Samuel Collins (physicist)

Samuel Cornette Collins
Born	September 28, 1898 Democrat, Kentucky, U.S.[1]
Died	June 19, 1984(1984-06-19) (aged 85) George Washington University Hospital Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Lynnhurst Cemetery 36.0247002°N 83.9321976°W / 36.0247002; -83.9321976
Alma mater	University of Tennessee University of North Carolina
Known for	Airborne Oxygen Generator Collins Helium Cryostat Helium Liquefiers MIT Cryogenic Engineering Laboratory
Spouse	Lena Arbragine Masterson
Awards	Wethrill Medal of the Franklin Institute Kamerlingh Onnes Gold Medal of Dutch Science Rumford Medal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Gold Medal of American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Scientific career
Fields	Air separation Cryogenics Helium Liquefiers
Institutions	Carson-Newman University University of Tennessee Tennessee State Teachers College University of North Carolina Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Samuel Cornette Collins (September 28, 1898 – June 19, 1984) was an American chemist, physicist, and engineer.^[2]

Collins graduated from Sumner County High School in 1916.^[3] He obtained his PhD in chemistry from the University of North Carolina in 1927. He taught at Carson-Newman College, the University of Tennessee, Tennessee State Teachers College, and the University of North Carolina, and joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a research associate in the chemistry department in 1930. After World War II, he returned to MIT, joining the department of mechanical engineering. He was appointed professor in 1949 and retired in 1964. He was named professor emeritus, serving in this post until 1983.^[4]

Collins developed the first mass-produced helium liquefier, Collins Helium Cryostat, acquiring the title "Father of Practical Helium Liquefiers."^[5] Collin's refrigerators, powered by a two-piston expansion engine, provided the first reliable supplies of liquid helium in quantities of several hundred to several thousand liters.^[6][7]

Among other uses, these refrigerators were used to liquefy and transport helium and deuterium for the first hydrogen bomb explosion, Ivy Mike in 1952.^[8]

He was awarded the John Price Wetherill Medal in 1951^[9] and the Rumford Prize in 1965.

References

1. "Samuel Collins". American Institute of Physics. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
2. "Samuel C. Collins Obituary". web.mit.edu. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
3. Tong, Holly (October 12, 2012). "Paying tribute to influential Portland native Dr. Samuel C. Collins". Lebanon Democrat. Paxton Media Group. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
4. "MIT website". Retrieved 15 February 2008.
5. United States US2716333A, Samuel C. Collins, "Method and Means for Treating Gases", published August 30, 1955, issued August 30, 1955 
6. United States US2458894A, Samuel C. Collins, "Low-Temperature Refrigeration System", published January 11, 1949, issued January 11, 1949 
7. United States US2607322A, Samuel C. Collins, "Expansion Engine", published August 19, 1952, issued August 19, 1952 
8. Rhodes, Richard L. (1995). Dark Sun: The Making Of The Hydrogen Bomb. Simon and Schuster. pp. 488–489. ISBN 978-0684804002. OCLC 32509950.
9. "Hagley Digital Archives: Item 1973418_005_25_004". Hagley Digital Archives. Retrieved 13 May 2025.

External links

• "U.S. Patents of Inventor Samuel C. Collins". Google Patents.
• "Samuel Cornet Collins". People - WebMuseum.MIT.Edu. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• "Samuel C. Collins Obituary". rklab.mit.edu. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
• "Collins, Samuel C. (Samuel Cornett)". history.aip.org. American Institute of Physics.
• Damewood, Sue Reneau (28 September 2010). "Samuel Cornette Collins". Engineer, Physicist, Professor Emeritus, Scientist. Find a Grave.