Lloyd Berkner | |
|---|---|
 Berknerc. 1961 | |
| Born | (1905-02-01)February 1, 1905 |
| Died | June 4, 1967(1967-06-04) (aged 62) Washington D.C., United States |
| Alma mater | University of Minnesota, B.S. 1927 |
| Known for | Proposing the International Geophysical Year for 1957-1958, various work in aeronautics, meteorology and education |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | William Bowie Medal(1967) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geophysics |
Lloyd Viel Berkner (February 1, 1905 – June 4, 1967)[1] was an Americanphysicist andengineer. He was one of the inventors of the measuring device that since has become standard at ionospheric stations[2] because it measures the height and electron density of theionosphere. The data obtained in the worldwide net of such instruments[3] were important for the developing theory ofshort wave radio propagation to which Berkner himself gave important contributions.
Berkner was elected to the United StatesNational Academy of Sciences in 1948.[4] He was president ofAssociated Universities, Inc. from 1951 to 1960.
Later he investigated the development of theEarth's atmosphere. Since he needed data from the whole world, he proposed theInternational Geophysical Year in 1950.[1] At that time, the IGY was the largest cooperative study of the Earth ever undertaken.
Berkner was elected a Fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1956.[5][6] TheIGY was carried out by theInternational Council of Scientific Unions while he was president in 1957–1959. He was also a member of thePresident's Scientific Advisory Committee in 1958 while he was president of Associated Universities Inc.
In 1963, Berkner, with L.C. Marshall, advanced a theory to describe the way in which the atmospheres of theSolar System's inner planets had evolved.
Beginning in 1926, as a naval officer, Berkner assisted in the development of radar and navigation systems, naval aircraft electronics engineering, and studies that led to the construction of theDistant Early Warning system, a chain of radar stations designed to give the United States advance warning in the event of a missile attack across the North Pole.[1][7] In the 1950s and 1960s, Berkner held intelligence clearances in theAtomic Energy Commission and other agencies.[8] He worked with theCIA in some capacity as well, but any activities are whollyclassified as of 2015.[9]
Berkner worked with Dallas community leaders to establish the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest (later renamed the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies, which would eventually become TheUniversity of Texas at Dallas).[1]
He wrote more than 100 papers and several books, includingRockets and Satellites (1958),Science in Space (1961), andThe Scientific Age (1964).
In 1961, Berkner was president of theInstitute of Radio Engineers.[10]
Lloyd V. Berkner High School inRichardson, Texas was named after him in 1969, as was Lloyd V. Berkner Hall at theUniversity of Texas at Dallas, and Berkner Hall auditorium/cafeteria atBrookhaven National Laboratory. The lunar craterBerkner was named in his honor.[11]Berkner Island inAntarctica was also named for Berkner because of his work as a radio operator on the first Byrd expedition to Antarctica in 1928.[1]
Berkner was married to Lillian Fulks Berkner and had two children.[citation needed]
