Robert Henry Dicke ’39

When Bob died Mar. 4, 1997, of complications from Parkinson's disease, we lost a most distinguished classmate, and the world of science lost a widely admired and acclaimed physicist. Bob was the first Albert Einstein U. Professor of Science, a chair created at Princeton in 1975. The focus of his life work was the study of gravity. He was an early believer in the Big Bang theory and predicted its echoes could still be found. He was building a radio antenna to test that idea when two other investigators discovered the echo by accident. They were later awarded the Nobel Prize, and many physicists thought that Bob had been unfairly excluded. But the Nobel is given for discovery not theory. Dr. Bahcall of the Institute for Advanced Study noted that Bob made an incredible range of contributions to many different aspects of physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. During WWII, he contributed to the development of radar at MIT. In 1970 he was appointed to the National Science Board by Pres. Nixon, who awarded him the National Medal of Science the next year.

Bob and Annie Currie, married in 1942, had a daughter, Nancy, sons John and James, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. In admiring farewell we salute our honored friend and join with Annie and her family in gratitude for the life he shared with us.

The Class of 1939