Awards

National Academies - 1900

American Association for the Advancement of Science

About Charles Knipp

Charles Knipp was born in Napoleon, Ohio and received his bachelor’s degree in 1894 and master’s degree in 1896, both from Indiana University. His master’s thesis was “Surface Tension of Liquids above 100 degrees C. by the Capillary Tube Method.” After completing his studies, he was an instructor of physics at Indiana University from 1898-1899. He earned his PhD from Cornell in 1900 as a President White Fellow and was appointed assistant professor of physics at IU. His doctoral thesis was on the surface tension of water at high pressures and temperatures. He taught later at the University of Missouri before joining the faculty at the University of Illinois where he served for 34 years. He retired in 1937 as emeritus professor of physics. During World War II, he was physics director at Rollins College through 1945. The author of many scientific articles, Knipp was known for his experiments in rain-making and in the conduction of electricity through gases. He was a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma XI, American Physical Society, American Optical Society, American Institute of Electrical Engineers, Phi Beta Kappa, and past president of Illinois State Academy of Science. He was married to Frances W. Knause Knipp and they had three children. Knipp died July 6, 1948 in Denton, Texas.