Theodore H. Geballe : An Oral History
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Theodore “Ted” H. Geballe begins his interviews by discussing his early life in San Francisco and his family. He continues on to his time as an undergraduate and graduate student at University of California, Berkeley, and the formative experience of working with William Giauque. He discusses his career at Bell Labs, including influential colleagues he worked with as well as his time studying semi- and superconductors. He speaks of his recruitment to Stanford by Marvin Chodorow and the motivations for accepting his position. Geballe goes on to discuss the history of Applied Physics and its growth during his time in the department. He notes his contributions to the department, including his role as department chair, in recruiting other top faculty, and in cultivating interdisciplinary research. He discusses his teaching, noting his work with Mac Beasley on the research group Ted-Mac Amateur Hour and later with Aharon Kapitulnik and Beasley on the research group KGB. Geballe also discusses Stanford’s reputation, the growth of independent labs at Stanford, and Applied Physics’ relationship with the Department of Physics and the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center. He goes on to discuss his time as director of the Center for Materials Research, the development of materials science research at Stanford, and his research accomplishments while at Stanford. He also discusses the evolution of superconductivity research, and discusses his business venture Conductus. Ted Geballe concludes the interview by discussing recent development of lab space devoted to materials research at Stanford, including the Geballe Lab for Advanced Materials, named in his honor. In the 2019 addendum, Geballe discusses the work he has done on superconductivity since 2013, particularly the use of XAFS to study “overdoped” cuprates in collaboration with Steven D. Conradson.
Description
| Type of resource | sound recording-nonmusical, text, still image |
|---|---|
| Extent | 4 audio file; 1 text file; 1 photograph |
| Place | Stanford (Calif.) |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
| Date created | August 20, 2013 - 2019-07-29 |
| Language | English |
| Digital origin | born digital |
Creators/Contributors
| Interviewee | Geballe, Theodore H. | |
|---|---|---|
| Creator | Geballe, Theodore H. | |
| Interviewer | Tracy-Taylor, Allison | |
| Interviewer | Marine-Street, Natalie J. | |
| Interviewer | Conradson, Steven Daniel | |
| Publisher | Stanford Historical Society |
Subjects
| Subject | Geballe, Theodore H. |
|---|---|
| Subject | Stanford University. Department of Applied Physics |
| Subject | Bell Labs |
| Subject | Superconductivity |
| Genre | Interview |
Bibliographic information
| Biographical Profile | Theodore H. Geballe is an applied physicist whose research focuses on semiconductors, superconductivity, and magnetism in intermetallic compounds and oxides. Geballe studied at the University of California, Berkeley, earning his BS in chemisty in 1941 and PhD in physical chemistry in 1949. After graduating, Geballe spent two years as a research associate in the Low Temperature Lab at Berkeley. He joined Bell Laboratories in 1952, where he served as the Head of the Department of Low Temperature and Solid State Physics in Physical Research from 1957 to 1968. In 1967, Geballe became a Stanford professor in the Department of Applied Physics and Materials Sciences. He served as Chair, later Endowed Chair, of the Department of Applied Physics from 1975 to 1990 and Director of the Center for Material Research from 1976 to 1988 before becoming emeritus professor in 1990. Geballe has since been awarded the Von Hippel Award in 1991, Bodo von Borries Lecturer at the University of Tübingen in 1995, Debye Lecturer at Cornell University in 1996, and Honorary Doctorate from Babes-Bolyai University in 2004. In addition to being a part of the Stanford administration through the Appointments and Promotions Committee, School of Humanities and Science, Faculty Senate, and Board of Trustees, Geballe has served on national service committees, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, President’s National Commission and Presidential Advisory Committee on Superconductivity, and Department of Energy Council on Materials Science. In 1970, together with B.T. Matthias of U.C. San Diego, Geballe won the Oliver E. Buckley Solid State Physics Prize for “investigations of superconducting which have challenged theoretical understanding and opened up the technology of high field superconductors.” Geballe was also awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1975 and the first Bernd Matthias Memorial Award for High Temperature Superconductivity in 1989, for “his many contributions to the scientific field of superconductivity.” He is a member of the American Physical Society, National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Geballe has chaired and co-chaired at scientific conferences, including the Gordon Research Conference, Applied Superconducting Conference, International Conference on the Science of Superconductivity, International Conference on Mechanisms and Materials of Superconductivity/High Temperature, and NAS/NAE Symposium on Advanced Materials. He was editor of Physical Review Letters, Applied Physics Letters, Applied Physics, and served on the Board of Reviewing Editors for Science Magazine and the Nominating Committee of Division of Condensed Matter Physics. |
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| Transcript |
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| Finding Aid | |
| Location | https://purl.stanford.edu/qx382pm8272 |
| Location | SC0932 |
| Repository | Stanford University. Libraries. Department of Special Collections and University Archives |
Access conditions
- Use and reproduction
- The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
- Copyright
- Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Collection
Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program interviews, 1999-2022
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