Almy Descendant No. 1407-1C74-2

432. GERALD MARKS9 ALMY (Billings Grinnell8, Horace Manchester7, John Edwin6, Sanford5, John4, Job3-2, William1),b. Ewing, NE, 24 Apr 1904; d. Champaign, IL, 29 Nov 1977.

He m. Lincoln, NE, 21 Jul 1930, RUTH VIRTUE, b. Winona, MN, 31 Aug 1904; d. Urbana, IL, 4 Jul 1985; dau of George O. and Meta (Vogel) Virtue.

Children, born Champaign, IL:

iCYNTHIA MARGARET10, b. 2 Feb 1935; m(1). Cambridge, MA, 15 Jun 1956, THOMAS LANDAUER, b. Highland Park, IL, 25 Apr 1932, son of Robert S. and Ruth (Kronthal) Landauer. Children: 1. Katherine Ruth Landauer, b. Boston, MA, 25 Apr 1960, m. Lamington, NJ, 27 Jun 1987, John Vernacchia, son of Pasquale (Patrick) and Virginza (Virginia) (Sammarco) Vernacchia. 2. Deborah Ruth Landauer, b. Hanover, NH, 24 Aug 1962, m. Montgomery Center, VT, 12 Jan 1991, Thomas Martin Kafka, son of Hvezdon and Vera (Martincova) Kafka. Cynthia m(2), New Providence, NJ, 21 Apr 1979, ROBERT ALLAN JOSEPHS, son of Algert and Alice (Stranchan) Josephs..
iiCATHERINE VIRTUE, b. 12 Nov 1939; m. Champaign, 24 Nov 1965, PHILIP HINELINE.

Gerald M. Almy earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska in 1924, and a master's degree from the same institution two years later. He received a Ph. D. degree from the Harvard University in 1930, and joined the University of Illinois faculty that same year.

Gerald was credited with important contributions in physics research, including helping develop practical uses for the betatron during the early 1940s. By the end of World War II, a number of 25-million volt betatrons were in use as high-energy X-ray sources for both defense and civilian uses. He also did extensive research on the spectroscopy and flourescence of molecules.

In 1951 he was named acting head of the physics department, and the following year he became associate department head, a post he held until 1964 when he became department head. He retired in 1970. Professor Almy also served the university in another capacity, chairing a study on the University of Illinois' future from 1957 to 1962. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi, and a fellow in the American Physical Society.


REFERENCES: FAMILY RECORDS, HORACE M. ALMY.