Edward Mills Purcell

Edward Mills Purcell (1912-1997) was an American physicist born in Taylorville, Illinois. He studied at both Purdue University and Harvard University. Purcell was a citizen of the United States and spent his later years in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he passed away.

During his career, Purcell made significant contributions to the field of physics, particularly in the areas of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), the Smith-Purcell effect, the 21 cm line, and the scallop theorem. His doctoral advisor was Henry DeWolf Smyth.

Purcell educated and oversaw the doctoral studies of several students, including Nicolaas Bloembergen, Charles Pence Slichter, and George Benedek.