John McNeile Hunter facts for kids

Dr. John McNeile Hunter (born January 23, 1901 – died July 1979) was an American scientist. He was a physicist and a chemist. Dr. Hunter was also the third African American to earn a PhD in physics in the United States.

He spent his entire career teaching physics at Virginia State College. This school is now called Virginia State University. It is a historically Black college in Petersburg, Virginia. Dr. Hunter started the college's physics department. He was also its first leader. Virginia State College had one of the first physics programs at a historically Black college. Dr. Hunter's research focused on thermionics, which is about how electrons are released from heated materials.

Early Life and School

John M. Hunter was born on January 23, 1901, in Woodville, Texas. He was the oldest son of John Alexander Hunter and Dr. Mary Evelyn Victoria Hunter. His mother, Dr. M.E.V. Hunter, was also a very accomplished person. She was the first Black woman to get a master's degree from Iowa State University. Later, she started and led the home economics department at Virginia State College. She taught there from 1931 until she retired in 1955. John's father, John Alexander Hunter, used to be a school principal. Interestingly, Dr. M.E.V. Hunter had been one of his students.

John M. Hunter grew up in La Porte, Texas, and in Jennings Island, Texas. His father started a ranch there. John and his brother were taught at home by their father. This continued until John was in the sixth grade. Then, he had to travel about 2.5 miles across open water to reach his classroom in La Porte. He finished his high school education at the Prairie View State Normal and Industrial College. This school is now known as Prairie View A&M University. There, he earned both a high school diploma and a teaching certificate.

College and Advanced Degrees

In 1924, Hunter received his bachelor's degree. He studied electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). MIT is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He then continued his studies at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He earned a master's degree in physics in 1927. In 1937, he completed his PhD in physics.

When he received his PhD, he made history. He became the third African American person to earn a PhD in physics in the United States. The first was Edward Alexander Bouchet in 1876 from Yale University. The second was Elmer Samuel Imes in 1918 from the University of Michigan. Dr. Hunter's doctoral paper at Cornell was titled "The Anomalous Schottky Effect for Oxygenated Tungsten."

Career and Teaching

In 1925, while still working on his master's degree, Dr. Hunter began teaching. He joined Virginia State College in Petersburg, Virginia. He started as an instructor for electrical wiring. He also worked as an operator for the college's power plant. When Dr. Hunter first started teaching, Virginia State did not have a physics department yet.

Dr. Hunter worked hard to create the college's physics department. He eventually became a physics professor. He was also the first leader of the physics department. He took on other important jobs too. He served as the dean of the graduate school. He was also the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Mentoring Future Scientists

During his career, Dr. Hunter taught and guided many students. He mentored almost 4,000 Black physics and engineering students. Two of his notable students were Herman Branson and Rutherford H. Adkins. Herman Branson earned his bachelor's degree in physics from Virginia State in 1936. He later became a famous physicist and president of Lincoln University. Rutherford H. Adkins also studied at Virginia State. He later became president of Fisk University.

By 1973, during Dr. Hunter's time as head of the physics department, 65 students completed physics majors. Also, 10 students from Virginia State College earned PhDs in physics. Dr. Hunter officially retired in June 1968. He was honored in a special ceremony for his amazing service to the college. James C. Davenport took over as the leader of the Virginia State physics department after him.

Recognition and Legacy

In December 1972, Dr. Hunter was one of the first people honored at the first Day of Scientific Lectures and Seminars (DOSLAS). This event took place at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Donald Edwards and Dr. Halson V. Eagleson were also honored. These meetings helped start what would become the National Society of Black Physicists in 1977. Dr. Hunter later became a fellow of this society after it was created.

In 1971, Virginia State College named a building after Dr. John Hunter. It was called the Hunter-McDaniel Building. It was also named for Dr. Reuben R. McDaniel, Sr. He was a long-time mathematics professor and acting dean at Virginia State. The building first held all the science departments on campus. Today, it is home to Virginia State University's chemistry, nursing, and psychology departments. In 1973, Dr. Hunter received a Distinguished Service Citation. This award came from the American Association of Physics Teachers.

Personal Life

Dr. Hunter was married to E. Louise Stokes Hunter. She was also a remarkable person. She was the first Black woman to earn a graduate degree from the University of Virginia. She received her doctorate in education in 1953. Louise Stokes Hunter later joined the faculty at Virginia State College. She was a professor of mathematics there. This is where she met John M. Hunter. They got married in 1929. They had one daughter, Jean Hunter (1938-2011). Jean attended Virginia State College and Howard University. She later became a research psychologist.