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Home > Outreach > Vanvleck > 1997

Charles P. Slichter, the twenty-second Van Vleck Lecturer, is Center for Advanced Study Professor of Physics and Chemistry, at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Professor Slichter has been recognized with numerous awards throughout his career, most recently receiving the Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Physics Prize by the American Physical Society in 1996. Professor Slichter is a pioneer in the development of magnetic resonance and its applications to problems in condensed matter physics, chemistry, and surface science and technology. He has made important discoveries about both the normal and superconducting states of superconducting materials. Among his other contributions are the first measurements of the Pauli spin susceptibility, introduction of phase sensitive detection to pulsed NMR and its use to detect weak signals, studies of charge density waves and of the Kondo effect, first demonstration of dynamic nuclear polarization (the Overhauser effect), co-discovery of J-coupling in molecules, theory of flourine chemical shifts, theory of the effects of chemical exchange on NMR spectra and the study of catalysis NMR.

In addition to being a distinguished scientist, Professor Slichter's long term personal relationship with the Van Vleck family makes him an ideal speaker for this lecture series. Professor Slichter's grandfather, in his first official act as Head of the Math Department at the University of Wisconsin, hired John Van Vleck's father, Edward, to be Professor of Mathematics in 1906. Slichter's parents became close friends with Abigail and John Van Vleck and lived a few blocks away from each other in Cambridge, often reminiscing about their Madison days. Professor Slichter attended Harvard University receiving an A.B. degree in 1946, M.A. 1947; and Ph.D. 1949. John Van Vleck served as Slichter's undergraduate adviser and encouraged him to continue his graduate studies at Harvard, suggesting he contact Edward Purcell about a thesis topic on electron spin resonance of paramagnetic atoms.

Professor Slichter joined the University of Illinois as an Instructor in 1949, appointed as Assistant Professor, 1951, Associate Professor, 1954 and Professor, 1955. He was named Center for Advanced Study Professor, 1968 and Professor of Chemistry, 1986. He has been the thesis adviser for over 60 students, many of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in academia, industry, or government. His book Principles of Magnetic Resonance is now in its third edition.

Professor Slichter, in addition to the APS Buckley Prize, has received a Sloan Fellowship, 1955-61; APS Langmuir Prize in Chemical Physics, 1969; International Society of Magnetic Resonance Triennial Prize, 1986; and the National Academy of Science Comstock Prize, 1993. He has received honorary degrees from Harvard and the University of Waterloo. Slichter has served on a number of Presidential and Industrial Advisory Committees throughout his career. He was a member of the Corporation of Harvard University, 1970-95 and on the Board of the National Science Foundation, 1976-84. Slichter was elected member of the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.