Re: Which Strong is late"?

[Hugh Logan <hloganPHY@CFL.RR.COM>]

I have not followed this entire thread, but it caught my attention when
I saw the name "Strong." He is certainly a forgotten physicist. I
remember him from The Johns Hopkins University from the 1950's. Everyone
regarded him as a great experimental physicist and as an expert in
optics. Likewise, all those
in IR spectroscopy at FSU, where I attended graduate school, felt the
same about him. I was shocked to find him listed as an emeritus
professor on the web site at The Johns Hopkins University, a list
reserved for living emeritus professors, only about a year ago. I
recalled seeing his obituary in an optics journal at least 10 years
earlier, indicating that he died in Amherst, MA. I remember speaking
with Dr. Strong on a visit to Johns Hopkins in 1966. A web search about
a year ago turned up almost nothing. Someone in Australia wanted to know
who he was, having seen one of his excellent books or papers. One short
web article mentioned that he had coated the mirror of the large
reflecting telescope at Mount Palomar. I recall seeing the PSSC film on
the photoelectric effect made by Dr. Strong. I met my high school
physics teacher, a Johns Hopkins physics graduate, on the Hopkins campus
during a summer in the early 1960's, where he was working for Dr.
Strong. I somewhat reluctantly notified Hopkins that I had seen Dr.
Strong's obituary, fearful that I would erase all traces of his existence.

Fortunately, there is a biographical sketch of Dr. John Strong from
October 2003 on the web at
<http://www.osa-opn.org/view_file.cfm?doc=%24(L%2B-J0%20%20%0A&id=%24)%2CK%2BKP%20%20%0A>.
He was at Cal Tech from 1930 to 1942, followed by three years at
Harvard. He was at Johns Hopkins from 1945 to 1967, although "on loan"
to the Mount Palomar Observatory from 1945 to 1947. The last years of
his career were at the University of Massachusetts -- from 1967 to 1975.
He was President of OSA in 1959. I believe he died in 1992.

There is information about C. L. Stong and his "The Amateur Scientist "
column at <http://www.belljar.net/amsci.htm>. Dr. John D. Strong is also
mentioned in this page in connection with telescope making.

I regret to say that both Dr. John D. Strong and C.L.Stong are no longer
living.

Hugh Logan


Brian Whatcott wrote:

> BC, you left me confused...
> are you referring to John Strong, or C.L Stong?
>
> You wrote earlier:
> "I found it: Yes (sand) August 68 [C. L. Strong]
> Koths used the "Edgerton" method."
>
> Brian
>
> At 11:38 PM 8/14/2004, bc, you wrote:
>
> > Not certain, but don't think so. John was at Cal Tech (Author of
> > Procedures in Exptl. Phys. and Classical Optics, both fine books that I
> > have.) C. L. hosted the Amateur Scientist (Sci. Am) for some time.
>
>
>
>
> > >At 12:53 PM 8/13/2004, BC, you wrote:
> > >///
> > >>Some time ago (fifties or sixties?) Sci. Am. had an article
> > >> on stone skipping, including I think, on sand. //
> > >>I found it: Yes (sand) August 68 [C. L. Strong]
> > >> Koths used the "Edgerton" method.
> > >
> > >That would be the late, lamented Professor Stong, I expect.
> > >Brian Whatcott Altus OK Eureka!
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
> Brian Whatcott Altus OK Eureka!