Edgar A. Edelsack

Edgar Edelsack, a retired physicist, died on 4 April 2017 of pneumonia at age 92. Ed served over 30 years in the fields of nuclear physics, solid state and low temperature physics, and medical physics with both government and private industry. For 20 of those years (1967–1988), in the role of senior program manager at the US Office of Naval Research (ONR), Ed researched superconducting electronics. He served as a catalyst in starting the International Cryocooler Conference and actively supported ongoing forums, such as the Applied Superconductivity Conference.

One of Ed’s proudest achievements at ONR was the support he extended for research in SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) magnetometry that created a bridge between superconductivity and biophysics. In 1969, at Ed’s suggestion, a magnetically shielded room was constructed at the MIT with ONR support. Together with research scientists David Cohen and Jim Zimmerman, the team developed the very first magnetocardiograms of the heart, which led directly to the establishment of biomagnetism as a research area and clinical discipline.

Ed authored and coauthored more than 50 papers, as well as a two-volume edition on superconductivity.

Once retired, Ed served as adjunct professor in the School of Engineering at George Washington University and as a consultant with the Institute of Defense Analysis and HYPRES Inc. He volunteered his time at the university to enhance programs for science teachers in public schools, as well as directly in local schools.

Remembering Edgar A. Edelsack, 1924-2017
Superconductivity News Forum (SNF)