Elmer Imes
Elmer Samuel Imes ( born October 12, 1883 in Memphis ( Tennessee), † September 11, 1941 in New York ) was an American physicist.
Life
Imes - as a son of Elizabeth Wallace and Benjamin A. Imes African-American ethnicity - attended the Grammar School in Oberlin (Ohio ) and the College of Agriculture and Technology in Norman (Alabama ). Then he studied until 1903 in Nashville at Fisk University, which was founded in 1866 for African-American students. After graduating, he taught at the Alabama Normal University mathematics and physics, but returned in 1913 to the Fisk University back to his master's degree in physics (1915 ) to make.
In 1918, Imes received his doctorate at the University of Michigan in physics at Randall Harrison ( 1870-1969 ). Randall had studied with Friedrich Paschen in Tübingen and built at the University a center for infrared spectroscopy. Imes was one of his best students. In November, published in 1919, Imes in the Astrophysical Journal from his dissertation research on the absorption of infrared radiation at some covalent gases. With this release Imes created a scientific basis for the development of infrared spectroscopy, to which he also contributed through the development of infrared spectrometers. At the same time were his and Randall. detailed spectra of simple molecules ( molecules with typical additional rotational, and vibrational bands in the infrared range ) evidence of the then located by Niels Bohr and others in their early quantum mechanics. Imes and Randall showed work that quantum theory is not only to atomic spectra, but also in more complex systems ( with radiation in other regions of the spectrum ) was applicable. They also provided early evidence of the isotope shift in the spectra. In the United States at that time was also William Coblentz at Cornell University, a pioneer of infrared spectroscopy.
Imes than African-Americans could not at that time his abilities adequate university career hit and went as an advisory physicist and industrial physicists in the New York area. In 1922 he was a research physicist at the Federal Engineers Development Corporation, from 1924 at the Burrows Magnetic Equipment Corporation and from 1927 a research engineer at EA Everett signal Supplies. This work led to four patents to his name, but not satisfied Imes, so that he returned again in 1930 as a physics professor at the Fisk University. He devoted himself to teaching and research on infrared spectroscopy and magnetic materials, over which he had collected during his time as an industrial physicist experiences.
Imes is considered the first black physicist who made important contributions to modern physics and overall was only the second African-American, was awarded a Ph.D. in physics in the United States.
On May 3, 1919 married Elmer Imes and the African- American writer Nella Larsen. With it, he was in New York City part of the cultural boom of African-American intellectuals ( Harlem Renaissance ). The marriage was divorced in 1933, after the couple had already temporarily disconnected. Since both were nationally known African-American intellectuals, led to divorce at Fisk University, where Imes had now entered into a relationship with the manager of the famous Fisk Jubilee Singers, a scandal.