Congressman and physicist Vern Ehlers: A champion for science
DOI: 10.1063/PT.4.0997
One of the science community’s own, US Representative Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), is retiring from Congress this year. Recognized widely as “Mr Science” and the “smartest” Member of Congress, Ehlers was the first research physicist to serve in Congress and has been a tireless champion of science in this nation.
“Either you’re a nerd, or you work for one” is one of Ehlers’s favorite sayings. He is also fond of pointing to his pocket protector with pride. Ehlers received his undergraduate degree in physics and his PhD in nuclear physics from the University of California, Berkeley. After six years on the faculty at Berkeley, he moved to Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he taught physics for 16 years and became department chair. During that time Ehlers also served as a volunteer science adviser to then-Congressman Gerald R. Ford. He was first elected to the 103rd Congress in a special election on 7 December 1993.
Ehlers spent his 17 years in Congress working to advance science education and research. He helped to create the Department of Education’s Mathematics and Science Partnerships program , to secure substantial funding for teacher training, and to oversee the 1998 rewrite of the first major US statement on science policy since the end of World War II. He held positions of leadership on the House Administration Committee and the Science and Technology Committee . As co-chair and founder of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (STEM Ed) Caucus , he has been a leader in trying to improve instruction and learning in American schools. His work with STEM Ed led him to take a seat on the House Committee on Education and Labor in 1999.
Of particular importance to the American Association of Physics Teachers and AIP, Ehlers took time to serve young physicists by introducing a statement in the Congressional Record each year to honor the members of the team that represents the US at the Physics Olympiad. Many of those statements also specifically honored the coaches and teachers who supported the student team members. Ehlers met with the US Physics Team members each year on Capitol Hill and was always generous with his time and his praise for this small group of students.
Ehlers’s interests and accomplishments are diverse. He co-chaired the National Prayer Breakfast; championed congressional internet usage and government transparency; advocated a federal ban of online poker; and led the development of the Great Lakes Legacy Act , which authorized $270 million to clean up the lakes. Ehlers leaves a respected legacy of bipartisan efforts, especially those focused on science education standards and renewable energy.
We all might wonder how one person can be admired and respected by such a wide variety of people and interests while faithfully serving the constituents of the 3rd District of Michigan. Ehlers’s unwavering character has taught us how taking a thoughtful approach to any issue can bridge differences. Under Ehlers’s influence, many are beginning to recognize that Congress isn’t such a strange place for a self-professed geek. In fact, it’s a perfect fit for a person with an analytical mind and the drive to improve science and science education. Congressman Ehlers will be missed far and wide. We wish him well and send him our deepest thanks for his fine service.
