Colorado State Alumnus Gives $424,000 Toward New Physics Addition
Friday, November 7, 1997
FORT COLLINS--A Colorado State University alumnus, whose
brilliant career in science and industry spans nearly 50 years,
and his late wife have contributed $424,000 toward construction
of a new home for the physics department.
The gift from Don and Phyllis "Whitty" Hammond represents
the single largest contribution to the physics department and was
announced at a press conference today (Friday) by Colorado State
University President Albert Yates.
"Don and Phyllis Hammond's generosity will help bring about
a new era of physics education at Colorado State that continues
to focus on teaching innovation and encourages active
participation in the learning process," Yates said. "The
Hammonds' strong commitment to this university is an example of
how critical alumni support is to the future success of this
institution."
Hammond, who credits his late wife Phyllis Hammond for
making the physics gift happen, said he wanted to give back to a
program that served as the foundation for many of his
professional achievements. Hammond earned a bachelor's degree in
1950, a master's degree in 1952 and an honorary doctoral science
degree in 1974--all from Colorado State.
"This gift is about great students, a great university and
opportunities for education that make a difference in the lives
of individuals and society," Hammond said.
The Hammond gift will help fund a two-story, 11,000 square-
foot addition on the south side of D and E wings in the
Engineering Building, which will serve as the new home for much
of the physics department's teaching program. The addition will
include four teaching laboratories for undergraduates, a student
reading room and mezzanine for students to study in groups or
work with tutors.
The first floor includes new offices for physics department
staff, a modern auditorium that seats 120 students and permanent
space for the department's Little Shop of Physics, a popular
outreach program that uses hands-on experiments to illustrate to
youth the basic concepts of physics.
In addition, two existing physics classrooms as well as
faculty and research labs located in D Wing will be renovated as
part of a comprehensive remodeling and construction project in
the Engineering Building. Construction begins this month and will
be complete in mid-1999. The new addition will face the
university's water plaza now under construction.
The project will greatly enhance classrooms and equip
physics labs with the latest technology. In addition to more than
100 students pursuing physics degrees, about 1,800 students from
all sectors of the university enroll in physics and astronomy
courses each semester. The physics department has nearly 600
alumni and 20 faculty members, 15 of whom supervise major
research projects in addition to their teaching responsibilities.
The Hammonds have been strong supporters of Colorado State
University for many years, contributing to the Weber Scholarship
Fund named after Professor Louis Weber, who led the physics
department from 1939 to 1965, and his wife Gladys. In 1992,
Hammond received the William E. Morgan Alumni Achievement Award
for his contributions to science and industry and has served on
Colorado State's Foundation Board and the College of Natural
Sciences External Advisory Committee.
Hammond's 50-year professional career is studded with
notable achievements, including the development of inventions
such as time standards for space navigation, high-speed computer
printers and medical ultrasound technology.
In 1953, Hammond accepted the position as chief of crystal
research for the U.S. Army at Fort Monmouth, N.J. He left the
labs in 1956, and with three partners started a venture that is
now known as Colorado Crystal Corporation based in Loveland, a
manufacturer of precision quartz crystals used in communication
and instruments.
In 1959, Hammond was asked by Hewlett-Packard Co. to start a
department to produce precision quartz crystals for high-speed
counters and frequency counters. He led the department for five
years, and during his tenure he built the company's technology to
the point that it was known as one of the most precise quartz
crystal manufacturing facilities in the world.
Hammond was appointed in 1966 as one of three initial
directors for the newly-created Hewlett-Packard Laboratories. The
labs, which sought to develop new products and conduct research,
was the spawning ground for many of HP's new products and new
business ventures. Ultrasound technology developed in Hammond's
lab helped HP become a leader in the medical ultrasound industry.
Other products produced in the lab included mass spectroscopy,
laser interferometry and the early development of laser jet and
inkjet printers. Today, these printers are one of the company's
best-selling products.
Hammond rounded out his career at the company by starting HP
Labs in Europe in 1983, then serving from 1986 until his
retirement as director of Hewlett-Packard Laboratories.
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