Daily Almanac for
Jul 9, 2008
Info search tips
Bio search tips

Samuel Elmer Imes

chemist, physicist
Born: 10/12/1883
Birthplace: Memphis, Tenn.

In 1918, Samuel Elmer Imes became only the second African American to earn a doctorate in physics. His dissertation broke new scientific ground, presenting a new form of research, that fundamentally changed quantum theory. In discovering how to determine molecular structure through high-resolution infrared spectroscopy, particularly, measuring the distance between atoms, Imes proved that quantum theory could be applied to all things at the molecular level. He served as head of the Physics department at his alma mater, Fisk University, from 1930 to his death in 1941.

Died: 9/11/1941

Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

    • Cite
    • Print
    • Bookmark

More on Samuel Elmer Imes from Infoplease:


Premium Partner Content
HighBeam Research

Related content from HighBeam Research on: Samuel Elmer Imes

Additional search results provided by HighBeam Research, LLC. © Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.