William R. Busing *49

William Busing, a retired senior research staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), died April 14, 2016. He was 92.

He graduated from Swarthmore College in 1943 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He then served in the Navy. After the war, he earned a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1949 from Princeton, after which he did postdoctoral work at Brown. In 1954, Busing joined the research staff of the ORNL, and retired in 1990.

At ORNL, Busing’s work attained worldwide recognition for his pioneering development of computer programs to analyze the structure of crystalline materials and to automate X-ray diffraction measurements upon which studies of crystals are based. Reportedly, his work on a least-squares computer program for interpreting X-ray diffraction has been cited more than 3,000 times. He had been president of the American Crystallographic Association.

Among his community activities, Busing worked to improve the parity of mental-health care in Tennessee insurance policies. In 2008, he received the Ray Sinor “Ray of Hope” Award for his efforts to improve the treatment and lives of the mentally ill.

Busing was predeceased by Judy, his wife of almost 60 years. He is survived by three children, three grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.