Coolidge, William D

Name:
Coolidge, William D
Detailed information:
(1873–1975). An American physical chemist born in Massachusetts. He received a degree in electrical engineering at M.I.T. (1896) and a doctorate in physics at Leipzig (1899). In 1905, he joined the General Electric Research Laboratory, which had been established five years earlier. Here he invented the ductile tungsten filament and developed the use of tungsten in electrical switches and medical X-ray tubes. He did pioneer research in experimental metallurgy and powder metallurgy. He also had a prominent part in evaluating uranium research (1941) and in setting up the Manhattan Project. He was the recipient of many honors and awards, including induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 1975.