Robert Henry Bragg Jr.

Robert Henry “Pete” Bragg Jr. (August 11, 1919 – October 2, 2017), was a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering in the UC Berkeley College of Engineering.

This article is about the Berkeley professor. For the Nobel Prize winner, see William Henry Bragg.
Robert Henry Bragg Jr.
Born(1919-08-11)August 11, 1919
Jacksonville, Florida
DiedOctober 2, 2017(2017-10-02) (aged 98)
NationalityAmerican
EducationWoodrow Wilson Junior College
Alma mater
Known forfirst African-American to chair an engineering department at Berkeley
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics
Institutions
Academic advisors
  • Frances L. Yost

Bragg served in the military during World War II, and then used the money allotted to him from the G.I. Bill to attend Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), and pursue a career in physics.[1] He earned his PhD in Physics from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1960, and worked for Palo Alto Research Laboratory for the Lockheed Missiles and Space Company from 1960-1969. In 1969, the University of California at Berkeley hired him as a full professor.[2] His research was in the areas of X-ray crystallography, eutectic solidification, and the properties of carbon materials.[3] He retired from the Berkeley faculty in 1987, after a career that included service as Department Chair from 1987 to 1981.[4] At the time he was one of six black faculty members. He was not related to the British Bragg family of scientists.

In retirement, he was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to conduct research at the University of Ife in Nigeria, and developed an exhibit for the Museum of African American Technology in Oakland.[5]

References
  1. "Robert Bragg | The HistoryMakers". www.thehistorymakers.org. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  2. "Robert Bragg // Transcripts // African American Faculty and Senior Staff Oral History Project". vm136.lib.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  3. "Robert Henry Bragg - Physicist of the African Diaspora". www.math.buffalo.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  4. "In Memoriam: Professor Robert "Pete" Bragg". www.mse.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
  5. "1st Black department chair of materials science, engineering at UC Berkeley dies at 98". The Daily Californian. 2017-10-23. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.