Detlev Bronk

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American scientist, educator, and administrator (1897–1975)

title: "Detlev Bronk" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1897-births", "1975-deaths", "american-biophysicists", "foreign-members-of-the-royal-society", "swarthmore-college-alumni", "presidential-medal-of-freedom-recipients", "presidents-of-johns-hopkins-university", "presidents-of-rockefeller-university", "university-of-michigan-college-of-literature,-science,-and-the-arts-alumni", "university-of-michigan-faculty", "university-of-pennsylvania-faculty", "members-of-the-united-states-national-academy-of-sciences", "presidents-of-the-american-association-for-the-advancement-of-science", "presidents-of-the-united-states-national-academy-of-sciences", "national-medal-of-science-laureates", "scientists-from-new-york-city", "united-states-army-science-board-people", "members-of-the-royal-swedish-academy-of-sciences", "members-of-the-american-philosophical-society", "recipients-of-franklin-medal", "20th-century-american-physicists", "american-fellows-of-the-royal-society"] description: "American scientist, educator, and administrator (1897–1975)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detlev_Bronk" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American scientist, educator, and administrator (1897–1975) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

FieldValue
nameDetlev Bronk
birth_nameDetlev Wulf Bronk
imageDetlev Wulf Bronk.jpg
captionBronk in 1963
titlePresident of Rockefeller University
order3rd
term_start1953
term_end1968
predecessorHerbert Spencer Gasser
successorFrederick Seitz
title2President of the National Academy of Sciences
order216th
term_start21950
term_end21962
predecessor2Alfred Newton Richards
successor2Frederick Seitz
title3President of Johns Hopkins University
order36th
term_start31949
term_end31953
predecessor3Isaiah Bowman
successor3Lowell Reed
birth_date
birth_placeNew York City, U.S.
death_date
death_placeNew York City, U.S.
spouseHelen Alexander Ramsey
children3; including John
module{{Infobox scientist
fieldBiophysics
work_institutionJohns Hopkins University
National Academy of Sciences
National Science Board
University of Pennsylvania
Rockefeller University
educationSwarthmore College (BA)
University of Michigan (MS, PhD)
thesis_titleElectrical conductivity, electrical potential and hydrogen ion concentration measurements on the submaxillary gland of the dog, recorded with continuous photographic methods
thesis_urlhttps://www.proquest.com/docview/301763358/
thesis_year1926
doctoral_advisorRobert Gesell
prizesFranklin Medal (1961)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (1964)
Fellow of the Royal Society
::

| name = Detlev Bronk | birth_name = Detlev Wulf Bronk | image = Detlev Wulf Bronk.jpg | image_size = | caption = Bronk in 1963 | title = President of Rockefeller University | order = 3rd | term_start = 1953 | term_end = 1968 | predecessor = Herbert Spencer Gasser | successor = Frederick Seitz | title2 = President of the National Academy of Sciences | order2 = 16th | term_start2 = 1950 | term_end2 = 1962 | predecessor2 = Alfred Newton Richards | successor2 = Frederick Seitz | title3 = President of Johns Hopkins University | order3 = 6th | term_start3 = 1949 | term_end3 = 1953 | predecessor3 = Isaiah Bowman | successor3 = Lowell Reed | birth_date = | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = New York City, U.S. | spouse = Helen Alexander Ramsey | children = 3; including John | module = {{Infobox scientist | embed = yes |field = Biophysics |work_institution = Johns Hopkins University National Academy of Sciences National Science Board University of Pennsylvania Rockefeller University |education = Swarthmore College (BA) University of Michigan (MS, PhD) | thesis_title = Electrical conductivity, electrical potential and hydrogen ion concentration measurements on the submaxillary gland of the dog, recorded with continuous photographic methods | thesis_url = https://www.proquest.com/docview/301763358/ | thesis_year = 1926 |doctoral_advisor = Robert Gesell |doctoral_students = |author_abbreviation_bot = |author_abbreviation_zoo = |prizes = Franklin Medal (1961) Presidential Medal of Freedom (1964) Fellow of the Royal Society

Detlev Wulf Bronk (August 13, 1897 – November 17, 1975) was a prominent American scientist, educator, and administrator. He is credited with establishing biophysics as a recognized discipline. Bronk served as president of Johns Hopkins University from 1949 to 1953 and as president of The Rockefeller University from 1953 to 1968. Bronk also held the presidency of the National Academy of Sciences between 1950 and 1962.{{Cite journal | last1 = De Duve | first1 = C. | title = Notes on the life and work of Detlev Wulf Bronk, honorary foreign member | journal = Bulletin et Mémoires de l'Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique | volume = 131 | issue = 3–4–5 | pages = 176–183 | year = 1976 | pmid = 798623

Biography

Bronk was a descendant of Pieter Bronck, an early settler to New Netherland for whose relative Jonas Bronck the New York City borough The Bronx is named. In 1920 Bronk graduated with a B.S. in electrical engineering from Swarthmore College, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. In September 1921 Bronk married Helen Alexander Ramsey, who had been a fellow student at Swarthmore. Turning to physics, he received an M.S. in 1922 from the University of Michigan. By 1924 he was intent on applying physics and mathematics to physiology, receiving a Ph.D. in 1926 from the University of Michigan.

Benny Bronk, a frequent contributor to the Howard stern show, is his Great Nephew.

Career

When Bronk was offered the presidency of Johns Hopkins University in 1948, he accepted the position on the condition that Hopkins strengthen its program in biophysics. Hopkins did just that, building Jenkins Hall in 1950 specifically to house Biophysics and adding faculty and research facilities. Bronk believed the nation's universities had a responsibility to prepare students to improve the world, regardless of their academic curriculum. He also recognized that, during World War II, the Hopkins faculty had spent most of their time performing defense-related research, and now it was time to rejuvenate the idea of research for the sake of learning and discovery. He frequently spoke on "breadth in education," "fostering curiosity," and "a university is a community of scholars."

In addition to guiding Hopkins through its post-war "demobilization," Bronk believed strongly in maintaining his own presence in the scientific community. He presided over the National Academy of Sciences and served on boards for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Science Advisory Committee of the Office of Defense Mobilization, and the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (predecessor to NASA).

Bronk was also instrumental in reviving a plan to abolish undergraduate education at Johns Hopkins and turn Hopkins into a graduate-only institution. In 1952, as in 1925, the "New Plan" or "Bronk Plan" would have phased out the freshman and sophomore years and Hopkins would only admit students transferring from other institutions as juniors or above. These students would bypass the traditional undergraduate degree and begin work immediately toward a doctorate. As in 1925, the plan attracted little support from the intended student body and it was quietly dropped by the mid-1950s after Prof. Sidney Flax said "no".

Bronk was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1934 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1949.

From 1953 to 1968 Bronk was president of The Rockefeller University. (The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research was renamed The Rockefeller University in 1965). He firmly espoused academic freedom and resisted attempts by Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy to have Johns Hopkins University dismiss Professor Owen Lattimore. The same year he was awarded the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences. He was credited with formulating the modern theory of the science of biophysics. He served on the board of trustees for Science Service, now known as Society for Science & the Public, from 1965 to 1967. Bronk is quoted as saying:

References

References

  1. Greenwood Press]], 1997. {{ISBN. 0-313-29133-0
  2. Kellett, George. "Obituaries: John Ramsey Bronk (1929–2007)".
  3. "The Johns Hopkins University – Past Presidents".
  4. "National Academy of Sciences: About the NAS: President".
  5. Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc.. (February 1976). "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists". Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc..
  6. [http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/penncnc/about/history.html#yr60 History of the Penn Comprehensive Neuroscience Center] {{Webarchive. link. (2010-06-18 . Uphs.upenn.edu. Retrieved on February 15, 2012.)

  7. [[World Academy of Art and Science]][http://www.worldacademy.org/content/history History. World Academy of Art & Science]. Worldacademy.org (December 24, 1960). Retrieved on February 15, 2012.
  8. link. (2013-09-26 . Fi.edu. Retrieved on 2012-02-15.)
  9. (1976). "Detlev Wulf Bronk 13 August 1897 – 17 November 1975". [[Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society]].
  10. (1951). "Detlev W. Bronk, Scientist". Science.
  11. (1967). "The National Academy of Sciences: Profile of an Institution (II)". Science.
  12. Brink, Jr. (1975). "Detlev Wulf Bronk". Memoirs of the National Academy of Science.
  13. [http://libserv.aip.org:81/ipac20/ipac.jsp?uri=full=3100001~!6694~!0&profile=icos Detlev W. Bronk Records, 1954–1968.]
  14. [http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/bronk-detlev-w.pdf National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoir]
  15. "St. Petersburg Times".
  16. (1991). "Grand Catalogue of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity (13th Ed.)". Publishing Concepts, Inc..
  17. "Detlev Bronk". National Academy of Sciences.
  18. Bronk, Detlev Wulf. (1926). "Electrical conductivity, electrical potential and hydrogen ion concentration measurements on the submaxillary gland of the dog, recorded with continuous photographic methods". [[University of Michigan]].
  19. Frank Brink, Jr., Detlev Wulf Bronk: 1897–1975 (National Academy of Sciences), 1979
  20. Fulvio Bardossi, "Dr. Detlev W. Bronk, President Emeritus of the Rockefeller University and Eminent Biophysicist, Dies Here" (Rockefeller University), November 17, 1975
  21. "APS Member History".
  22. (2023-02-09). "Detlev Wulf Bronk".
  23. "Public Welfare Award". [[National Academy of Sciences]].
  24. [http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?filename=10&article=1009&context=penn_history&type=additional The Twentieth Century. 11 Alfred Newton Richards: Biomedical Research]. repository.upenn.edu

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