Allen Shenstone
Encyclopedia
Allen Goodrich Shenstone, OBE
(July 27, 1893 – February 16, 1980) was a Canadian
physicist
. He earned bachelor's
, master's
, and Ph.D.
degrees from Princeton University
, as well as a Bachelor of Arts
from the University of Cambridge
. After a brief stint as a junior faculty member at the University of Toronto
, he returned to Princeton, where he was a professor in the Department of Physics 1925–62. He chaired the department 1949–60. He worked primarily in the field of atomic spectroscopy
. He was awarded the Military Cross
for his service in the Royal Engineers
in World War I
and made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his work as a scientific officer in World War II
.
July 27, 1893, the last of six children of Eliza Hara and Joseph Newton Shenstone. Joseph Shenstone was a senior executive of the Massey-Harris Company, a large manufacturer of agricultural equipment that later became Massey Ferguson
. All six siblings attended university, which was unusual at the time.
Shenstone married Molly Chadwick in 1923. They had three children, but only one survived to adulthood. This child, a son named Michael, produced three grandchildren. Molly died in 1967, and Allen was remarried two years later to Tiffin Harper.
in Toronto. In 1910 he enrolled at Princeton University
in the United States
, where he was the only Canadian of the 400 entering students and was a close friend of Allen Dulles. He graduated magna cum laude in 1914 and then spent two terms
at the Cavendish Laboratory
of the University of Cambridge
working on experiments under J. J. Thomson
and C. T. R. Wilson.
Shenstone left Cambridge in 1915 to serve in the Royal Engineers
in World War I
. He was commissioned in March 1915 and within months was commanding a company of 400 men building trenches
. He saw action at Passchendaele and the Hindenburg Line
, was promoted to Captain in September 1917, and received the Military Cross
. He served briefly with the British Army of the Rhine
and returned to Canada in August 1919.
In fall 1919, he returned to Princeton, where he and Henry DeWolf Smyth
were the only graduate students in physics. Shenstone struggled initially with returning to research after five years at war but was nonetheless awarded a prestigious fellowship. Princeton awarded him a Master of Arts
degree in 1920. From January to August 1921, he was back at the Cavendish Laboratory. This time he worked under Ernest Rutherford
on experiments related to radioactivity and earned a second Bachelor of Arts
from Cambridge. He completed his Ph.D.
at Princeton the following year, writing his dissertation on an experiment that attempted to show a connection between the Hall effect
and photoemission.
in 1922. Here he developed an interest in atomic spectroscopy
and performed his first experiments in the field. In 1925 he became an assistant professor at Princeton, where he spent the rest of his academic career. At Princeton he secured new research equipment and performed important experiments, establishing himself as a leader in optical spectroscopy. His work on the spectrum of copper
was particularly noteworthy. He was named the Class of 1909 Professor of Physics in 1938.
Shenstone returned to military service in World War II
, again using his scientific background. In November 1940 he moved to Ottawa
, where he served as Special Assistant to the President of the Canadian National Research Council. In this role he was a scientific liaison between Canada and the (still officially neutral) United States. In April 1942 he moved to London
, where he remained until the conclusion of the war working with other scientists on war-related projects. He was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in June 1943.
Returning to Princeton in 1945, Shenstone resumed his duties at the Department of Physics. He continued his research in spectroscopy, publishing on doubly ionized species. In 1946 he became a founding member of the National Research Council
's committee on line spectra of the elements; he chaired the committee 1961–65. In 1949 he succeeded Smyth as chairman of the physics department, a position he held until 1960. In 1950 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
. He retired from Princeton in 1962 but remained active, continuing his experiments until 1976 and publishing as late as 1977. In 1971 the Optical Society awarded him the William F. Meggers Award for his work in spectroscopy. He died February 16, 1980, in Princeton.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(July 27, 1893 – February 16, 1980) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
. He earned bachelor's
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, and Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
degrees from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, as well as a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. After a brief stint as a junior faculty member at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, he returned to Princeton, where he was a professor in the Department of Physics 1925–62. He chaired the department 1949–60. He worked primarily in the field of atomic spectroscopy
Atomic spectroscopy
Atomic spectroscopy is the determination of elemental composition by its electromagnetic or mass spectrum. Atomic spectroscopy is closely related to other forms of spectroscopy. It can be divided by atomization source or by the type of spectroscopy used. In the latter case, the main division is...
. He was awarded the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
for his service in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his work as a scientific officer in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Family
Shenstone was born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
July 27, 1893, the last of six children of Eliza Hara and Joseph Newton Shenstone. Joseph Shenstone was a senior executive of the Massey-Harris Company, a large manufacturer of agricultural equipment that later became Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson
Massey Ferguson Limited was a major agricultural equipment manufacturer which was based in Canada before its purchase by AGCO. The company was formed by a merger between Massey Harris and the Ferguson tractor company in 1953, creating the company Massey Harris Ferguson. However in 1958 the name was...
. All six siblings attended university, which was unusual at the time.
Shenstone married Molly Chadwick in 1923. They had three children, but only one survived to adulthood. This child, a son named Michael, produced three grandchildren. Molly died in 1967, and Allen was remarried two years later to Tiffin Harper.
Education and World War I
Shenstone attended Huron Street Public School and Harbord Collegiate InstituteHarbord Collegiate Institute
Harbord Collegiate Institute is a public secondary school located in downtown Toronto, Canada. Specifically, the school is located in the Palmerston-Little Italy/The Annex neighbourhood, situated on the north side of Harbord Street, between Euclid Ave. and Manning St...
in Toronto. In 1910 he enrolled at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he was the only Canadian of the 400 entering students and was a close friend of Allen Dulles. He graduated magna cum laude in 1914 and then spent two terms
Academic term
An academic term is a division of an academic year, the time during which a school, college or university holds classes. These divisions may be called terms...
at the Cavendish Laboratory
Cavendish Laboratory
The Cavendish Laboratory is the Department of Physics at the University of Cambridge, and is part of the university's School of Physical Sciences. It was opened in 1874 as a teaching laboratory....
of the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
working on experiments under J. J. Thomson
J. J. Thomson
Sir Joseph John "J. J." Thomson, OM, FRS was a British physicist and Nobel laureate. He is credited for the discovery of the electron and of isotopes, and the invention of the mass spectrometer...
and C. T. R. Wilson.
Shenstone left Cambridge in 1915 to serve in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was commissioned in March 1915 and within months was commanding a company of 400 men building trenches
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
. He saw action at Passchendaele and the Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in northeastern France during World War I. It was constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916–17. The line stretched from Lens to beyond Verdun...
, was promoted to Captain in September 1917, and received the Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
. He served briefly with the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
and returned to Canada in August 1919.
In fall 1919, he returned to Princeton, where he and Henry DeWolf Smyth
Henry DeWolf Smyth
Henry DeWolf "Harry" Smyth was an American physicist, diplomat, and bureaucrat who played a number of key roles in the early development of nuclear energy. Educated at Princeton University and the University of Cambridge, he was a faculty member in Princeton's Department of Physics from 1924 to...
were the only graduate students in physics. Shenstone struggled initially with returning to research after five years at war but was nonetheless awarded a prestigious fellowship. Princeton awarded him a Master of Arts
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts is a high academic degree offered at many universities in Europe and the United States.A Master of Arts, Magister Artium, or Magister in Artibus may also refer to:...
degree in 1920. From January to August 1921, he was back at the Cavendish Laboratory. This time he worked under Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford
Ernest Rutherford, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson OM, FRS was a New Zealand-born British chemist and physicist who became known as the father of nuclear physics...
on experiments related to radioactivity and earned a second Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Cambridge. He completed his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at Princeton the following year, writing his dissertation on an experiment that attempted to show a connection between the Hall effect
Hall effect
The Hall effect is the production of a voltage difference across an electrical conductor, transverse to an electric current in the conductor and a magnetic field perpendicular to the current...
and photoemission.
Academic career
Shenstone became a junior faculty member at the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
in 1922. Here he developed an interest in atomic spectroscopy
Atomic spectroscopy
Atomic spectroscopy is the determination of elemental composition by its electromagnetic or mass spectrum. Atomic spectroscopy is closely related to other forms of spectroscopy. It can be divided by atomization source or by the type of spectroscopy used. In the latter case, the main division is...
and performed his first experiments in the field. In 1925 he became an assistant professor at Princeton, where he spent the rest of his academic career. At Princeton he secured new research equipment and performed important experiments, establishing himself as a leader in optical spectroscopy. His work on the spectrum of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
was particularly noteworthy. He was named the Class of 1909 Professor of Physics in 1938.
Shenstone returned to military service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, again using his scientific background. In November 1940 he moved to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, where he served as Special Assistant to the President of the Canadian National Research Council. In this role he was a scientific liaison between Canada and the (still officially neutral) United States. In April 1942 he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he remained until the conclusion of the war working with other scientists on war-related projects. He was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in June 1943.
Returning to Princeton in 1945, Shenstone resumed his duties at the Department of Physics. He continued his research in spectroscopy, publishing on doubly ionized species. In 1946 he became a founding member of the National Research Council
National Research Council
National Research Council may refer to:* National Research Council , Canada's leading organization for scientific research and development...
's committee on line spectra of the elements; he chaired the committee 1961–65. In 1949 he succeeded Smyth as chairman of the physics department, a position he held until 1960. In 1950 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
. He retired from Princeton in 1962 but remained active, continuing his experiments until 1976 and publishing as late as 1977. In 1971 the Optical Society awarded him the William F. Meggers Award for his work in spectroscopy. He died February 16, 1980, in Princeton.