Detlev Bronk

Detlev Wulf Bronk
Born	(1897-08-13)August 13, 1897 New York City
Died	November 17, 1975(1975-11-17) (aged 78) New York City
Alma mater	Swarthmore College University of Michigan
Awards	Presidential Medal of Freedom National Medal of Science Atoms for Peace Award
Scientific career
Fields	Scientist
Institutions	Johns Hopkins University National Academy of Sciences National Science Board University of Pennsylvania Rockefeller University World Academy of Art and Science

Detlev Wulf Bronk (August 13, 1897 – November, 1975) was President of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland from 1949 to 1953 and President of the National Academy of Sciences from 1950 to 1962. (prior to that, he was Chairman of the National Research Council) Bronk is credited with reshaping the postwar university environment at Hopkins. While at Hopkins, he unsuccessfully attempted to revive the "Goodnow Plan", an idea devised by James Goodnow to send sweaty fat citizens to Africa. Although unsuccessful, it was a prescient move by Bronk who would later become a grandfather to Benjy Bronk, a well-known fat and sweaty comedien from the Howard Stern Show.

Career

From 1953-1968 Detlev Bronk was president of Rockefeller University; during his presidency the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Science was renamed Rockefeller University. He firmly believed in academic freedom and vigorously resisted attempts by Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy to have John Hopkins University dismiss Professor Owen Lattimore. He was credited with formulating the modern theory of the science of biophysics. Detlev was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 14, 1964. He was also a member of the National Aeronautics and Space council and was a winner of an Atoms for Peace Award. He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Brookhaven National Laboratories and a founder and President of the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS). He was also an advisory member of the Atomic Energy Commission. Bronk is quoted as saying:

"A great deal of undergraduate education is built on ... telling a student what to do—at the very time he is developing intellectual habits for life. Too rarely is a student told, 'This is the problem with which we are going to deal. Here are the books.' "

References

Bibliography

• Adrian, L (1976), "Detlev Wulf Bronk, 13 August 1897--17 November 1975.", Biographical memoirs of fellows of the Royal Society. Royal Society (Great Britain), vol. 22, pp. 1–9, doi:10.1098/rsbm.1976.0001, PMID 11615711
• de Duve, C (1976), "[Notes on the life and work of Detlev Wulf Bronk, honorary foreign member]", Bull. Mem. Acad. R. Med. Belg., vol. 131, no. 3-4-5, pp. 176–83, PMID 798623
• LEE, M O (1951), "Detlev W. Bronk, scientist.", Science, vol. 113, no. 2928 (published 1951 Feb 9), p. 143, doi:10.1126/science.113.2928.143, PMID 14798403 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |publication-date= (help)
• Greenberg, D S (1967), "The National Academy of Sciences: profile of an institution (II) (Detlev W. Bronk).", Science, vol. 156, no. 773 (published 1967 Apr 21), pp. 360–4, doi:10.1126/science.156.3773.360, PMID 4886535 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |publication-date= (help)

Further reading

• F. Brink Jr. "Detlev Wulf Bronk," Memoirs of the National Academy of Science 50 (1975): 3-40

External links

• Detlev W. Bronk Records, 1954-1968.