Polykarp Kusch (; January 26, 1911 – March 20, 1993) was a German–American physicist who shared the 1955 Nobel Prize in Physics with Willis Eugene Lamb for his accurate determination that the electron magnetic moment was greater than its theoretical value, thus leading to reconsideration of and innovations in quantum electrodynamics.

Biography

Polykarp Kusch was born on January 26, 1911, in Blankenburg, Germany, the son of John Mathias Kusch, a Lutheran

missionary, and Henrietta van der Haas. In 1912, Kusch and his family emigrated to the United States, where he naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1922.

After graduating from grade school in the Midwest, Kusch attended Case Institute of Technology (CIT) in Cleveland, Ohio (now Case Western Reserve University), where he majored in physics. After graduating from CIT with a B.S. in 1931, Kusch entered the University of Illinois, from which he received his M.S. in 1933. He continued his education at the same alma mater, studying under Francis Wheeler Loomis. For his work in the field of optical molecular spectroscopy, he received his Ph.D. in 1936.

In 1937, Kusch moved to Columbia University, where he spent much of his career as a professor and served as its provost for one year in 1970–1971. He worked on molecular beam resonance studies under I. I. Rabi, then discovered the electron anomalous magnetic moment. Many measurements of magnetic moments and hyperfine structure followed. He expanded into chemical physics and continued to publish research on molecular beams. In 1972, he left Columbia to become a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, remaining there until his retirement in 1982.

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| 1956

| National Academy of Sciences

| Emeritus

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| 1959

| American Academy of Arts and Sciences

| Member

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| 1967

| American Philosophical Society

| Member

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Awards

{| class="wikitable"

! Year

! Organization

! Award

! Citation

!

|-

| 1955

| Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

| Nobel Prize in Physics

| "For his precision determination of the magnetic moment of the electron."

|