Imes, Elmer Samuel, 1883-1941

Elmer Samuel Imes (October 12, 1883 – September 11, 1941) was an American physicist who demonstrated for the first time that Quantum Theory could be applied to the rotational energy states of molecules, as well as the vibration and electronic levels. His work provided an early verification of Quantum Theory, and his spectroscopy instrumentation inventions, which include one of the earliest applications of high resolution infrared spectroscopy, led to development of the field of study of molecular structure through infrared spectroscopy. He was the second African American to earn a Ph.D. in physics and the first in the 20th century. He was among the first known African-American scientists to make important contributions to modern physics; others' prior work was unrecorded or uncredited. While working in industry, he gained four patents for instruments to be used for measuring magnetic and electric properties. As an academic, he developed and chaired the department of physics at Fisk University, serving from 1930 to 1941. Born in Memphis, Tennessee, he was the child of college-educated parents. His father's family were people of color who had been free since before the American Revolution. His mother's family, former slaves, had moved to Oberlin, Ohio, after the American Civil War. Both his parents graduated from Oberlin College.