R. D. Mindlin
September 17, 1906 - November 22, 1987
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Scientific Discipline: Applied Physical Sciences Membership Type:
Member
(elected 1973)
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R. D. Mindlin was one of the world’s leaders in bringing mathematical understanding to a growing body of mechanical phenomena. His work focused mainly on the mathematical theory of elasticity, with forays into various electrical, thermal, optical, and acoustical phenomena. Mindlin published several papers on the vibrations and waves in elastic bars and piezoelectric crystal plates that laid the foundation for the development and design of electromechanical filters, crystal filters, and solid delay lines, important in communication, radar, and computing research. Mindlin’s Plate Theory is used to calculate stresses and shear in isotropic and anisotropic plates. His work on three-dimensional photoelasticity established new, modern laboratory techniques. He was also a pioneer on the subject of optical birefringence in viscoelastic materials. Along with his mathematical contributions, Mindlin conducted research to improve important, practical applications: he contributed to the development of the radio proximity fuse used in World War II, he published a classic paper on package cushioning, which influenced the designs of supporting containers to minimize the amount of shock and vibration dealt to fragile equipment, and he investigated the interaction between an elastic shell and a surrounding fluid.
Mindlin went to Columbia University and received four degrees: his BA (1928), his BS (1931), his CE (1932), and his PhD (1936). While still conducting his doctorate research, Mindlin was providing graduate instruction and research in mechanics at the Columbia School of Engineering, and he began teaching as an assistant in civil engineering. He became a full professor in 1947, and then in 1967, he was appointed the Finch professorship of applied science, a job he held until his retirement. Mindlin was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, chairman of the Applied Mechanics Committee for the American Society of Civil Engineers, and he was the co-founder and president of the Society for Experimental Stress Analysis. Mindlin received a long list of awards for his multiple contributions, including the Presidential Medal of Merit in 1946 for his work with proximity fuses, Columbia University’s Great Teacher award in 1960, the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Von Kármán Medal in 1961, and the National Medal of Science in 1979 for his work in mechanical engineering and theoretical mathematics, and for his research on piezoelectric oscillators.
