Professor Hausman was a beloved faculty member in the Department of Physics for many years. In fact, one of his students, Norm Gearhart and his late wife, Carolyn Piper, endowed an office in the Physics Research Building in his honor. Following are his obituary and some memories former Chair, Les Blatt, provided us for use in preparing the Resolution in Memorial for the Board of Trustees.
Hershel J. Hausman, Ph.D. passed away on August 5, 2015 in West Palm Beach, Florida at the age of 91. Hersh was born on August 19, 1923 to David and Sophie Hausman in Pittsburgh, PA. In 1942 at 18, Hersh enlisted in the Army Air Corp. and as a 1st Lieutenant in the 8th Air Force Bomber Group based in England, successfully piloted his “Buffalo Gal” B-24 bomber on 22 missions over the European Continent. On September 22, 1934, Hersh was honorable discharged from the service with numerous medals and citations. Upon his return to Pittsburgh after the war, Hersh attended Carnegie Mellon University where he received his N.S. and Master’s degrees in Nuclear Physics, followed by a Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. Hersh joined the faculty of The Ohio State University in 1952 and served as the supervisor of the Cyclotron Laboratory and later the Van de Graaff Laboratory until his retirement in
B-24 “Buffalo Gal”
1989. Hersh was a member of the American Association of University Professors, the American Institute of Physics, Sigma Pi Sigma, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Hersh was also a former member of Congregation Tifereth Israel in Columbus, Ohio. He is survived by Korene, his loving wife of 71 years; three children, Herb, Sally (Eli), Will (Kate); sister, Evelyn Morris; sister-in-law, Rosalyn Stein; and four grandchildren, David, Alyse, Julianna and Mathew; as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his younger brother Jack Hausman and older sister Reva Rolnick. A Memorial service was held at Beth Israel Memorial Chapel on Friday, August 14, followed by an Honor Military funeral at the South Florida Veterans Cemetery in Lake Worth. Contributions in Dr. Hausman’s honor may be sent to Hospice of Palm Beach County or the charity of your choice.
Les Blatt’s memories:
Under Hersh’s steady leadership, the Van de Graaff Laboratory was an important center of low-energy nuclear physics research for nearly three decades. During most of that time, there were typically five associated faculty (with occasional changes due to retirements, new hirings, and the like), a couple of postdoctoral research associates, a full-scale machine shop with its own dedicated machinist, a state-of-the-art electronics lab led by a full-time engineer, and an accelerator maintenance expert. Students doing their graduate research at the lab all became proficient in each of these areas as part of their introduction to current research problems and techniques. The laboratory research program was supported by National Science Foundation continuing and renewal grants for this entire period. Every faculty member – and even an occasional postdoc or two — were encouraged to develop their own research programs, but collaborations were frequent and productive, especially toward the end of this period, when portions of the research work shifted to “user mode” at the higher-energies that became available at the Indiana University Cyclotron Facility.
Hersh always kept himself in excellent physical condition, and he was a fearsome competitor at golf, volleyball (the court was right behind the Van de Graaff Lab), and, most especially, tennis. In doubles, you always wanted Hersh to be your partner, and if you faced him in singles, you could only hope that he would show a colleague some mercy (but, in the world of Hausman tennis, a rare event!)
For many years, Hersh was the department’s mainstay in the teaching of the non-calculus introductory physics sequence, typically taken by pre-medical and other pre-health-professional students. In this role, he was both loved and feared. He was gentle and fair, and his lectures sparkled with a great sense of humor as well as a deep conviction of the importance of the material to future health professionals. But his standards were high and inflexible; you eventually learned and understood the material, with lots of help if necessary, or you got the low grade you had earned. There were no “free passes” to medical school from Hershel Hausman!