the Dr. Charles W. Wilson III Memorial Scholarship in Physics

The Dr. Charles W. Wilson III Memorial Scholarship in Physics was established in 2012 by the Wilson family and the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh (SSP), in memory of Dr. Charles Woodson Wilson III.

Following industrial research work at Texaco and Union Carbide, Dr. Wilson came to The University of Akron in 1965 as professor and head of the Physics Department, a position he held for 19 years. He also became professor of Polymer Science in 1967, when the Department of Polymer Science was created. Dr. Wilson retired from The University of Akron in 1989.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, Dr. Wilson graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in engineering physics in 1947 and earned a graduate degree in physics in 1948. He received his Ph.D. in physics in June 1952 from the Washington University (St. Louis).

Dr. Wilson authored and co-authored a number of research papers on NMR and EPR Spectroscopy of Polymers. He was a co-founder and longtime executive member of the Akron Physics Club.

The Dr. Charles W. Wilson III Memorial Scholarship in Physics was established to support full-time, undergraduate students with a 3.0 GPA who are majoring in physics and have completed at least one year of the physics curriculum. The recipients of this scholarship will be selected by the Department of Physics in the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences in cooperation with the Office of Student Financial Aid. Applicants/recipients of this scholarship are strongly encouraged to attend meetings of the Akron Physics Club and support the Scientists for Social Responsibility, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and other similar organizations. Honoring Dr. Wilson’s commitment to gender equality in the sciences, women are strongly encouraged to apply.