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Henry Russel Lecturer
David M. Dennison
The Michigan Alumnus 178
The Michigan Alumnus 178
DAVID M. DENNISON, Ph.D. '24, was a student at the University when the Henry Russel lecture ship was first established. Each year since that time the highly prized lec tureship has been awarded to the fac ulty member adjudged to have achieved the highest distinction in his chosen field of scholarship.
Last month Professor Dennison, who has earned an international reputation for his work in molecular structure, was named as the 27th Henry Russel lecturer.
Son of a Michigan faculty member, the late Walter Dennison, who taught Latin at the University from 1897 to 1899 and from 1902 to 1910, Professor Dennison was born in Oberlin, Ohio, and received a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College.
He joined the University faculty in 1927, beginning as an instructor. His work won early attention and he was promoted rapidly, achieving a full pro fessorship in physics in 1935. His work in theoretical physics preceded impor tant assignments in World War II. After war broke out he joined with a Department of Physics colleague, Professor H. R. Crane, in working on the theoretical aspects of the performance of the radio proximity fuse.
Later they divided the work, Pro fessor Dennison diverting his attention to preparing recommendations for naval gunnery officers for the best pos sible tactical use of the fuse. His task involved study of actual battle reports in order to determine the effectiveness of the fuse and methods in which its use could be improved. For this work, he received a Certificate for Excep tional Service to Naval Ordnance Development.
After the war Professor Dennison returned to his work in molecular structure, although he also gave a help ing hand to Professor Crane in the theoretical calculations for the University's 300,000,000 electron-volt syn chrotron, which made use of a new design for atomic experiments.
Professor Dennison will deliver the Henry Russel lecture next spring. At that time the Henry Russel Award will be given to a member of the faculty with the rank of instructor or assistant professor. Both the lectureship and the award were endowed by the late Henry Russel, '73, A.M.74, '751, of Detroit.