Compton, Karl Taylor

Karl Taylor Compton, (born Sept. 14, 1887, Wooster, Ohio, U.S.—died June 22, 1954, New York, N.Y.), American educator and physicist who was closely associated with development of the atomic bomb.

After obtaining his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1912, Compton (an older brother of the Nobel prizewinner Arthur Holly Compton) joined the faculty of Reed College, Portland, Ore., as a physics instructor. He later became assistant professor of physics at Princeton University. World War I interrupted his teaching and research, but he returned to Princeton, conducting research in fundamental problems in atomic physics and promoting development of the graduate program. In 1930 he was chosen president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he broadened and modernized the curriculum, adding classes in the humanities and social sciences. After resigning the presidency of MIT in 1948, Compton served as chairman of its corporation until 1954.

Compton served on many governmental, academic, and industrial advisory bodies. He was chairman (1948–49) of the research and development board of the National Military Establishment (the precursor of the U.S. Department of Defense) and had been a member of several similar groups, including the Office of Scientific Research and Development (1941–47). In these positions, Compton, with his wide background in both research and administration, played an important role in development of the atomic bomb and radar.