Chien-Shiung Wu
Personal Information
Born: 1912
Died: 1997
Country of Birth: China
Nationality: Asian/American
Ethnicity: Asian
Education
National Central University (now Nanjing University) BA Physics 1934; UC Berkeley PhD Physics 1940
Professional Life
Field of Study: Physics
Institution/Corporation: UC Berkeley; Smith College; Princeton University; Columbia University
Degrees & Memberships: Honorary Degrees: Princeton University (1958) Smith College (1959) Dickinson College (1975) USC (1982) Yale University (1967) Chinese University of Hong Kong (1969) Harvard University (1974) University of Albany Columbia University (1982) National Central University (1989); Member: Phi Beta Kappa (1940) Fellow American Physical Society (1948) US National Academy of Sciences (1958) Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1969) Chinese Academy of Sciences (1994)
Awards & Achievements
Awards: 1978, Wolf Prize in Physics; 1975, National Medal of Science for Physical Science; 1964, Comstock Prize in Physics, National Academy of Sciences; 1975, Tom W. Bonner Prize, American Physical Society; 1959, Achievement Award, American Association of Women; 1959, Research Corporation Award; 1962, John Price Wetherile Medal, Franklin Institute; 1962, Woman of the Year Award, American Association of University Women; 1965, Chi-Tsin Achievement Award, Chi-Tsin Culture Foundation; 1974, Scientist of the Year Award, Industrial Research Magazine; 1981, Woman of the Year Award, St. Vincent Culture Foundation; Lifetime Achievement Award, Radcliffe College, Harvard University; 1984, Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement; 1985, Blue cloud Award, Institute of China; 1986, Ellis Island Medal of Honor; 1986, Mayor's Award of Honor, NYC; 1991, Pupin Medal, Columbia University; 1992, Science for Peace Prize, Ettore Majorana Center for Scientific Culture in Erice Italy; 1998, National Women's Hall of Fame; 2020, named 1 of 100 Women of the Year, Time magazine; a foundation, street at CERN, college & buildings in China, awards, schools, a museum, 2021 US postage stamp, 2021 USPS Forever stamp, & asteroid are named for her
Achievements: A particle & experimental physicist she made significant contributions to the field of nuclear & particle physics; 1966 with Steven Moszkowski wrote "Beta Decay" the 1st textbook on the topic & the standard reference; conducted experiments on Mossbauer spectroscopy & its application in the study of sickle-cell anemia; 1960s, did research on magnetism; worked on Bell's theorem confirming the orthodox interpretation of quantum mechanics
Worked on the Manhattan Project; helped develop the process for separating uranium into uranium-235 & uranium-238 isotopes by gaseous diffusion
Known for the Wu Experiment which proved parity was not conserved
Was likely denied the Nobel Prize for Physics due to sexism; colleagues Tsung-Dao Lee & Chin-Ning Yang won it in 1957
Her nicknames include "First Lady of Physics," "the "Chinese Madame Curie," & the "Queen of Nuclear Research"
She was very close to her father, an engineer who encouraged women's equality, was an activist in the revolution led by Sun Yat-sen; he led a militia & sought out girls to join his new school which Chien attended
At age 10 was sent to a boarding school 50 miles from her home
Her habit was to self-study, reading books on subjects that interested her in order to gain additional knowledge
Was active in student politics; led protests & a sit-in at the Presidential Palace in Nanjing
An uncle provided the funds for her to attend the University of Michigan & she left for the US in 1936; never again saw her parents; wasn't allowed back into China to visit remaining family until 1970s
Was shocked by sexism in America, especially at University of Michigan; transferred to UC Berkeley & ultimately to Caltech
Was an authority on beta decay
Became a US citizen in 1954
Was asked by many other physicists to design & conduct experiments to test their theories
1975, met with President Ford & requested he form an advisory scientific body resulting in the formation of the Office of Science & Technology Policy
Was an outspoken advocate for human rights