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Hertha Sponer | |
|---|---|
 Hertha Sponer in Göttingen (Friedrich Hund, 1923). | |
| Born | September 1, 1895 Neisse, Prussia |
| Died | February 17, 1968 (aged 72) Ilten, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation(s) | Physicist and teacher |
| Notable work | Molekülspektren I and II |
Hertha Sponer (1 September 1895 – 17 February 1968) was a German physicist and teacher. She was one of the first female recipients of the PhD in Physics in Germany.
Notable Works
editOne of her most significant contributions, and the one upon which her legacy is based, was her work in molecular spectroscopy. Her two monographs, Molekülspektren I and II, published in 1935 and 1936 respectively, were the first concerning this topic, with volume I containing writings on theory and volume II containing tabulations. Within these works, and in her further research, she experimentally confirmed many predictions regarding emissions spectra made by quantum mechanics theory, in addition to assembling and connecting spectroscopy research from across the world.
History
editSponer was one of only three German women to receive a PhD in Physics and qualify to teach sciences at German universities at the time. She had published around 20 papers by 1932, but following the rise to power of the Nazi party, she lost her teaching position due to their prejudice against female scientists. She then left for Norway to teach at the University of Oslo, eventually moving to the United States to teach at Duke University. While making their decision to hire her, they sought advice from other scientists about the difficulties they were having with their Physics Department. The advice they received displayed more prejudice against female scientists, but ultimately they chose to hire her regardless.
Sponer married James Franck, a former mentor, in 1946. Continuing to further their careers, they only saw each other for weeks in the year throughout their marriage. Following Franck's death in 1964, she achieved emeritus professor status. She died in hospital in 1968.
Lack of Recognition
editI believe multiple factors contributed to her relative lack of recognition. Firstly, a strong prejudice against female scientists at the time followed her throughout her life, making it more difficult to gain public recognition in the same manner as her male colleagues. Secondly, the Second World War caused her life to be uprooted in the middle of her academic successes, which likely set her back somewhat. Finally, non-scientists tend to hold more appreciation for those who propose revolutionary new theories rather than those that confirm existing ones, regardless of the importance of the latter. Due to her pioneering work in molecular spectroscopy, which is mentioned in the grade 12 curriculum, I think she should be mentioned in the Ontario curriculum, at least briefly going over her contributions.
References
editDepartment of Physics. (2022). Hertha Sponer. Department of Physics. Retrieved May 11, 2022, from https://physics.duke.edu/about/history/historical-faculty/HerthaSponer
Duke University. (2013, April). Hertha sponer papers, 1917-1967 - Archives & Manuscripts at duke university libraries. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Retrieved May 10, 2022, from https://archives.lib.duke.edu/catalog/uasponerhertha