Obituary of George Samuel Hurst

George Samuel Hurst, world-acclaimed scientist and inventor/entrepreneur, passed away on July 4, 2010. Born in 1927 in Ponza, Kentucky, he enrolled in Berea College at the age of 15 and graduated with a degree in Physics in 1947. The following year he earned an M.S. Degree in Physics from the University of Kentucky. Sam then began a distinguished career at Oak Ridge National Laboratory that spanned 40 years. During this time he earned his Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Tennessee. In his early years at ORNL, K. Z. Morgan hired him to perform research in the emerging field of Health Physics, where he made numerous contributions in the area of radiation detection. He formulated the generalized concept of radiation dosimetry and was the first to apply the proportional counter technique to the measurement of neutron fluxes, as well as the radiation dose absorbed in tissue. The “Hurst Fast Neutron Counter” became a standard instrument in early nuclear programs around the world. In the 1950s he frequently travelled to Japan with a team of scientists to document latent radiation-related disease effects and mortality rates of the atomic bomb survivors. His desire to understand the radiation-matter relationship led him to study the energy pathways involved with this interaction. He studied ionization and emission, atomic lifetimes, atomic collisions, radiation trapping, etc.; all properly measured to account for the various paths along which the energy could be dissipated. These studies on the effects of ionizing radiation on matter led naturally to his interest in atomic, molecular and optical physics, where he made many important contributions to the understanding of electron transport and electron attachment in gas phase atoms and molecules. Of particular importance was his work on novel methods to determine both the transverse and longitudinal electron transport properties of electrons in gases.

In 1966 Sam returned to the University of Kentucky to continue his fundamental studies of atomic and molecular physics. During this time he and his students confronted the problem of analyzing large amounts of data on strip chart recorders. They devised an electronic system capable of quickly and accurately graphing the data coordinates. Sam recognized the importance of this discovery at a time when computers were in their infancy and started a company in Oak Ridge to make use of his invention. Elographics, Inc., was devoted to developing and marketing this new technology, now known as the touch screen.

Sam returned to ORNL in the 1970s and headed a group to study laser-based methods of ultra-sensitive detection of single atoms or molecules, an area he called one-atom detection. He and long-time collaborator Marvin Payne wrote a highly-cited Review of Modern Physics article on this subject called Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy (RIS). As an outgrowth of this work, Sam also founded Atom Sciences in Oak Ridge to facilitate new applications of this area of science. He also established the Institute of RIS at the University of Tennessee to serve as an academic home for this technology. For many years IRIS promoted RIS research among the international community with biennial symposia and graduate student awards.

Sam’s love for his native Appalachia inspired him to stimulate the growth and development of clean scientific technologies in the region. In the mid-1960s he established an organization called Scientists and Engineers for Appalachia (SEA). Sam was the founder or co-founder of 5 companies in East Tennessee, which provided hundreds of jobs for the area.

Over his scientific career, Sam held 30 patents and was author or coauthor of more than 200 open literature publications and books. In retirement, he was especially interested in the confluence of science and religion. Together with his long-time friend and noted scientist Rufus Ritchie, father of Surface Plasmonics, he began a series of lectures in Oak Ridge called “Forum on Religion and Science,” which promotes tolerance and understanding among believers of all faiths and non-believers alike.

Sam had a generous spirit, freely giving of his time, his encouragement, and his ideas. As his friend Fletcher Gabbard once said, “Sam Hurst is a gentle man with a quiet and efficient manner. He is an irrepressible optimist and a delightful companion. Quiet and unassuming in his relationships, Sam brings out the best in fellow workers through congenial and encouraging direction. His criticism is gentle, his sense of direction is strong, and his praise filled with good will. These are very strong features of his personality much admired by his colleagues and friends.”