Academic Genealogy of Rich Holmes

Conventionally what one does in an "academic genealogy" is to trace a single line from an individual to that person's doctoral advisor, then the advisor's advisor, et cetera. For example, we begin with me (Rich Holmes) and continue with my doctoral advisor (Bob Glasser), then his doctoral advisor (Marcel Schein), and so on.

This is straightforward enough for the most recent generations, but in earlier times there may be some ambiguity in identifying an "advisor". In the following I have attempted to identify a single person who was the individual's principal scientific teacher. For instance, in the case of Mitscherlich I have followed the line back, not via his doctoral advisor who guided his study of oriental languages, but via the man who trained him in his subsequent career as a chemist, even though Mitscherlich received no degree in that subject. In some cases there are two or more people who might have comparable claim to the role of advisor, and in the future I may depart from the usual rules of academic genealogy to trace multiple lines.

Anyone with further information is urged to contact me.

1. Richard Scott Holmes
   • Dates: LIVING
   • Degree: Ph.D. (physics), 1985, University of Maryland at College Park
   • Dissertation: "A Study of High Transverse Energy Events in Proton-Proton and Proton-Nucleus Collisions at sqrt(s) = 27.4 GeV"
   • Advisor/Teacher: Robert Gene Glasser
   • Employment: Syracuse University (1985 - present)
   
   
2. Robert Gene Glasser
   • Dates: 1929 - 1992
   • Degree: Ph.D. (physics), 1954, University of Chicago
   • Dissertation: "Relation Between Multiple Coulomb Scattering and Residual Range in Nuclear Emulsions" (Images of title page, abstract, introduction (first page), and acknowledgements (mentioning Schein))
   • Advisor/Teacher: apparently Marcel Schein (inferring from comments in his paper based on his Ph.D. research; see sources)
   • Employment: US Naval Research Laboratory (1955 - 1965); University of Maryland, College Park (1965 - 1989)
   • Achievements: With Seeman and Stiller, first conclusive measurement of the neutral pion lifetime.
   
   
   Sources:

   1. Dissertation
   2. Who's Who in America, 42nd edition 1982 - 1983, 1222
   3. American Men & Women of Science, 17th edition 1989 - 90, 159
   4. M. Lois Marckworth, Dissertations in Physics, 124 (1961)
   5. R. G. Glasser, "Relation Between Multiple Coulomb Scattering and Residual Range in Nuclear Emulsion", Phys. Rev. 98, 174-180 (1955) [subscription required]
   6. Washington Post, 10 Jan 1992, p. B5 c. 2
   7. Particle Physics: One Hundred Years of Discoveries, 176.
   
   
3. Marcel Schein
   • Dates: 1902 - 1960
   • Degree: Ph.D. (physics), ca 1927, University of Zürich
   • Dissertation: ?. (Habilitationsschrift: "Ueber die Reflexion und Absorption langwelliger Röntgenstrahlen" ["On the Reflection and Absorption of Long Wavelength X-Rays"], 1930)
   • Advisor/Teacher: Edgar Meyer
   • Employment: University of Zürich (1926 - 1935); University of Odessa (1935 - 1937); University of Chicago (1938 - 1960)
   • Notes: Advisor was "Edgar Maier" according to Schein's son Edgar; Gerlach's obituary for Edgar Meyer says he trained "Schein".
   • Achievements: With Lord and Fainberg, first evidence for multiple hadron production in nucleon-nucleon interactions; first evidence for forward jet in hadronic interactions. Collaborator in development of first controlled nuclear chain reaction.
   
   
   Sources:

   1. World Who's Who in Science, First edition, 1488 (1968)
   2. New York Times, 21 Feb 1960
   3. Personal communication from Edgar Schein
   4. Walther Gerlach, "Edgar Meyer", Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich, 105, 328 (1960)
   5. NEBIS library catalog (browse authors for Schein)
   6. Particle Physics: One Hundred Years of Discoveries, 114.
   
   
4. Edgar Meyer
   • Dates: 1879 - 1960
   • Degree: Ph.D. (physics), 1903, Friedrich-Wilhelm University of Berlin
   • Dissertation: "Über die Absorption der ultravioletten Strahlung in Ozon" ["On the Absorption of Ultraviolet Radiation in Ozone"]
   • Advisor/Teacher: Emil Gabriel Warburg
   • Employment: University of Berlin (1903?- 1907); University of Zürich (1907 - 1909); University of Aachen (1909 - 1912); University of Tübingen (1912 - 1916); University of Zürich (1916 - 1949)
   • Achievements: ?
   
   
   Sources:

   1. Walther Gerlach, "Edgar Meyer", Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich, 105, 328 (1960)
   2. Dissertation
   
   
5. Emil Gabriel Warburg
   • Dates: 1846 - 1931
   • Degree: Ph.D. (physics), 1867, Berlin
   • Dissertation: "De systematis corporum vibrantium"
   • Advisor/Teacher: Heinrich Gustav Magnus
   • Employment: University of Berlin (1869 - 1871); Kaiser Wilhelm University, Strasbourg (1871 - 1876); University of Freiburg im Breisgau (1876 - 1895); University of Berlin (1895 - 1905); Director of Physikalisch-Technischen Reichsanstalt (1905 - 1922)
   • Achievements: Discovered and intepreted hysteresis in cyclical magnetization of ferromagnetic materials; discovered anisotropy in conductivity of quartz. President of German Physical Society (1899 - 1905)
   • Notes: Andraos shows August Kundt as Warburg's advisor, and Magnus as Kundt's advisor; but Kundt received his Ph.D. only three years before Warburg.
   
   
   Sources:

   1. Emil Warburg (web page)
   2. Vera Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami, Genealogy Database Entry for Warburg, Emil Gabriel
   3. John Andraos, Doctoral tree (Berzelius #4)
   4. Hans Ramser, "Warburg, Emil Gabriel" in Dictionary of Scientific Biography, XIV, 170 (1976)
   
   
6. Heinrich Gustav Magnus
   • Dates: 1802 - 1870
   • Degree: Ph.D. (chemistry?), 1827, University of Berlin
   • Dissertation: "De tellurio"
   • Advisor/Teacher: Eilhard Mitscherlich
   • Employment: Laboratory of Berzelius in Stockholm (1827); University of Berlin (1828 - 1862)
   • Achievements: Discovered Magnus's green salt [Pt(NH₃)₄][PtCl₄]. Research in varied physical topics including electrolysis (Magnus's rule).
   
   
   Sources:

   1. John Andraos, Doctoral tree (Berzelius #4)
   2. Vera Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami, Genealogy Database Entry for Magnus, Heinrich Gustav
   3. Christopher D. Cooper, Academic Genealogy of Brown University's Planetary Geology Group
   4. Virtual Laboratory web page on Magnus, Heinrich Gustav
   5. George B. Kauffman, "Magnus, Heinrich Gustav" in Dictionary of Scientific Biography, IX, 18 (1974)
   
   
7. Eilhard Mitscherlich
   • Dates: 1794 - 1863
   • Degree: Ph.D. (oriental languages), 1814?, Göttingen
   • Dissertation: On ancient Persian texts
   • Advisor/Teacher: Friedrich Stromeyer (post-doctoral, in chemistry)
   • Employment: University of Berlin (1818 - 1820); Laboratory of Berzelius in Stockholm (1820 - 1822); University of Berlin (1822 - )
   • Achievements: Discovered principle of isomorphism.
   • Notes: Mitscherlich received his PhD in oriental languages, and later moved into chemistry under the guidance of Friedrich Stromeyer. He worked with Jöns Jacob Berzelius. Cooper lists Berzelius as one of four advisors, and carries the line through Berzelius for many generations back into the 16th century; however Mainz and Girolami say his work with Berzelius was carried out largely independently.
   
   
   Sources:

   1. John Andraos, Doctoral tree (Berzelius #4)
   2. Vera Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami, Genealogy Database Entry for Mitscherlich, Eilhard
   3. Christopher D. Cooper, Academic Genealogy of Brown University's Planetary Geology Group
   4. F. Szabadváry, "Mitscherlich, Eilhard" in Dictionary of Scientific Biography, IX, 426 (1974)
   
   
8. Friedrich Stromeyer (or Strohmeyer)
   • Dates: 1776 - 1835
   • Degree: M.D., 1800, Göttingen
   • Dissertation: ?
   • Advisor/Teacher: Louis Nicolas Vauquelin
   • Employment: University of Göttingen (1802 -); Inspector-General of the apothecaries of Hanover (1817 -)
   • Achievements: Discovered cadmium.
   • Notes: Mainz and Girolami carry lines back from both Vauquelin and Johann Friedrich Gmelin. However I find no other sources indicating anyone but Vauquelin as Stromeyer's principal teacher.
   
   
   Sources:

   1. Vera Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami, Genealogy Database Entry for Stromeyer, Friedrich
   2. Isaac Asimov, Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (rev. ed.), entry 346 (1972)
   3. John Daintith et al., Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists (2nd ed.), 854 (1994)
   
   
9. Louis Nicolas Vauquelin
   • Dates: 1763 - 1829
   • Degree: ?, ?, Paris (Jardin du Roi?)
   • Dissertation: ?
   • Advisor/Teacher: Antoine-François de Fourcroy
   • Employment: Assistant to Fourcroy; School of Mines (1795 - ?); assayer to the mint (1802 - ?); University of Paris (1809 - ?)
   • Achievements: Discovered chromium and beryllium.
   
   
   Sources:

   1. Vera Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami, Genealogy Database Entry for Vauquelin, Nicolas Louis
   2. Isaac Asimov, Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (rev. ed.), entry 318 (1972)
   3. John Daintith et al., Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists (2nd ed.), 907 (1994)
   4. W. A. Smeaton, "Vauquelin, Nicolas Louis" in Dictionary of Scientific Biography, XIII, 596 (1976)
   
   
10. Antoine-François de Fourcroy
    
    • Dates: 1755 - 1809
    • Degree: M.D.?, 1780, Paris?
    • Dissertation: ?
    • Advisor/Teacher: Jean Baptiste Michel Bucquet
    • Employment: Jardin du Roi (1784 - ?); Minister of Public Instruction (1802 - 08)
    • Achievements: With Vauquelin, purified and named urea.
    
    
    Sources:

    1. Vera Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami, Genealogy Database Entry for Fourcroy, Antoine François de
    2. Isaac Asimov, Asimov's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (rev. ed.), entry 306 (1972)
    3. John Daintith et al., Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists (2nd ed.), 304 (1994)
    4. W. A. Smeaton, "Fourcroy, Antoine François de" in Dictionary of Scientific Biography, XIII, 596 (1976)
    
    
11. Jean Baptiste Michel Bucquet
    • Dates: 1746 - 1780
    • Degree: M.D., 1770, Faculty of Medicine, Paris
    • Dissertation: "An digestio alimentorum, vera digestio chymica?" (Jan 1769); "An recèns nato, lac recèns enixae matris?" (Mar 1769); "An in febre malignâ balneum?" (Jan 1770); and "An in partu difficili, sola manus instrumentum?" (Mar 1770)
    • Advisor/Teacher: Guillaume François Rouelle
    • Employment: ?
    • Achievements: ?
    
    
    Sources:

    1. Vera Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami, Genealogy Database Entry for Bucquet, Jean Baptiste Michel
    2. E. McDonald, "Bucquet, Jean-Baptiste Michel" in Dictionary of Scientific Biography, II, 572 (1970)
    
    
12. Guillaume François Rouelle
    
    • Dates: 1703 - 1770
    • Degree: apothecary, 1725, Paris
    • Dissertation: ?
    • Advisor/Teacher: J. G. Spitzley
    • Employment: ?
    • Achievements: ?
    
    
    Sources:

    1. Vera Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami, Genealogy Database Entry for Rouelle, Guillaume François
    2. John Daintith et al., Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists (2nd ed.), 767 (1994)
    3. Rhoda Rappaport, "Rouelle, Guillaume-François" in Dictionary of Scientific Biography, XI, 562 (1975)
    
    
13. J. G. Spitzley
    • Dates: ? - ?
    • Degree: ?
    • Dissertation: ?
    • Advisor/Teacher: Nicolas Lémery
    • Employment: ?
    • Achievements: ?
    
    
    Sources:

    1. Vera Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami, Genealogy Database Entry for Spitzley, J. G.
    
    
14. Nicolas Lémery
    
    • Dates: 1645 - 1715
    • Degree: apthecary
    • Dissertation: ?
    • Advisor/Teacher: ?
    • Employment: ?
    • Achievements: ?
    • Notes: Mainz and Girolami give Christopher Glaser as Lémery's teacher, but Hannaway says "Apparently Lemery did not find Glaser a compatible teacher, and this arrangement lasted only two months."
    
    
    Sources:

    1. Vera Mainz and Gregory S. Girolami, Genealogy Database Entry for Lémery, Nicolas
    2. John Daintith et al., Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists (2nd ed.), 535 (1994)
    3. Owen Hannaway, "Lémery, Nicolas" in Dictionary of Scientific Biography, VIII, 172 (1973)