George Duvall, 82; Scientist Led Advances in Shock-Wave Physics
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George Duvall, 82, whose groundbreaking work advanced scientists’ understanding of shock-wave physics, died Jan. 6 of unspecified causes.
Duvall pioneered the study of shock-wave propagation in solids and liquids. He was responsible for establishing highly regarded shock physics groups at the Stanford Research Institute and Washington State University, where he taught for many years.
Born in Leesville, La., he attended Oregon State College (now Oregon State University) for only three years, leaving in 1941 to study underwater acoustics for the University of California’s Division of War Research in San Diego.
At the end of World War II, he returned to Oregon to complete his bachelor’s degree, then went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he earned his doctorate in 1948.
He later worked for General Electric and the Stanford Research Institute before joining the faculty of Washington State at Pullman in 1964. He founded its Shock Dynamics Laboratory in 1968.
He was also chairman of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Shock Compression Chemistry, and was honored with a special award from the American Physical Society in 1989. He retired from Washington State in 1988.
