Dr. 威利斯·维特菲尔德

物理学家，学士

The idea seemed simple to 威利斯·维特菲尔德; he couldn’t believe someone hadn’t thought of it. To keep a research lab free of dust particles, why not let air be the janitor? 现代电子时代诞生于20世纪60年代初. 就是在这段时间里，威利斯, 桑迪亚国家实验室的物理学家, developed a method to move filtered air through a room; removing particles that contaminate micro-electronic components. The laminar flow “clean room” was born and changed the way electronics plants, 医院, 实验室, 航天局也开始做生意了.

惠特菲尔德出生在罗斯代尔, 俄克拉何马州, 12月6日, 1919, 当时他的家人暂时在俄克拉荷马州工作. Willis’ family soon returned to 德州 where he attended school and graduated from Eola High School in 1937. 毕业后，他搬到了福特堡. Worth to complete a two-year college course in electronics at Brantley-Draughans College. 完成课程后, 他在圣安吉洛拥有并经营一家电气承包公司, 德州, 从1940年到1941年，在加入美国海军陆战队之前.S. 从1942年到1944年，他是一名地面雷达队长. 第二年，他穿上了海军制服, 在达尔格伦的海军试验场服役, 维吉尼亚州, 研制飞机实验电气系统.

从海军退役后, 他意识到他需要更多的教育才能在物理领域走得更远. “Willis chose Hardin-Simmons University because he was a good Baptist and felt that he should attend a good Baptist school, 事情就是这么简单,他的妻子说, 前Belva Wiggins. 两人在南区教堂工作时相识，当时还是哈佛大学的学生, 樱桃街传教会, 是由阿比林第一浸信会赞助的. Willis had a car and most of the students didn’t, so Belva often rode with Willis to church. The friendship that began at HSU became a love and a marriage that is still growing stronger, 即使在56年后.

1952年，惠特菲尔德以B级的成绩毕业于PG电子游戏.S. 在物理和数学方面. He went on to pursue graduate studies at George Washington University after accepting a position at the Naval Research Lab in Maryland from 1952 to 1954 where he supervised research on solid rocket fuels and motors. It was here that his innovative methodology caught the attention of Sandia Labs in New Mexico, 美国最敏感的国防研究中心之一. 桑迪亚开发技术来维持, 现代化, 保护国家的核武库, 防止大规模毁灭性武器的扩散, 防范恐怖主义, 保护国家基础设施, 确保稳定的能源和水供应, 并为武装部队提供新的能力. 从1954年到1984年，他一直在桑迪亚大学工作.

在桑迪亚实验室的时候, he was project leader for advanced development studies of microwave propagation measurements, 污染控制和洁净室开发. It was there that the vision of the laminar flow clean room became a reality, 世界和所有未来的可能性都改变了.

Willis holds three patents, two of which were the laminar clean room and the laminar flow bench. 第三项专利是污泥辐照装置. He has published 47 papers on topics ranging from contamination control to the operation of a gamma irradiation facility. He has also been a lecture speaker at over 150 conferences and seminars on clean room technology.

The engineering world was literally set on its ear by the prospect of miniaturizing electronic and mechanical components with the introduction of contamination-free laboratories. Most modern electronic devices, from I-Pods to communications satellites, use micro-electronics. It’s hard to imagine life without a cell phone or laptop computer; products whose miniaturized electronics are produced in clean rooms. The emerging field of nanotechnology would be unimaginable without a particle-free environment. Hospitals and pharmaceutical firms were quick to recognize the benefit and now make extensive use of the technology. 手术感染率显著下降, 这是第一次, 制药商能够保证产品的纯度. The economic impact of 威利斯·维特菲尔德’s clean rooms is absolutely incalculable.

Peers were just as quick to recognize Willis for enabling entire new fields of research and product technology, 他还获得了无数奖项. 在他们中间, Whitfield was recognized by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers with the Holley Medal in 1969, 为独特概念的层流洁净室原理. 获得这个奖项, he was included in the company of such people as Henry Ford for the automobile, 埃德温·兰德的宝丽来相机, William Schockley发明了晶体管, 埃尔默·斯佩里发明了陀螺仪.

同样是为了纪念他，《PG电子官方免费下载》杂志将他命名为. 惠特菲尔德成为第一个名人堂入选者, and the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology presents an annual Willis J. Whitfield Award for substantial contributions to the field of contamination control. Whitfield was recognized by both the New Mexico Society of Professional Engineers and the Scottish Society of Contaminations Control for outstanding pioneering discoveries in Clean Room Technology and outstanding contributions to economic development. In 1970, he received an honorary doctorate in science degree from Hardin-Simmons. 桑迪亚大学最近委托制作了惠特菲尔德的雕像, which will be the prominent feature of their new Microsystems and Engineering Science Applications Laboratory courtyard.

在桑迪亚工作了30年后，威利斯于1984年退休. Willis and Belva are active in the Hoffmantown Baptist Church of Albuquerque where he has served in many capacities, 包括部门主管, 老师, 教师培训主席, 执事和执事主席, 人事主席, 教堂的摄影师. 他还与皇家大使和教会童子军合作.

威利斯和贝尔瓦有两个儿子，乔和詹姆斯，他们都是工程师. Joe and his wife, Joy, live in Portland, Oregon, and James lives in Gilbert, Arizona.

威利斯现在很满足于阅读实验室PG电子游戏和与教会一起工作. 他对自己的发明所受到的关注感到有些困惑, 谦卑地说, “我只是想到了尘埃颗粒. 流氓是从哪里产生的?他们到哪里去了?”

It is the high honor of Hardin-Simmons University to recognize one of her own and to formally induct Dr. 威利斯·詹姆斯·惠特菲尔德进入哈佛大学领袖堂.