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Scientist, inventor Carruthers earned fame in ultraviolet radiation
Wednesday, February 21, 2001
George Carruthers was born in Cincinnati in 1939 and became interested in science as a youngster. He eventually studied physics and engineering at the University of Illinois, earning a bachelor's degree in 1961, a master's degree in 1962 and a doctoral degree in astronomical engineering in 1964.
Shortly after receiving his doctorate, Carruthers became one of only a handful of African-Americans working in the space program when he accepted appointment as a rocket astronomy research physicist with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He would hold this position for the next 20 years.
Carruthers became an expert in measuring ultraviolet radiation. But he was quickly recognized for his engineering skill as well. He invented a variety of techniques for building special ultraviolet cameras capable of withstanding the harsh environment of space. Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, Carruthers' special cameras and research won him a series of NASA awards and national recognition as an inventor.
In the early 1980s, Carruthers became head of the Ultraviolet Research division of the Naval Research Lab. This work led to his appointment as chairman of the editing and review committee for the Journal of the National Technical Association. This is a position he still holds today.
Carruthers' groundbreaking research and technical expertise have made a powerful contribution to our understanding of the cosmos.
-- By John G. Radzilowicz, director, Henry Buhl Jr. Planetarium & Observatory
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