Arthur von Hippel (1898-2003) Memorial Website
Arthur R. von Hippel at age 100; photo taken by his grandson, photographer Jonas A. Kahn
IN MEMORIAM
Arthur Robert von Hippel (1898-2003)
Arthur von Hippel, in whose honor the premier award of the Materials Research Society is named, was a pioneer in the study of dielectrics, semiconductors, ferromagnetics, and ferroelectrics. He was an early advocate of the interdisciplinary approach to materials research, and his example substantially furthered the science of materials.
This section of the website includes a number of documents about his life and his work.
Life in Times of Turbulent Transitions—The Autobiography of Arthur Robert von Hippel
This is the personal and professional autobiography of Arthur R. von Hippel, who was born in Rostock, Germany, in 1898 and died in Newton, Massachusetts, in 2003.
MRS Bulletin: Arthur R. von Hippel Tribute Issue
The November 2005 issue of MRS Bulletin was devoted to the life and times of Arthur R. von Hippel. Titled "Arthur R. von Hippel, In Memoriam (1898–2003): A Tribute to the Interdisciplinary Materials Research He Spawned," the issue was edited by Guest Editors Mildred S. Dresselhaus and Praveen Chaudhari. In honor of Arthur von Hippel, the issue was made freely available online.
Obituaries—Arthur Robert von Hippel
Obituaries that appeared in various publications following the death of Arthur Robert von Hippel in 2003.
A Man of Habit (PDF)
A Remembrance (Paul T. von Hippel)
Scientific Autobiography—Materials Design and Molecular Understanding (PDF)
The Wonders of Lichtenberg Figures (Arthur R. von Hippel)
Arthur von Hippel: The Man Behind the von Hippel Award (PDF)
Mildred Dresselhaus, MRS Bulletin, March 1989
Illustrations—Lightning Strokes in Other Worlds (PDF)
The Wonders of Lichtenberg Figures (Arthur R. von Hippel)
Lightning Strokes in Other Worlds (PDF)
The Wonders of Lichtenberg Figures (Arthur R. von Hippel)
The Contributions of Arthur Robert von Hippel to Electrical Insulation Research (PDF)
Markus Zahn, IEEE Transactions on Electrical Insulation 23 (1988), pp. 791-800. [© IEEE. Reprinted from the IEEE Transactions on Electrical Insulation with permission from IEEE]
The Laboratory for Insulation Research: Arthur R. von Hippel (PDF)
Chapter 11 from A Century of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, 1882-1982 by Karl L. Wildes and Nilo A. Lindgren (MIT Press, 1986), pp. 166-177. [With permission from MIT Press]
MRS/Optica Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship
MRS and Optica offer a congressional fellowship for members to apply optical and materials science in government, promoting scientist-government collaboration and public policy learning. The 2024-25 Fellow is Shriya Pai, University of Colorado Boulder