Oersted Medal

Established 1936

The Oersted Medal recognizes those who have had an outstanding, widespread, and lasting impact on the teaching of physics. The recipient delivers an address at an AAPT Winter Meeting and receives a monetary award, the Oersted Medal, an Award Certificate, and travel expenses to the meeting. Self-nomination is not appropriate for this award. Preference in the selection of the recipient will be given to members of AAPT.

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Award Winners

2013

Edward (Joe) Redish, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

The Implications of a Theoretical Framework for PER.

2012

Charles H. Holbrow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA

"Making Physics Make Sense - Narratives, Content, Witz"  View UStream video.

2011

F. James Rutherford, UC Berkeley

2010

Not Awarded

2009

George F. Smoot, Nobel Laureate and astrophysicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California at Berkeley physics professor

2008

Mildred S. Dresselhaus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

2007

Carl Wieman, Nobel Laureate and physicist at University of British Columbia and University of Colorado

"Interactive Simulations for Teaching Physics: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why"

2006

Kenneth Ford, American Institute of Physics (Ret.)

"Love Them to Death."

2005

Eugene D. Commins, University of California, Berkeley

"Those Who Inspire Me."

2004

Lawrence Krauss, Case Western Reserve University

"A State of the Universe Address."

2003

Edward W. Kolb, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

"Schrodringer's Alarming Phenomenon."

2002

David Hestenes, Arizona State University

"Reforming the Mathematical Language of Physics," Am. J. Phys. 71, 104 (2003).

2001

Lillian C. McDermott, University of Washington

"Research-The Key to Student Learning," Am. J. Phys. 69, 1126 (2001).

2000

John G. King, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"Observation, Experiment and the Future of Physics," Am. J. Phys. 69, 11 (2001).

1999

David L. Goodstein, California Institute of Technology

"Now Boarding: The Flight from Physics," Am. J. Phys. 67, 182 (1999).

1998

Edwin F. Taylor, Carnegie Mellon University

"Einstein and Feynman: Attracting Students to Physics," Phys. Teach.36, 133 (1998).

1997

Daniel Kleppner, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"The Cat and the Moon," Phys. Teach.35, 262 (1997).

1996

Donald F. Holcomb, Cornell University

"Beyond F=ma," Phys. Teach.34, 199 (1996).

1995

Robert Beck Clark, Texas A&M University

Am. J. Phys. 63, 588 (1995).

1994

E. Leonard Jossem, Ohio State University at Columbus

Am. J. Phys. 62, 588 (1994).

1993

Hans A. Bethe, Cornell University

Am. J. Phys. 61, 971 (1993).

1992

Eugen Merzbacher, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Am. J. Phys. 60, 297 (1992).

1991

Freeman Dyson, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton

Am. J. Phys. 59, 490 (1991).

1990

Carl E. Sagan, Cornell University

Am. J. Phys. 58, 720 (1990).

1989

Anthony P. French, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Phys. Teach.27, 138 (1989) and Am. J. Phys. 57, 586 (1989).

1988

Norman F. Ramsey, Lyman Physics Laboratory, Harvard University

Am. J. Phys. 56, 875 (1988).

1987

Clifford E. Swartz, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Am. J. Phys. 55, 781 (1987).

1986

Stanley S. Ballard, University of Florida

Am. J. Phys. 54, 684 (1986).

1985

Sam Treiman, Princeton University

Am. J. Phys. 53, 816 (1985).

1984

Frank Oppenheimer, The Exploratorium

Am. J. Phys.52, 684 (1984).

1983

John A. Wheeler, Center for Theoretical Physics, University of Texas at Austin

Am. J. Phys. 51, 398 (1983).

1982

I.I. Rabi, Columbia University, New York

Am. J. Phys. 50, 971 (1982).

1981

Robert Karplus, University of California, Berkeley

Am. J. Phys. 49, 810 (1981).

1980

Gerald Holton, Harvard University

Am. J. Phys. 48, 1014 (1980).

1979

Extraordinary Oersted Medal Award: Paul E. Klopsteg

Am. J. Phys. 47, 670 (1979).

1979

Charles Kittel, University of California, Berkeley

Am. J. Phys. 47, 668 (1979).

1978

Wallace A. Hilton, William Jewell College.

1977

H. Richard Crane, University of Michigan

Am. J. Phys. 45, 599 (1977).

1976

Victor F. Weisskopf, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Am. J. Phys. 44, (1976).

1975

Robert Resnick, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Am. J. Phys. 43, 387 (1975).

1974

Melba N. Phillips, State University of New York at Stony Brook

Am. J. Phys. 42, 357 (1974).

1973

Arnold Arons, University of Washington

Am. J. Phys. 41, 767 (1973).

1972

Richard P. Feynman, California Institute of Technology

Am. J. Phys. 57, 492 (1989).

1971

Uri Haber-Schaim, Education Development Center

Am. J. Phys. 39, 719 (1971).

1970

Edwin C. Kemble, Harvard University

Am. J. Phys. 38, 676 (1970).

1969

Eric M. Rogers, Princeton University

Am. J. Phys. 37, 954 (1969).

1968

Harvey E. White, University of California, Berkeley

Am. J. Phys. 36, 381 (1968).

1967

Edward M. Purcell, Harvard University

Am. J. Phys. 35, 479 (1967).

1966

Leonard I. Schiff, Stanford University

Am. J. Phys. 34, 453 (1966).

1965

Philip Morrison, Cornell University

Am. J. Phys. 33, 702 (1965).

1964

Walter Christian Michels, Bryn Mawr College

Am. J. Phys. 32, 497 (1964).

1963

Francis L. Friedman, Posthumous Award, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Am. J. Phys. 31, 475 (1963).

1962

Francis W. Sears, Dartmouth College

Am. J. Phys. 30, 399 (1962).

1961

Jerrold R. Zacharias, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Am. J. Phys. 29, 345 (1961).

1960

Robert W. Pohl, Gottingen University

Am. J. Phys. 28, 528 (1960).

1959

Paul Kirkpatrick, Stanford University

Am. J. Phys. 27, 390 (1959).

1958

J.W. Buchta, University of Minnesota

Am. J. Phys. 26, 350 (1958).

1957

Mark W. Zemansky, The City College

Am. J. Phys. 25, 349 (1957).

1956

George E. Uhlenbeck, University of Michigan

Am. J. Phys. 24, 431 (1956).

1955

Vernet E. Eaton, Wesleyan University

Am. J. Phys. 23, 322 (1955).

1954

Clifford N. Wall, University of Minnesota

Am. J. Phys. 22, 363 (1954).

1953

Richard M. Sutton, Haverford College

Am. J. Phys. 21, 368 (1953).

1952

Ansel A. Knowlton, Reed College

Am. J. Phys. 20, 267 (1952).

1951

John W. Hornbeck, Kalamazoo College

Am. J. Phys. 19, 324 (1951).

1950

Orrin H. Smith, DePauw University

Am. J. Phys. 18, 254 (1950).

1949

Arnold Sommerfeld, University of Munich

Am. J. Phys. 17, 312 (1949).

1948

William Harley Barber, Ripon College

Am. J. Phys. 16, 105 (1948).

1947

Duane Roller, Wabash College

Am. J. Phys. 15, 176 (1947).

1946

Ray Lee Edwards, Miami University

Am. J. Phys. 14, 108 (1946).

1945

Homer Levi Dodge, Norwich University

Am. J. Phys. 13, 178 (1945).

1944

Roland Roy Tileston, Pomona College

Am. J. Phys. 12, 96 (1944).

1943

George Walter Stewart, State University of Iowa

Am. J. Phys. 11, 89 (1943).

1941

Henry Crew, Northwestern University

Am. J. Phys. 10, 28 (1942).

1940

Robert Andrews Millikan, California Institute of Technology

Am. J. Phys. 9, 38 (1941).

1939

Benjamin Harrison Brown, Whitman College

Am. J. Phys. 8, 41 (1940).

1938

Alexander Wilmer Duff, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Am. J. Phys. 7, 49 (1939).

1937

Edward Herbert Hall, Harvard University

Am. J. Phys. 6, 14 (1938).

1936

William Suddards Franklin, Rollins College

Am. J. Phys. 5, 31 (1937).