Martin A. Pomerantz
| Martin A. Pomerantz | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 17, 1916 New York, New York, USA |
| Died | October 26, 2008 (aged 91) San Rafael, California, USA |
| Nationality | United States |
| Alma mater |
Syracuse University (B.A. 1937) University of Pennsylvania (M.S. 1938) Temple University (Ph.D. 1951) |
| Known for | Antarctic astronomy |
| Awards | NASA Distinguished Science Achievement Award |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Bartol Research Institute |
Martin Arthur Pomerantz (December 17, 1916 – October 26, 2008) was an American physicist who served as Director of the Bartol Research Institute and who had been a leader in developing Antarctic astronomy. When the astronomical observatory at the United States Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station was opened in 1995, it was named the Martin A. Pomerantz Observatory (MAPO) in his honor. Pomerantz published his scientific autobiography, Astronomy on Ice, in 2004.
Pomerantz was born and raised in New York City, and graduated from Manual Training High School in Brooklyn. In 1937, Pomerantz received an A.B. in physics from Syracuse University. He received an M.S. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1938. In 1938, Pomerantz joined the Bartol Research Foundation, where he spent nearly his entire career. He became a permanent member of the Foundation's scientific staff in 1943. In 1951, he received his Ph.D. in physics from Temple University for a thesis based on his extensive scientific work at Bartol. In 1959, Pomerantz became the second Director of the Foundation, replacing W. F. G. Swann upon the latter's retirement.
In 1977, Pomerantz presided over the Foundation's move from its original location at Swarthmore College to its present location at the University of Delaware. Despite Pomerantz' efforts, Swarthmore had decided not to renew its 50-year contract with Bartol; there had been a number of conflicts during its decades of residence at Swarthmore. The Foundation was renamed the Bartol Research Institute following the move to Delaware. Pomerantz stepped down as the Institute's president in 1987; he was replaced as president by Norman F. Ness. In 1990, Pomerantz retired, becoming a professor emeritus at the Institute and at the University of Delaware.
Pomerantz had served on the board of trustees for the Franklin Institute and edited the Journal of the Franklin Institute. He had also served on the editorial board for Space Science Reviews. Pomerantz' scientific papers and documents have been archived at the American Institute of Physics and at the University of Delaware.
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