Nuclear Museum Logo
Nuclear Museum Logo

National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

Karl T. Compton

PhysicistMIT

Washington, DC
Government OfficialScientist
Karl Compton

Karl Taylor Compton was an American physicist and the brother of Nobel Prize winner Arthur Compton.

Compton was born in 1887 in Wooster, Ohio. He received a B.A. in philosophy and an M.S. from the College of Wooster. He later received the Porter Ogden Jacobus Fellowship to study at Princeton University, where he would earn a Ph.D. in physics. At Princeton, Compton researched the effect of ultraviolet light on electrons alongside O.W. Richardson, who would go on to win the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Compton went on to teach physics at Reed College and at Princeton University. During World War I, he served as a scientific attaché at the American Embassy in Paris. In 1930, Compton became the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

During World War II, Compton served in a number of different administrative and scientific roles. He first became the head of Division D of the National Defense Research Committee in 1940, focusing on detection methods including radar, fire control, and heat radiation. He would soon become the head of research regarding radar, missiles, and their countermeasures in the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD). During his time with the OSRD, Compton would also head the Office of Field Services and serve as a scientific advisor to General Douglas MacArthur.

In 1945, Compton was appointed a member of the Interim Committee, which would recommend military use of the atomic bomb against Japan. He was also part of the scientific intelligence mission in Japan following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. For his work during the war, Compton received the Medal for Merit and the Marcelles Hartley Medal.

Compton died on June 22, 1954, in New York City.

Karl T. Compton’s Timeline
1887 Sep 14th Born in Wooster, Ohio.

1908 Graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Philosophy from Wooster University.

1912 Received Ph.D. in Physics summa cum laude from Princeton University.

19301948 Served as president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

1940 Became a member of the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC), where he worked on radar development.

1946 Received Medal for Merit for his research and development in radar systems.

1954 Jun 22nd Died in New York City.

Related Profiles

C. Ladd Prosser

Chicago, IL

C. Ladd Prosser was an American physiologist. Prosser was born in 1907 in Avon, New York. He received a B.

Arthur D. Schelberg

Philadelphia, PA

Arthur Daniel Schelberg (1921-2009) was an American physicist. Schelberg was born in New York City. He studied at physics in Princeton, and was recruited to join the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos in 1943.

William E. Ogle

Los Alamos, NM

William Ogle (1918-1984) was an American physicist. Ogle was born in Los Angeles. He studied at the University of Nevada before going on to earn an M.

Gilbert N. Lewis

Hanford, WA

Gilbert N. Lewis (1875-1946) was an American physical chemist.   His work with heavy water and resources were adapted by Ernest Lawrence in the development of the cyclotron.