Dr. James J. Brophy, an national figure in solid state physics, and a Chicago native, died of pancreatic cancer December 14, 1991, at 6:12 a.m. in the University Hospital, Salt Lake City.
He was born June 6, 1926 in Chicago, to James J. and Ella Nerad Brophy. He attended Chicago schools. He married the former Muriel Johnson on August 26, 1949 in Chicago. In 1949, he was best man for publisher, Hugh Hefner at his wedding in Chicago, and then Hefner was best man at Brophy's wedding two months later.He was a significant researcher in solid state physics. He wrote more than 100 technical papers published in the United States, and over seas, on research progress in fluctuation phenomena, semiconductors, transistors, and magnetic recording. He was awarded a number of patents on semiconductor and magnetic devises.
Dr. Brophy came to the University of Utah in 1980 from the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he served as academic vice president. He was also senior vice president of IIT's Institute of Gas Technology and a vice president of IIT's Research Institute.
He was vice president for research at the University of Utah until his retirement last July 1. At the time of his death, he had written eight of ten chapters for a new book on solid state physics.
He attended Illinois Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering in 1947; a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering in 1949, and a Doctorate in Physics in 1951.
His Masters and Doctoral dissertations represented the first experimental measurements of electron emission from liquid metal surfaces. He is the author of "Semiconductor Devices" and "Basic Electronic for Scientists," now in its 5th edition. He coauthored "Electronic Porcesses in Materials," and edited "Organic Semiconductors," all published by McGraw-Hill.
Dr. Brophy's collaboration with the faculty and with federal agencies, national, state, and private institutes increased external funding at the University of University from $47.9 million to over $110 million per year.
He was honored by the University of Utah Board of Trustees on June 21, 1991 with a resolution of appreciation that stated: "Dr. Brophy has demonstrated the highest standards of personal and professional integrity, serving as an example of excellence to those associated with and supervised by him."
He was appointed Professor Emeritus of Physics and Professor of Emeritus of Electrical Engineering, by the Board of Trustees on June 21, 1991.
Dr. Brophy was instrumental in getting congress to fund a $20 million biomedical polymers research building that will be built in 1992.
Dr. Brophy was a member of Sigma XI; a Fellow of the American Physical Society; a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; a member of the Board of Trustees, Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.; and a member of the Board of Directors of Scot, Inc.
He was a private pilot with instrument and glider ratings.
He was honored September 13, 1991 and presented a special award for his career contributions to science at the 15th annual Utah Conference on Global Economics and New Issues in Science, Energy, and the Environment. He is the only person in the 15 year history of the conference to be so honored. He was a strong advocate for open scientific inquiry.
Dr. Brophy's body will be donated to the University Medical Center for medical research.
No funeral is planned. There will be a memorial service on the University campus in the Marriott Library at 3:00 p.m. THursday, and an Irish Wake will be held at the Brophy home in Salt Lake City on December 28th.
He is survived by his wife, Muriel; their three sons, James, John and Thomas; a daughter-in-law, Bobbie; and two grandchildren, Jennifer and Jonathan; a sister-in-law, Deloris and brother-in-law, Howard Johnson.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the James J. Brophy Memorial Fund for Research, at the University of Utah, 304 Park Bldg., Salt Lake City, Ut. 84112.
The family would like to thank the hospital staff for their kindness and consideration, and also thank all those who donated blood in Jim's
behalf.
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