Pardue, Louis Arthur, 1900-1963
Biographical Note
Dr. Louis A. Pardue (1901-1963), a native of Scottsville, Kentucky, received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Kentucky and a Ph.D. in Physics from Yale University. He also taught physics at Yale University, Lehigh University, and Lincoln Memorial University. During World War II, he served both at Chicago and Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in the "Manhattan Project," which developed the atomic bomb, and along with 17 other scientists in the "Manhattan Project," signed a petition to the President of United States urging limited and responsible use of atomic weapons. He came to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1950 from the University of Kentucky, where he was Dean of the Graduate School. While at VPI, Dr. Pardue, held the offices of Vice-President and Director of Graduate Studies for roughly 13 years and is credited with playing a major role in the development of instructional and research programs at VPI. Dr. Pardue died on April 27, 1963.