Arthur Thorpe (physicist) facts for kids

Arthur Nathaniel "Pete" Thorpe (born April 26, 1933 – died June 30, 2015) was an important American scientist. He was a physicist and a professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. Dr. Thorpe was one of the first students to earn a PhD in physics from Howard. He also created a special program to help students at other historically Black colleges and universities study physics. His work focused on how materials behave, especially solid materials. He also studied materials that could be used in space and special superconductors.

Early Life and School

Arthur Thorpe was born on April 26, 1933, in Durham, North Carolina. His parents were Chester Thorpe and Maggie Beasley. He grew up in Durham and went to Hillside High School. He finished high school in 1950.

In 1954, he earned his first degree from Howard University in Washington, D.C.. That same year, he joined the United States Air Force. He was a fighter pilot until 1958. After serving in the Air Force, he went back to Howard University. He earned his master's degree in 1959. In 1964, he received his PhD in physics.

At Howard, he studied with Dr. Herman R. Branson. Dr. Branson had started the graduate physics program there. Dr. Thorpe's PhD paper was about the "Magnetic Properties of Pd,Pd-H, and Pd-D." He was the second student to get a physics PhD from Howard. The first was Titus Pankey in 1962.

A Career in Physics

After finishing his PhD, Dr. Thorpe became an assistant professor at Howard University. From 1969 to 1971, he was the assistant dean of the graduate school. In 1971, he became a full professor of physics. He also led the physics department from 1971 to 1979.

Between 1964 and 1975, he worked with the United States Geological Survey. He often published scientific papers with a geophysicist named Frank E. Senftle.

Helping Students Learn Physics

As a professor, Dr. Thorpe helped start the Cooperative Education Physics (CEP) program. This program at Howard University aimed to bring advanced physics lessons to other historically Black colleges and universities. Dr. Thorpe, along with Dr. Leslie Speller and Anne Cooke, got money for this program. He was its director from 1974 to 1980.

The program helped students at colleges that did not offer a physics degree. These students could take basic physics classes at their own school. The partner schools received money for physics labs and to pay professors. Then, students would spend two summers at Howard University. There, they took advanced physics courses. They would then get their physics degree from their home university.

The program started with 12 partner universities. It grew to include about 40 schools. Over 100 students took part in the program. Their tuition at Howard, travel, and living costs were all paid for. Dr. Thorpe and Dr. Speller would visit the partner schools often. Sometimes, Dr. Thorpe would even fly physics equipment in his own private plane!

Research and Later Career

In 1993, Dr. Thorpe became the director of Howard University's Center for the Study of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Atmospheres (CSTEA). This center was funded by NASA. A big part of its work was training students. Dr. Vernon R. Morris was the center's deputy director.

During his career, Dr. Thorpe wrote over 93 articles. These were published in important science journals. Some of these journals include the Journal of Geophysical Research and Science. He continued to teach at Howard University until he passed away in 2015.

Personal Life

Dr. Thorpe was married to Wanda Thorpe. They had five children together.

He was also a very skilled pilot and air mechanic. He kept flying and working on planes after he left the Air Force. For part of his time at Howard, he would fly his personal plane from North Carolina to campus. He was also involved with Wheeler Airlines. This was the first Black-owned airline in the U.S. to be approved by the FAA.