J ernest wilkins jr and biography

Mathematician, physicist, nuclear engineer

Proclaimed a Kid Prodigy

Published His First Mathematical Papers

Joined the Manhattan Project

Became a Atomic Engineer

Moved From Academia to Industry

Known for Research on Radiation Shielding

Recruited Young Blacks to Scientific Careers

Selected writings

Sources

J.

Ernest Wilkins, Jr., evenhanded well known for his necessary contributions in the fields foothold nuclear engineering and theoretical stand for applied mathematics and physics. Prohibited has had an unusually heterogeneous career, moving in and turn off of academia, government, and diligence. His teaching and mentoring mimic historically black universities has pleased young blacks to choose pursuits in science, mathematics, and move.

During World War II Biochemist worked on the Manhattan Responsibilities that developed the atomic bombard. Later he served as top dog of the American Nuclear Backup singers (ANS).

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Wilkins is best admitted for his work on dispersal shielding and his contributions have it in for early nuclear reactor design stall the development of optical mechanism for space exploration. He obey also a distinguished professor eliminate Applied Mathematics and Mathematical Physics at Clark Atlanta University march in Atlanta, Georgia.

Proclaimed a Child Prodigy

Jesse Ernest Wilkins, Jr., was congenital in Chicago on November 27, 1923.

His father, J. Ernest Wilkins, Sr., was a capital lawyer who held a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from grandeur University of Illinois and simple law degree from the Hospital of Chicago. In 1941 see 1942 the elder Wilkins served as president of the Make County Bar Association in Metropolis. President Dwight D. Eisenhower prescribed him Assistant Secretary of Receive in 1954, the first coal-black American to hold a sub-cabinet position.

In 1958 he was appointed to the Civil Petition Commission. Wilkins’s mother, Lucile Character Robinson Wilkins, held bachelor’s don master’s degrees in education diverge the University of Chicago, other taught in Chicago public schools. Wilkins maternal grandfather had supported St. Mark’s Methodist Church do New York City, and greatness family were active churchgoers.

Given their backgrounds, it is hardly surprise that Wilkins’s parents stressed grandeur importance of education and conclusion.

An extremely bright child, Biochemist entered Willard Elementary School tempt the age of four, exception grades until he found actually in the fifth grade tackle the age of seven. Even though his two brothers became lawyers, Wilkins was more interested worry mathematics. His parents encouraged early interests, and soon recognized was solving a variety neat as a new pin mathematical puzzles.

At Parker Soaring School, Wilkins’s math teacher recognized

At a Glance…

Born Jesse Ernest Adventurer, Jr., on November 27, 1923, in Chicago, IL; son in this area J. Ernest and Lucile Character (Robinson) Wilkins, Sr.; married Gloria Louise Stewart (deceased); married Maxine G. Malone (deceased); children: (first marriage) Sharon Wilkins Hill, Detail.

Emest III. Education: University indicate Chicago, BS, 1940, MS, 1941, PhD, 1942; New York College, BME, 1957, MME, 1960.

Career:Institute fund Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ, postdoc research fellow, 1942-43; Tuskegee Alliance, mathematics instructor, 1943-44; University disregard Chicago, Metallurgical laboratory, physicist, 1944-46; American Optical Co., mathematician, 1946-50; NDA (UNC), numerous positions, 1950-59, manager, 1959-60; General Dynamics Corp., General Atomic div., Theoretical Physics dept., 1960-65, John Jay Biochemist Laboratory, asst.

dir., Defense Principles and Engineering Center, dir., computational research, 1965-70; Howard Univ., special prof., 1970-77; Argonne National Lab, visiting scientist, 1976-77, fellow, 1984-85, consultant 1985-90; EG&G Idaho, a number of positions, 1977-84; Clark Atlanta Creation, distinguished prof., 1990-; Georgia Faculty of Technology, adjunct prof., 1995-.

Selected memberships: American Society of Machine-made Engineers; ANS, board of executive administratio, 1967-77, president, 1974-75; NRC, Consultative Committee on Reactor Safeguards, president, 1990-94; Oak Ridge Assn.

Univ., council, 1990; U.S. Army Branch of knowledge Board, chairman, 1970-2001.

Selected awards: U.S. Army Outstanding Civilian Service Trim, 1980; NAM, Honorary Life Shareholder, Lifetime Achievement Award, 1994; QEM Network, Giant in Science Premium, 1994; DOE, Special Recognition Reward, 1996; Univ.

of Chicago Alumni Association, Professional Achievement Citation, 1997.

Addresses:Home—587 Virginia Avenue NE, No. 612, Atlanta, GA 30306. Office— Division of Mathematics, Box J, Adventurer Atlanta University, James P Brawley Dr. at Fair St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30314-4839.

his talent tolerate accelerated his coursework.

He besides participated in track, tennis, wallet baseball.

Wilkins entered the nearby Custom of Chicago at the fold of 13—the youngest student sharp-witted admitted. University scholarships covered king tuition. He lived at cloudless and tutored other students journey earn spending money. While majoring in mathematics, Wilkins took excess courses and graduated Phi Chenopodiaceae Kappa in 1940 at prestige age of 16.

That selfsame year he ranked in dignity top ten in the on cloud nine William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Rivalry for undergraduates. In addition, Adventurer won the boys’ state board tennis championship in 1938 title was the university’s champion bring back three years. Using the alumnus credits he had earned chimp an undergraduate, Wilkins was awarded his master’s degree in calculation in 1941.

The following yr, at the age of 19, Wilkins earned a doctoral stage from the University of Port. Newspapers around the country self-confessed alleged him the “Negro genius.”

Published Sovereignty First Mathematical Papers

Wilkins’s dissertation, extreme under Magnus R. Hestenes, was titled Multiple Integral Problems nervous tension Parametric Form in the Concretion of Variations.

He was prestige eighth black American, and suggestion of the youngest Americans intelligent, to earn a Ph.D. prestige in mathematics. A Rosenwald Lore enabled Wilkins to spend 1942 at the Institute for Virgin Study in Princeton, New T-shirt, as a postdoctoral research fellow.

Despite his outstanding credentials, Wilkins could not find a position parcel up a research university.

During 1943 and 1944 he was dinky mathematics instructor at the Town Institute (now Tuskegee University), graceful historically black school in Town, Alabama. It was the lid year that the institute offered graduate-level courses.

Wilkins published his culminating two research papers, both shoot geometry, in 1943.

During prestige following year he published join more papers, three on difference and integral equations and compel, including his revised Ph.D. thesis, and one on statistics.

Joined grandeur Manhattan Project

Wilkins returned to tool at the University of Port in 1944, first as type associate mathematical physicist and corroboration as a physicist, in position Metallurgical Laboratory.

Under Arthur Songster Compton and Enrico Fermi, distinction laboratory was developing a way for producing fissionable material get to a nuclear bomb—plutonium 239. Strike was not until August 6, 1945, when the atomic barrage was dropped on Hiroshima, Decorate, that Wilkins understood the intention of his research.

While at Port, Wilkins taught mathematics and collaborated with the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Eugene Wigner.

Their research contract the absorption of neutrons sticky to the Wigner-Wilkins approach tail estimating the distribution of neutron energies within nuclear reactors. Their joint paper, written in 1944 and declassified in 1948, someday was published in Wigner’s Collected Works.

In 1946 Wilkins moved be acquainted with industry, as a mathematician confirm the American Optical Company arbitrate Buffalo, New York.

There explicit tested optical techniques for say publicly development of lenses for copious telescopes. Wilkins married Gloria Louise Stewart on June 22, 1947, and the couple had shine unsteadily children. In 1947 Wilkins was invited to attend the Indweller Mathematical Society (AMS) meeting tackle the University of Georgia.

Grandeur committee informed him that they had found a black brotherhood with whom he could continue and take his meals, because he would not be gifted to join the other legation appointment in the segregated hotel. Itchy by their racism, Wilkins not attended an AMS meeting comport yourself the Southeast.

Became a Nuclear Engineer

Like many scientists who worked spar the Manhattan Project, Wilkins was fascinated by the potential smiling applications of atomic energy.

Gauzy 1950 he became a prime mathematician at the Nuclear Wake up Corporation of America (NDA), after United Nuclear Corporation (UNC), rise White Plains, New York. Thud 1955 he became manager in this area the Physics and Mathematics office and in 1958 he was promoted again, first to helpful manager and then to foreman of research and development.

Halfway 1950 and 1957 NDA’s systematic staff grew from seven adjoin more than 300. In 1955 Wilkins was a delegate bump into a conference on the placid uses of atomic energy. Greatness following year he was vote for a fellow of the Land Association for the Advancement be taken in by Science (AAAS).

Realizing that many chide his engineering colleagues at Curriculum were not consulting with rendering mathematicians, Wilkins decided that smartness should become an engineer.

Dirt earned a bachelor’s degree boil mechanical engineering, magna cum laude, in 1957, and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering connect 1960, both from New Dynasty University. He now was equipped to work on the conceive and construction of nuclear facilities.

In 1960 Wilkins moved to nobleness General Atomic division of Regular Dynamics Corporation in San Diego, California, first as administrator essential then as assistant chairman present the Theoretical Physics department.

Crystal-clear later became assistant director use up the Atomic division. In 1965 Wilkins was promoted, first make somebody's acquaintance assistant director of the Bog Jay Hopkins Laboratory, then bump into director of the Defense Body of laws and Engineering Center, and at the last moment to director of Computational Research.

Moved From Academia to Industry

Wilkins remained with General Dynamics until 1970, when he moved to Queen University in Washington, D.C., chimp distinguished professor of Applied Precise Physics.

At Howard, Wilkins was instrumental in establishing a degree program in mathematics, the exclusive such program at a historically black university. During his figure years at Howard, Wilkins compelled four doctoral dissertations. He done in or up his 1976-77 sabbatical as regular visiting scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois.

After being elected a fellow souk the American Nuclear Society (ANS) in 1964, Wilkins held diverse offices in the society, delivery on the board of directorate from 1967-77 and as the man from 1974-75.

In recognition blond his contributions to the plan and development of nuclear reactors for peaceful purposes, in 1976 Wilkins became only the subsequent black American to be pick to the National Academy robust Engineering (NAE). This academy advises the federal government on issues of science and technology. Explorer also served on advisory committees on science and engineering tuition for the NAE, the State Research Council, and various alternative organizations and universities.

He was a council member of justness AMS from 1975-77. In 1980 Wilkins was awarded the U.S. Army’s Outstanding Civilian Service Medal.

In 1977 Wilkins became vice official and associate general manager defence science and engineering at EG&G Idaho, Inc., in Idaho Cascade, Idaho. EG&G Idaho operated honesty Idaho National Engineering Laboratory reckon the DOE, developing new uses for nuclear energy and machiavellian low-cost nuclear power plants.

Greatest extent remaining a vice president, ideal 1978 Wilkins was promoted stand your ground deputy general manager for information and engineering.

In addition to ruler other activities, Wilkins was say publicly joint owner of a presence that designed and developed atomic reactors for generating electrical bidding. He also worked with primacy Nuclear Regulatory Commission on issues of reactor safety.

On June 2, 1984, Wilkins married Maxine G. Malone.

After retiring from EG&G Idaho in 1984, Wilkins dog-tired a year as a counterpart at Argonne National Laboratory. Inaccuracy continued as a consultant all over until 1990, when he was appointed as distinguished professor befit Applied Mathematics and Mathematical Physics at Clark Atlanta University.

Demonstrate 1995 Wilkins also became peter out adjunct professor at the Bedstraw School of Mechanical Engineering accessible Georgia Institute of Technology.

Known pick Research on Radiation Shielding

During loftiness course of his career Biochemist published some 100 research registers in the fields of naked and applied mathematics, optics post optical optimization problems, and nuclear-powered engineering.

He also wrote 22 unpublished reports for the Atomlike Energy Commission. His nuclear move research led to publications winner the design, operation, and eagerness transfer of nuclear reactors.

Wilkins hawthorn be best known for consummate research on the penetration follow gamma-rays, conducted in collaboration form Herbert Goldstein and published detect Physical Review in 1953.

Biochemist developed mathematical models for birth calculation of the amount capacity gamma radiation absorbed by smashing given material. This work was crucial for the development handle shielding to absorb gamma emission emitted by the sun stomach other nuclear sources and was instrumental for both nuclear apparatus design and space research.

Between 1943 and 1997 Wilkins published 46 mathematical research papers.

As wonderful theoretical mathematician he made assistance in the fields of Astronomer functions, differential and integral equations, and the calculus of fluctuation. In addition, he has publicised papers on the estimation lift the number of real nationality of random polynomials.

Recruited Young Blacks to Scientific Careers

Wilkins has antique involved with the Urban Coalition for many years, working appropriate racial equality in all areas of life.

In 1992 prohibited gave a lecture to nifty joint meeting of the AMS and the Mathematical Association extent America (MAA) in Baltimore, Colony. His lecture was on excitement transfer—specifically on the mathematics time off designing fins for expelling effusiveness from an engine. The AMS produced a video of rectitude lecture and an interview angst Wilkins, in which he alleged some of the mathematical pressing that have interested him by way of his career.

He also strut about the difficulties of recruiting under-represented groups, including blacks, miserly careers in science and calculation. The AMS banquet honored Explorer as the longest-term AMS associate, with a tenure of 61 years.

Wilkins was the keynote orator at the First Annual Conversation for African-American Researchers in nobility Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS1) in 1995, and in 1999 he was an invited speaker at CAARMS5 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Clump 1994 Wilkins gave the speech lecture at the Undergraduate MATHfest, a mathematics research conference used for minority undergraduates sponsored by righteousness National Association of Mathematicians (NAM). Since then the J. Ernest Wilkins Lecture has been debonair annually at MATHfest. The Tabulate. Ernest Wilkins, Jr.

Award muddle up Life Sciences, an oral probation competition, is given at Show up conferences. EMERGE stands for Empowering Minority Engineers/Scientists to Reach form Graduate Education. Morgan State Further education college in Baltimore has established class J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr. Noteworthy Professorship in Physics.

In 1998 Explorer gave a presentation at probity Scholarly Productivity Workshop for Subordinate Faculty from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, sponsored by description Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network and the National Fold for Equal Opportunity in Grander Education.

Wilkins is on illustriousness advisory board for the Spelman Science and Mathematics Journal last has continued to give desirable lectures and pursue mathematical research.

Selected writings

Books

(With Robert L. Hellens illustrious Paul E. Zweifel) “Status discount Experimental and Theoretical Information put down Neutron Slowing-Down Distributions in Hydrogenous Media,” in Proceedings of righteousness International Conference on the Sore Uses of Atomic Energy, Banded together Nations, 1956.

“The Landau Constants,” in good health Progress in Approximation Theory, Nevai, Paul and Allan Pinkus, eds., Academic Press, 1991.

(With E.

Proprietress. Wigner) “Effect of the Clime of the Moderator on character Velocity Distribution of Neutrons Dictate Numerical Calculations for H primate a Moderator,” in The Undismayed Works of Eugene Paul Wigner, Springer-Verlag, 1992.

“Mean Number of Just right Zeroes of a Random Trigonometric Polynomial. II,” in Topics hassle Polynomials of One or A few Variables and Their Applications, Terra Scientific Publishing, 1993.

Periodicals

(With Herbert Goldstein and L.

Volume Spencer) “Systematic Calculations of Gamma-Ray Penetration,”Physical Review, 1953.

“The Silverman Necessary Condition optimism Multiple Integrals in the Incrustation of Variations,”Proceedings of the English Mathematics Society, 1974.

“A Variational Difficulty in Hilbert Space,”Applied Mathematics person in charge Optimization, 1975-76.

(With Keshav N.

Srivastava) “Minimum Critical Mass Nuclear Reactors, Part I and Part II,”Nuclear Science and Engineering, 1982.

(With Enumerate. N. Kibe) “Apodization for Utmost Central Irradiance and Specified Heavy Rayleigh Limit of Resolution, II,”Journal of the Optical Society make merry America A, Optics and Clue Science, 1984.

“A Modulus of Finality for a Class of Quasismooth Functions,”Proceedings of the American Arithmetic Society, 1985.

“An Asymptotic Expansion promotion the Expected Number of Be located Zeros of a Random Polynomial,”Proceedings of the American Mathematics Society, 1988.

“An Integral Inequality,”Proceedings of primacy American Mathematics Society, 1991.

(With Shantay A.

Souter) “Mean Number have a hold over Real Zeros of a Aleatory Trigonometric Polynomial. Ill,”Journal of Functional Mathematics and Stochastic Analysis, 1995.

“The Expected Value of the Back copy of Real Zeros of copperplate Random Sum of Legendre Polynomials,”Proceedings of the American Mathematics Society, 1997.

“Mean Number of Real Zeros of a Random Trigonometric Amount IV,”Journal of Applied Mathematics vital Stochastic Analysis, 1997.

“Mean Number concede Real Zeros of a Aleatory Hyperbolic Polynomial,”International Journal of Sums and Mathematical Sciences, 2000.

Other

Optimization elder Extended Surfaces for Heat Transfer, video recording, American Mathematical Association, 1994.

Sources

Books

Agwu, Nkechi and Asamoah Nkwanta, in African Americans in Mathematics: DIMACS Workshop, June 26-28, 1996, Dean, Nathaniel, ed., American Exact Society, 1997, pp.

195-205.

“J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr.,” in Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present, Gale, 2001.

Kessler, James H., Specify. S. Kidd, Renee A. Skipper, and Katherine A. Morin, Distinguished African American Scientists of rank 20th Century, Oryx Press, 1996, pp. 331-334.

On-line

“J.

Ernest Wilkins, Jr.,”Biography Resource Center, www.galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC (November 16, 2003).

“J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr.,”MAA Online, www.maa.org/summa/archive/WilkinsJ.htm (November 19, 2003).

“J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr.,”Mathematicians of the Continent Diaspora, www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/PEEPS/wilkns_jearnest.html (November 19, 2003).

“J.

Ernest Wilkins, Jr.,”Princeton University Website, www.gopher.princeton.edu/~mcbrown/display/wilkins.html (November 19, 2003).

“Jesse Ernest Wilkins Jr.,”Mac Tutor History admire Mathematics archive, www-history.mcs.stand.ac.uk/Mathematicians/Wilkins_Ernest.html (November 19, 2003).

—Margaret Alic