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Harrison M. Randall: His Legacy and the Laboratory that Hosts It
Harrison M. Randall: His Legacy and the Laboratory that Hosts It
Harrison M. Randall. Photo credit: aip.org
by Eric Pengili
The Randall Laboratory at the University of Michigan is a world-renowned research facility that has been at the forefront of more than a few groundbreaking scientific discoveries. The laboratory was established in 1924, but only took its name from Professor Harrison M. Randall after he retired in 1941 (“East Physics”). Professor Harrison M. Randall started off a legacy of discoveries made at the laboratory with his work on the heat capacity of solids and for his developments on the concept of phonons (“Harrison M. Randall”). The lab has since played a notable role in the fields of biophysics, chemistry, and nanotechnology.
Some of the most notable features of the Randall Laboratory are its high-tech equipment and facilities. Even for students with labs in an intro physics course, equipment such as oscilloscopes and scanning electron microscopes are available, which are usually only used in laboratories with extremely experienced scientists (“Applied Physics”). Thankfully, teachers and instructors can help students navigate the equipment and facilities so that they can make incredible discoveries of their own. The Randall Laboratory not only focuses on research but also prioritizes education and outreach (“Applied Physics”). It offers undergraduate and graduate courses in physics, chemistry, materials sciences, and other related fields, giving students from many different disciplines and fields the opportunities to gain hands-on experience with tools and skills that could be relevant to their prospective majors or minors. The Randall Laboratory also exemplifies the commitment to excellence in scientific research that the University of Michigan prides itself on, home to many distinguished researchers and faculty members, including several members of the National Academy of Sciences, like Harrison M. Randall himself (“Applied Physics”).
Exterior photograph of Randall Laboratory (April 2023) by Eric Pengili.
The surname Randall is a misinterpretation of the name Randolph, which is of Old English and Irish origin (“Randall Name”). This surname takes rand, meaning shield, and ulf, meaning wolf, into randulf (“Randall Name”). As for the name he made for himself, Harrison McAllister Randall gained notoriety after setting up the grounds for what is now known as quantum mechanics, but was then classified as precision metrology, according to Michigan Physics. After getting his Ph.D at UofM, he then went on to serve as the chair of the Physics Department for over two decades (“Harrison M. Randall”). Throughout his career, Randall made his works on thermodynamics and solid-state physics applicable to the breadth of topics on physics being taught at the university. Specifically, he used his work on confirming the heat capacity of solids, namely conductive metals, to establish the knowledge needed for the technique of soldering. This method has since been adapted in its use in circuitry for today’s technology (“Heat-Generation”). Randall’s research set up a design strong enough to endure through time and be used in resistors, capacitors, and other technological parts that are present in most devices today (“Heat-Generation”). The Harrison M. Randall Physics Laboratory was aptly named to honor his legacy and serve as the impetus for many scientific discoveries even to this day.
Works Cited
“Applied Physics Faculty Awards: U-M LSA Applied Physics Program.” LSA, lsa.umich.edu/appliedphysics/faculty-staff/applied-physics-faculty-awards.html Accessed 1 Apr 2023.
“Biography: Harrison M. Randall.” HandWiki, https://handwiki.org/wiki/Biography:Harrison_M._Randall. Accessed 1 Apr 2023.
"East Physics - Harrison M. Randall Physics Laboratory." Accessed 1 Apr 2023. umhistory.dc.umich.edu/mort/original/1925/22%20Harrison%20Randall%20Physics%20Building/
“Harrison M. Randall.” MichiganPhysics, 3 Apr. 2015, michiganphysics.com/history/history-by-person/harrison-m-randall-2/ Accessed 1 Apr 2023.
“Heat-Generation Characteristics of Capacitors and Measurement Methods.” Murata Manufacturing Articles, article.murata.com/en-us/article/heat-generation-characteristics-capacitors-measurement. Accessed 1 Apr 2023.
“Randall Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms.” HouseOfNames, 1 Jan. 2000, houseofnames.com/randall-family-crest. Accessed 1 Apr 2023.
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