Robert Gail Mills ’45

Bob died Dec. 5, 2005, at Stony Brook Assisted Living in Pennington, N.J.

Although born in Illinois, he moved to Princeton in 1928 when his father, Gail, became controller of the University, and Bob entered the University from Princeton High School. He accelerated his studies during World War II and received a degree in electrical engineering summa cum laude in 1944. He also was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Bob served in the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and left Princeton long enough to obtain a master's from Michigan in 1947 and a doctorate in physics from the University of California, Berkeley in 1952. In 1954 he became one of the initial scientists working on Project Matterhorn, which researched fusion power.

Bob returned to Princeton and founded what later became the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. After retirement, he became a lecturer in the University's chemical engineering department with the rank of professor.

Bob's interests were eclectic: flying airplanes and sailplanes, photography, bowling, hiking, and reading mysteries. In 1946, he married the former Mary Steer, who pre-deceased him.

He is survived by his daughter, Susan Mills Kifuthu; son Robert W.; and six grandchildren. The class expresses sympathy to all.

The Class of 1945