Stevenson

in 1950 with a B.A. in Liberal Arts (Chemistry). He was also

elected to membership in

Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. As a junior at Amherst,

he won a New York State scholarship for the study of medicine and in his senior

year was admitted to several medical schools, including Columbia University,

but he elected to pursue the study of physical chemistry at MIT.

In 1954, Dave received his Ph.D. in chemistry from MIT. He was a Research

Associate with Professor John Wulff of the Metallurgy Department at MIT, and

his early research dealt with a precursor of liquid phase epitaxy, which he later

used as a method for growing semiconductor thin films. Wulff was largely

responsible for developing a popular introductory materials science course

which served as a replacement for the traditional freshman chemistry course

offered to MIT undergraduates. This profitable linking of chemistry and

materials science was a theme that pervaded much of Dave’s later teaching and

research at Stanford.

Dave spent 1954-55 as a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Munich. This

was the beginning of a lifelong association with German solid state science. He

returned to Germany in 1968-69 as a Senior Research Fulbright Scholar at the

Max Planck Institute for Physical Chemistry in Gottingen; late in his career he

taught an introductory materials science course at Stanford’s campus in Berlin.

Dave read and spoke German well, and he always was delighted with the

opportunity to host visiting scientists from Germany in his lab and at his home.

His association with Stanford began in 1958, when he accepted an assistant

professorship in what became the Department of Materials Science and

Engineering. Dave established an outstanding teaching program in

thermodynamics and phase equilibria, solution thermochemistry, and

electrochemistry which prospered and endured for 35 years. His introductory

thermodynamics course every fall was so unique and so self-contained that his

departmental colleagues lived in fear of his taking any sabbatical leave which

included the autumn quarter. During his rare fall absences, we learned in no

uncertain terms that his style of thermodynamics teaching was not easily

matched. At the same time, however, Dave was always ready and eager to

entertain any and all questions from his colleagues about thermodynamics. He

was a lifelong scholar in the field, with an enthusiasm and intellectual thirst for

the subject that age never dulled. Those of us who were privileged to serve

beside Dave on departmental qualifying oral exams in thermodynamics usually

came away grateful that we could learn the answers to his questions from the

first few students taking the exams before asking some of the questions

ourselves.

Dave authored or co-authored 155 scientific journal articles. He established

research activities in solid state electrochemistry, materials synthesis, and crystal

growth, with particular emphasis on the class of electronic materials referred to

as compound semiconductors (which now occupy an important place in modern

microelectronics). A number of his doctoral students have risen to prominent

roles in industry, government, and academia. The standards he set for his

published work were extremely high, and it was not uncommon to see him

mulling over the ninth draft of a technical paper.

He married Francis Wellington Sherwood (“Fran” to their friends) and was

the father of three children—David “Woody” Stevenson of St. Joseph, Missouri;

Karen Schroeder of Petaluma; and Cynthia “Cindy” Waslewsky of Vancouver,

British Columbia—and the grandfather of five.

He and Fran eventually moved from Palo Alto to a home on Beaver Lane in

Los Altos Hills, thereby gaining a beautiful view and ultimately room for Fran’s

horses. Their house sustained substantial damage during the Loma Prieta

earthquake, but they patiently oversaw its renovation and restoration.

In addition to his family and his career, Dave had a lifelong love affair with

athletics and athletic competition. He played soccer and tennis in high school

and was talked into joining the Amherst swimming team by the coach. He

lettered in swimming all four years, captained the swim team as a senior, and

once held the national collegiate record in the 440 yard freestyle. Once at

Stanford he was active in backpacking, hiking, rock climbing (wall climbing on

campus), surfing, skiing (a Ski Patrol volunteer in the Sierras), running, biking,

and swimming. With Alan Waterman, he was the co-founder of the “Angell

Field Ancients”—the senior athletes at Stanford. Between May, 1970, and July,

1972, he ran in six marathons.

It was in the early 1980’s that Dave began to focus on triathlons, which are

events combining swimming, running, and biking. From 1986 through 1990 he

participated in the five Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Hawaii,

which involved competition against the clock in a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a

112 mile bike race, followed by a 26.2 mile marathon. Dave won three of the

competitions in his age group and was always among the top five finishers in his

age group. His best time was 11 hours, 23 minutes, and 28 seconds at age 61!

Although his triathlon feats top his athletic achievements, he had other track

accomplishments. He held the United States individual age group records in the

1 mile, 2 mile and 3 kilometer runs, as well as in the steeple chase. His team held

the 1989 world record in the 4 x 800 meter relay (60-69 year age division). Dave

was the consummate scholar-athlete.

He had a zest for life and learning that was infectious. More importantly, he

was a kind and gentle man, and a genuinely decent human being. It was not his

style to criticize or denigrate; he looked for the best in others, and that is what he

found. The cancer that ultimately claimed his life found him a most inspired and

courageous opponent.

The motto of the Angell Field Ancients is “To start is to compete; to finish is

to win.” On April 16, 1994, the Ancients held a special Triathlon in memory of

David Stevenson; he would have thought that appropriate.

William D. Nix, Chair

David M. Barnett

John C. Bravman

Oleg D. Sherby