When and where was Gerald James Holton born?
Gerald James Holton was born on the 23rd of May 1922, in Berlin, Germany. He grew up in a Jewish family before fascism forced his family to return early to Vienna, Austria.
Questions about Gerald Holton
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What did Gerald James Holton study at Harvard University after World War II?
Gerald James Holton received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1947 for research on the structure of matter at high pressure under Professor Percy Williams Bridgman. He later ran a high-pressure physics laboratory specializing in liquid structures for thirty years starting in 1952.
How did Gerald James Holton become interested in Albert Einstein's work?
Albert Einstein died on the 18th of April 1955 triggering an unexpected turn in Holton's studies when Professor Philipp Frank suggested he present the history of Einstein's achievements during a memorial occasion. Holton then spent over two years helping transform Einstein's correspondence and manuscripts into an archive usable by scholars at the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study.
What books did Gerald James Holton write about scientific themes and immigrant children?
Holton published Thematic Origins of Scientific Thought with Harvard University Press in 1973 and What Happened to the Children Who Fled Nazi Persecution by Palgrave Macmillan in 2006. His research also resulted in books titled Who Succeeds in Science? The Gender Dimension and Helping Young Refugees and Immigrants Succeed published in 1995 and 2010 respectively.
Which awards did Gerald James Holton receive from professional organizations between 1979 and 2008?
Gerald James Holton received the Herbert Spencer Lecturer title at Oxford University in 1979, the Oersted Medal from the American Association of Physics Teachers in 1980, and the Abraham Pais Prize from the American Physical Society in 2008. He was also honored with the Republic of Austria's Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst in 2008.