Lewis M. Branscomb

Lewis McAdory Branscomb
6th Director of the National Bureau of Standards
In office
1969–1972
PresidentRichard Nixon
Preceded byAllen V. Astin
Succeeded byRichard W. Roberts
Personal details
Born(1926-08-17)August 17, 1926
Asheville, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedMay 31, 2023(2023-05-31) (aged 96)
Redwood City, California, U.S.
ParentHarvie Branscomb
RelativesLewis C. Branscomb (paternal grandfather)
Alma materDuke University
Harvard University
Websitewww.branscomb.org/lewis.html
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics
Institutions
ThesisAnomalous rotation of molecules with applications to the temperature of the upper atmosphere, and a note on maximizing the ratio of "signal to noise" in spectrophotometry of weak light sources (1950)
Doctoral advisorDonald Howard Menzel

Lewis McAdory Branscomb (August 17, 1926 – May 31, 2023) was an American physicist, government policy advisor, and corporate research manager. He was best known for being head of the National Bureau of Standards and, later, chief scientist of IBM; and as a prolific writer on science policy issues.