Biography of Wu Jianxiong, a famous nuclear physicist

Chinese American, nuclear physicist, born on May 31, 1912 (April 29 of the lunar calendar). Originally from Liuhe, Taicang, Suzhou, Jiangsu, born in Minhang District, Shanghai.

She comes from a scholarly family. His father Wu Zhongyi founded Mingde women's vocational Tutorial school in his hometown. Because his parents advocated equality between men and women, Wu Jianxiong was able to read and write as well as his brother. After finishing primary school in his hometown, he was admitted to Suzhou second women's normal school in 1923 and graduated from the normal school with excellent results in 1927. Two years later, he was admitted to the Department of mathematics of Nanjing National Central University and one year later transferred to the Department of physics. After obtaining his bachelor's degree in 1934, he was employed as a teaching assistant in the Department of physics of Zhejiang University, and then entered the Central Research Institute to engage in research work. He entered the University of California in 1936 and received a doctorate in 1940. In 1942, he married Dr. yuan jialiu in the United States, and participated in the "Manhattan Project" (development of atomic bomb) in 1944, She was an associate professor of Columbia University in 1952 and was promoted to Professor in 1958. In the same year, Princeton University awarded her the title of honorary doctor of science and was elected as an academician of the American Academy of Sciences. She was promoted to Professor of physics at Princeton University from 1972 until she retired in 1980. In 1975, she was the first female president of the American Physical Science Society. In the same year, she won the National Medal of science awarded by President Ford at the White House, which is the highest scientific honor in the United States, In 1978, he won the Wolf Prize in Israel. In 1982, he was employed as an honorary professor of Nanjing University, Peking University, University of science and technology of China and a member of the academic committee of the Institute of high energy physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 1994, he was elected as one of the first batch of foreign academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Wu Jianxiong has won high honors for his outstanding contributions. In 1958, Princeton University awarded her the honorary doctor of science, which was the first time that the university awarded this honorary degree to a woman. She also received honorary degrees from 15 other universities. The president of the United States awarded her the 1975 National Medal of science. In 1978, she received the first prize from the International Wolf foundation. She is employed as an honorary professor of Nanjing University, Peking University, University of science and technology of China and a member of the academic committee of the Institute of high energy physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

She died of illness in New York on February 16, 1997 at the age of 85. According to her wish, Wu Jianxiong's ashes were placed in Liuhe Town, Taicang, Jiangsu, China. The memorial was built on the campus of his alma mater, Southeast University.