Robert R. Wilson (1914 - 2000)
2 February 2000
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Robert Wilson, who
died in January 2000, was for many years one of the leading figures in
experimental particle physics. In 1967 he was selected to create the
National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Illinois, now known as the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, or Fermilab.
Under Wilson's supervision the laboratory built the world's highest
energy proton accelerator. Here he is seen in the (centre right) in the
main control room of the new machine in 1971. By March 1972, the
machine had delivered its promised goal - a 200 GeV proton beam - ahead
of schedule and under its $250 million federally authorised budget. The
machine later reached 400 GeV, and then became the injector for the
higher energy Tevatron. It was finally closed down in 1997. Wilson's
creativity extended from accelerators to the entire visual aesthetic of
Fermilab, enhancing the site's natural beauty with his artistic touch
in sculpture and architecture.
Credit: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory