9781422283295

Chapter 1

Elmer Imes

Born: 1883 Died: 1941 Nationality: American Achievements: Leading early theorist in light and quantum physics.

I

magine the year 1915. The world was in the grip of World War I, but in the United States, the ef- fects of a previous war—the Civ-

il War—were still being felt. The Civil War had torn the country apart over the issues of slavery and the rights of black people. Although more than 50 years had passed, the United States was still divided in the early 20th century. Schools, restaurants, and hotels were segregated. In the South, there were laws passed to discriminate against black people. There were not many educational or professional pathways open to blacks, espe- cially in a field like physics. There were a few opportunities, however, and Elmer Imes was determined to take ad- vantage of them. Both of his parents had gone to college, and he was raised in a household that valued education. By 1915, Imes had

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