Max Mason
Appearance
Max Mason | |
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![]() Max Mason | |
Born | October 26, 1877 |
Died | March 23, 1961 | (aged 83)
Nationality | United States |
Known for | differential equations calculus of variations electromagnetism |
Scientific career | |
Fields | mathematics |
Institutions | University of Chicago Rockefeller Foundation |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Kronprins_Gustaf_Adolf_hedersdoktor_Chicago.jpg/220px-Kronprins_Gustaf_Adolf_hedersdoktor_Chicago.jpg)
Charles Max Mason (October 26, 1877 – March 23, 1961), better known as Max Mason, was an American mathematician. Mason was president of the University of Chicago (1925–1929) and president of the Rockefeller Foundation (1929–1936).[1]
Mason's mathematical research interests included differential equations, the calculus of variations, and electromagnetic theory.[2]
Education
- B.Litt., 1898, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Ph.D., Mathematics, University of Göttingen, 1903.
- Dissertation: "Randwertaufgaben bei gewöhnlichen Differentialgleichungen" (Boundary value functions with ordinary differential equations)
- Advisor: Hilbert
Career
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 1903–1904, Instructor of Mathematics.
- Yale University, 1904–1908, Assistant Professor of Mathematics.
- University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1908–1909, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Associate Professor of Mathematics.
- University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1909–1925, Professor of Physics.
- National Research Council, 1917–1919, Submarine Committee. (Invented a submarine detection device, which was the basis for sonar detectors used in World War II.)
- University of Chicago, 1925–1928, President.
- Rockefeller Foundation, 1928–1929, Director, Natural Sciences Division.
- Rockefeller Foundation, 1929–1936, President.
- Palomar Observatory (California), 1936–1949, Chairman of the team directing the construction of the observatory.
On May 2, 1945 he appeared on Edgar Bergen's radio show to chat about the new observatory and trade jokes with Charlie McCarthy.[3]
Notes and references
- ^ "Obituary: Max Mason". Physics Today. 14 (5): 78. May 1961. doi:10.1063/1.3057580.
- ^ http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Mason.html
- ^ "Radio This Week", The Kansas City Star, April 25, 1948, p. 109. Newspapers.com (subscription needed), accessed 2014-04-20.
External links
- Mathematicians: Charles Max Mason from the School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
- Max Mason at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
- Max Mason from the University of Chicago
- National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoir
Categories:
- 1877 births
- 1961 deaths
- 20th-century American mathematicians
- Mathematical analysts
- Mathematics educators
- Yale University faculty
- University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty
- University of Chicago faculty
- Presidents of the University of Chicago
- Rockefeller Foundation
- University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
- American mathematician stubs