27 Facts About Ross Gunn

Ross Gunn was an American physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II.

From 1927 to 1947, Gunn worked at the Naval Research Laboratory.

Ross Gunn was the author of over 28 papers, and received 45 patents.

Ross Gunn designed radio devices for controlling aircraft, which were used in the development of the first drones.

Ross Gunn was one of the first to appreciate the possibility of using nuclear power for submarine propulsion.

Ross Gunn was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 12,1897, the son of R D A Gunn, a physician, and his wife Lora Conner Gunn.

Ross Gunn was one of four children, with an older brother and sister and a younger brother.

Ross Gunn's parents had a set of twins who died at birth.

Ross Gunn attended Oberlin High School, from which he graduated in 1915, and then attended Oberlin College for two years.

Ross Gunn returned to his studies when the war ended, his income supplemented by work as an instructor, and received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Michigan in 1920.

Ross Gunn then studied physics there, earning a Master of Science in 1921.

Ross Gunn started work on his doctorate, but became bored, and accepted an offer from the Army to work at McCook Field as an aircraft radio research engineer.

Ross Gunn developed various forms of aircraft instrumentation, participated in a number of cross-country instrument flights, and designed radio devices for controlling aircraft, for which he received the first of 45 patents that he would eventually accumulate.

In September 1923, Gunn married Gladys J Rowley, an Oberlin College alumna.

Ross Gunn earned his doctorate there in 1926, writing his thesis on "Three New Methods in Electrical Measurements".

Ross Gunn could choose his own topics of research, and chose to study natural phenomena such as cosmic rays and terrestrial and solar magnetism.

Ross Gunn was impressed by the possibility of utilizing nuclear power to propel ships, particularly submarines, as nuclear power would not require oxygen.

Thermal diffusion was not initially regarded as very promising, but Ross Gunn was impressed by Philip Abelson's efforts on it.

Ross Gunn recruited Abelson, who became a Navy employee in June 1941, and the Navy pressed ahead with thermal diffusion, constructing a pilot plant at Anacostia in June 1941.

Ross Gunn was a member of the Uranium Committee that coordinated the early Army, Navy and civilian research efforts, but as the Manhattan Project ramped up in 1942, the NRL effort became dwarfed and sidelined, and the NRL was no longer informed of the Army's progress.

Ross Gunn was awarded the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award by the Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal, on September 4,1945.

Once the war was over, Ross Gunn returned to the proposal to use nuclear energy to power submarines.

Ross Gunn organized a symposium at NRL on November 19,1945.

Ross Gunn left the NRL for the United States Weather Bureau in February 1947.

Ross Gunn was director of the United States Air Force-Weather Bureau Cloud Physics Project from 1947 to 1949, and was a member of the Air Force's Scientific Advisory Board from 1948 to 1953.

Ross Gunn was a consultant for the United States Atomic Energy Commission from 1958 to 1965.

Ross Gunn remained in this job until his death there on October 15,1966.