William John Kossler *64

Jack died Dec. 9, 2021, in his sleep in Williamsburg, Va. 

He was born March 26, 1937, in Charleston, S.C. After completing undergraduate studies at MIT in 1959, he entered Princeton and earned a doctorate in physics in 1964. 

Jack was as an assistant professor at MIT for three years, then taught physics at the College of William & Mary from 1969 to 2012. 

Jack’s career was unusual. He straddled two subfields of physics — one concerned with the particles that make up the universe, and the other with the properties of solid matter. 

His research focused on the particle known as the muon, which lives only a couple of microseconds before it decays spontaneously into fragments. Eventually a practical use was found for muons in the study of solids such as metals and crystals. Jack traveled the world to work and test hypotheses at different particle accelerators. Thanks to Jack’s creativity and versatility, he became a pioneer in a hybrid branch of physics called muon spin rotation, which has aided greatly in the understanding of superconductors.

Predeceased by his wife, Margaret, Jack is survived by sons Neil, Bill, and Paul; two grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.