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | Anomalous rotation of molecules with applications to the temperature of the upper atmosphere, and a note on maximizing the ratio of "signal to noise" in spectrophotometry of weak light sources (1950) |
| Doctoral advisor | Donald Howard Menzel |
Lewis McAdory Branscomb (August 17, 1926 – May 31, 2023) was an American physicist, government policy advisor, and corporate research manager. He was best known for being head of the National Bureau of Standards and, later, chief scientist of IBM; and as a prolific writer on science policy issues.