David Anderson

American physicist (1905–1991)

Anderson, the son of Swedish immigrants, was born in New York City and educated at the California Institute of Technology where he obtained his PhD in 1930 and where he remained for his entire career, serving as professor of physics from 1939 until his retirement in 1978.

Anderson was deeply involved in the discovery of two new elementary particles. In 1930 he began to study cosmic rays by photographing their tracks in a cloud chamber and noted that particles of positive charge occurred as abundantly as those of negative charge. The negative particles were clearly electrons but those of positive charge could not be protons (the only positive particles known at the time) as they did not produce sufficient ionization in the chamber. Eventually Anderson concluded that such results “could logically be interpreted only in terms of particles of a positive charge and a mass of the same order of magnitude as that normally possessed by a free negative electron.” It was in fact the positron or positive electron, whose existence he announced in September 1932. In the following year his results were confirmed by Patrick Blackett and Giuseppe Occhialini and won for Anderson the 1936 Nobel Prize for physics.

In the same year Anderson noted some further unusual cosmic-ray tracks. As they appeared to be made by a particle more massive than an electron but lighter than a proton it was at first thought to be the particle predicted by Hideki Yukawa that was thought to carry the strong nuclear force and hold the nucleus together. The particle was initially named the ‘mesotron’ or ‘yukon’. However, this identification proved to be premature, as its interaction with nucleons was found to be so infrequent that it could not possibly perform the role described by Yukawa. From 1938 the particle became known as the meson, and the confusion was partly dispelled in 1947 when Cecil Powell discovered another and more active meson, to be known as the pi-meson or pion to distinguish it from Anderson's mu-meson or muon.

The American physicist Carl David Anderson (1905-1991) opened up the whole field of particle physics for research by his discoveries of the first known antiparticle, the positron, and of the meson.

On September 3, 1905, Carl Daveid Anderson was born in New York City of Swedish ancestry. He attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High School and in 1924 entered the California Institute of Technology, with which he would be associated throughout his life. In 1927 Anderson received his bachelor's degree, and then continuing in graduate school as a Coffin research fellow and next as a teaching fellow, he obtained a doctorate magna cum laude in 1930 under the physicist and Nobel laureate R. A. Millikan. After working with Millikan at Cal Tech as a research fellow for 3 years, Anderson was promoted to assistant professor in 1933, to associate professor in 1937, to full professor in 1939, and to chairman of the Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy in 1962.

In 1946 he married Lorraine Elvira Bergman. The Andersons had two sons, Marshall and David.

Discovery of the Positron

In the years immediately after receiving his doctorate Anderson discovered the positron, or positive electron - a revolutionary discovery because the positron became the first known antiparticle and the first known positively charged particle other than the ordinary proton. Anderson made his discovery during his and Millikan's quest to determine the nature of cosmic rays by allowing them to pass through a Wilson cloud chamber immersed in a strong magnetic field. By 1931 he had found evidence indicating that the rays produced charged particles whose tracks are very similar to those produced by ordinary electrons, except that they are bent by the magnetic field in the opposite direction.

Several explanations of these oppositely bent tracks were possible: that they were due to low-energy protons; that they were due to ordinary electrons moving backward; or that they were due to positive electrons. Although the last hypothesis was the most logical, it was also the most radical, and only after Anderson (with the help of S. Neddermeyer) was able to eliminate definitely the first two did he feel compelled to accept the third. His famous photograph taken on August 2, 1932 unambiguously displayed a positron traversing a lead plate placed in the cloud chamber.

By the following spring, P. M. S. Blackett and G. P. S. Occhialini, working independently at the Cavendish Laboratory in England, produced a number of cloud chamber photographs indicating that a positron-electron pair - that is, matter - can be created by a gamma-ray photon (electromagnetic energy) interacting with the intense electromagnetic field surrounding a nucleus. They also recognized, as Anderson at the time had not, that Anderson's positron was the same particle that had been predicted by P. A. M. Dirac's 1928 relativistic quantum-mechanical theory of the electron. (Many physicists had believed Dirac's theory to be imperfect because it entailed the yet unobserved positron!) Subsequent work by Anderson and others established beyond doubt the proper experimental conditions for the materialization and annihilation of positrons.

In 1936 Anderson, again aided by Neddermeyer, made a second important experimental discovery: the existence in cosmic radiation of a very penetrating charged particle with a mass of about 200 electron masses, or of about one-tenth the mass of a proton. Anderson named these intermediate-mass particles mesotrons (later shortened to mesons) and believed them to be identical to the nuclear particle H. Yukawa had theoretically predicted less than 2 years earlier. It was later realized, however, that Anderson's meson is actually the mu meson (or muon), and Yukawa's meson is actually the pi meson (or pion). After World War II Anderson continued to cultivate the field of particle physics, which his momentous 1932 discovery had opened up for research.

Anderson received many honors, beginning, at just 31 years of age, with the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1936, which he shared with V. F. Hess. Anderson's contributions to the war effort earned him the Presidential Certificate of Merit in 1945. He received several honorary doctoral degrees and became a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

Anderson maintained his research and teaching activities until his retirement in 1976 with the title professor emeritus. He died in San Marino, California on January 11, 1991, at the age of 85.

Further Reading

There is a brief biography of Anderson as well as his own description of his prize-winning work in a Nobel Foundation publication, Nobel Lectures Including Presentation Speeches and Laureates' Biographies: Physics, 1922-1941 (1965). Niels H. de V. Heathcote, Nobel Prize Winners in Physics, 1901-1950 (1953), contains a short biography of Anderson. A historical-philosophical treatment of Anderson's discovery is in Norwood R. Hanson, The Concept of the Positron (1963).

actor; singer

Personal Information

Born on February 27, 1945, in Lynchburg, VA; died on February 23, 2004, in Los Angeles, CA; son of James and Alberta Anderson; married Kathleen McGhee (divorced); married Verónica Ali; children: (from first marriage) Khalil McGhee-Anderson
Education: Attended Howard University.
Military/Wartime Service: U.S. Air Force, 1963-64.

Career

Stage and film actor, singer.

Life's Work

Carlton Earl Anderson, known as Carl to his friends and family, became famous for his portrayal of Judas Iscariot in the stage and screen production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's 1970s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Possessed of high energy and an upbeat attitude, Anderson was also a highly respected jazz vocalist, who released nine solo albums and appeared on countless others. He died in 2004 at the age of 58 from leukemia.

Began Singing with Large Family

Anderson was born on February 27, 1945, in Lynchburg, Virginia, along with his identical twin brother, Charles Edward, who died of bronchitis at the age of 11 months. He grew up in a modest home on Boston Avenue along with his ten surviving siblings. His father, James, was a steelworker, and his mother, Alberta, worked as a seamstress. Anderson first began singing and performing as a child along with his family at the Rivermont Baptist Church.

Anderson attended the racially segregated Dunbar High School during the mid-1960s, where he sang in the school choir. In 1962, as a junior, he served as the choir's student director. Following his junior year, Anderson abandoned school and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a communications technician. His experience singing in the World Wide Air Force Talent Contest first prompted Anderson to consider a career in music. After a two-year stint in the military, Anderson returned to Lynchburg and completed high school, graduating in 1965.

In 1969 Anderson moved to Washington, D.C. He simultaneously enrolled in classes at Howard University, took a job as the assistant director of the Columbia Heights Boys Club, and sang in clubs around town. During this time Anderson joined some friends to form a band, which they named The Second Eagle, because their first performance was on the night the Eagle One landed on the moon. With Anderson on lead vocals, the group covered songs at the jazz clubs along M Street in Georgetown to mixed reviews.

Played Judas Iscariot

On Palm Sunday in 1971, The Second Eagle was playing a gig at St. Stephen's Church, and Anderson sang several covers from Jesus Christ Superstar, which was released as an album before ever being staged. A talent scout from the William Morris Agency was in the audience and recognized Anderson's potential. As a result, on June 27, 1971, Anderson auditioned in New York City for the stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar. He landed the part of Judas Iscariot and started rehearsals two days later.

Five months later Anderson made his Broadway debut, replacing an ailing Ben Vereen. Later, the two would share the role of Judas. Anderson spent six months on stage in New York before moving to Los Angeles to prepare for a West Coast staging of the production. However, while still in rehearsals, he flew to London to audition for the movie version of Jesus Christ Superstar. Awarded the role of Judas, he then went to Israel for the shooting of the film.

Already a popular hit on stage both in the United States and the United Kingdom, the movie version of Jesus Christ Superstar hit theaters in 1973. This rock opera (all dialogue is sung and there are no spoken words) told the story of the last six days of the life of Jesus Christ through the eyes of Judas, who is portrayed as more sympathetic than sinister. Although the film-as well as the album and stage production-created controversy among some religious groups, it became a huge success. Anderson, who first received press coverage because of the decision to cast an African American as Judas, soon turned the critics' attention to his outstanding, vibrant performance, which was roundly applauded. He received the NAACP Image Award and two Golden Globe nominations for best motion picture actor in a musical/comedy and most promising male newcomer.

Began Recording Career

In the same year, the original motion picture soundtrack from Jesus Christ Superstar was released, featuring Anderson as Judas. The 1970s were busy and exciting years in Anderson's life. Not only had he gone from obscurity to fame as Judas Iscariot, he also signed a record deal with Motown Records and worked with the popular musician Stevie Wonder on his seminal album Songs in the Key of Life, released in 1976. During this time Anderson married Kathleen McGhee (they later divorced) and had a son, Khalil McGhee-Anderson. He spent much of the early and mid-1970s touring and promoting Jesus Christ Superstar. In all, Anderson appeared on stage in the role of Judas more than 1,200 times.

Although Anderson appeared in a Spanish film, The Black Pearl, in 1978 (which was never distributed in the United States) and in the made-for-television thriller Mind Over Murder in 1979, by the end of the 1970s and early 1980s, he was primarily focusing on his music career. Gaining recognition from his performances in clubs around Los Angeles, he was able to land a record deal with Columbia Records to release four albums on the Epic label. His first two albums, Absence without Love and On and On, did not garner much attention from the critics or the public. However, Anderson worked with Earth, Wind, and Fire's Al McKay to produce Protocol in 1985, which included what is considered one of his best singles, "Can't Stop This Feeling." Despite the improvements in song selection and production, Protocol remained basically untouched in the stores.

In 1985 Anderson released the single "Friends and Lovers," a duet with Days of Our Lives soap star, Gloria Loring. The duet was a phenomenal success and reached the number-two spot on the charts. Epic hoped that Anderson's fourth album, Carl Anderson, would benefit from the popularity of the single, but ultimately found few buyers. With Epic losing interest after completing its four-record deal, Anderson released Act of Love in 1988 under RCA's Polydor label. Despite positive critical reviews for its smooth jazz sounds, the album once again failed in stores, and Polydor declined to extend Anderson's contract.

Continued Both Singing and Acting

Eventually Anderson was picked up by the GRP label, known for its jazz offerings. Thus Anderson moved away from the adult contemporary sound to the more decisively jazz style that he loved so dearly. In 1991 he released Pieces of a Heart, which became one of his most critically and commercially successful albums. Anderson produced two more albums under the GRP label during the early 1990s, Fantasy Hotel and Heavy Weather/Sunlight Again, released in 1992 and 1994, respectively. His last album, Why We Are Here!, was released in 1997 under the Abu Khalil label, Anderson's own production company named after his son. Although Anderson's solo career never catapulted him into fame as a singer, throughout the years he worked steadily with other artists, including Kenny Loggins, Maynard Ferguson, the Rippingtons, and Peabo Bryson. "Forbidden Lover," his duet with jazz great Nancy Wilson, received a Grammy nomination.

Anderson never completely abandoned acting on stage or screen. During the late 1970s and into the 1980s, he guest-starred on various television series, including The Rockford Files, Magnum P.I. , The Incredible Hulk, Hotel, and Starsky and Hutch. In 1985 he played the part of Rev. Samuel in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple, and in 1990 he was cast as Judge Walter Flynn in ABC's short-lived series Cop Rocks. Although for much of the 1980s he shied away from performing, or even mentioning, his defining role as Judas, Anderson reprised the part in 1992 for the production staged in celebration of the movie's twentieth anniversary. Slated for a three-month tour, the show received such attention that it continued for twenty-eight months and grossed over $100 million.

In 1997 Anderson appeared on Broadway as The Duke in the short-run Play On!, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. He also appeared on the pre-Broadway soundtrack of The Civil War--An American Musical, and in 2002 he played the part of Dr. Klip in the short film Mello's Kaleidoscope. During the early 2000s, Anderson continued to work on productions of Jesus Christ Superstar. In the summer of 2003, while on tour, Anderson was diagnosed with leukemia. Prior to becoming ill, he was planning a reunion tour with original cast member Ted Neeley as Jesus, which had been slated to perform at the Vatican in the fall of 2004.

He died in Los Angeles on February 23, 2004. He is survived by his wife, Verónica Porche Ali, the former wife of boxing great Muhammad Ali, his son, two stepdaughters, Laila Ali and Hana Yasmeen Ali, as well as three brothers and six sisters. On May 15, 2004, the Dunbar High School Auditorium in Anderson's hometown of Lynchburg, Virginia, was officially renamed the Carl Anderson Performing Arts Auditorium.

Awards

NAACP Image Award.

Works

Selected works

• Absence without Love, Epic, 1982.
• On and On, Epic, 1983.
• Protocol, Epic, 1985.
• Carl Anderson, Epic, 1986.
• Act of Love, Polydor, 1988.
• Pieces of a Heart, GRP, 1991.
• Fantasy Hotel, GRP, 1992.
• Heavy Weather/Sunlight Again, GRP, 1994.
• Why We Are Here!, Abu Khalil, 1997.

• Jesus Christ Superstar, 1973.
• The Black Pearl, 1978.
• The Color Purple, 1985.
• Mello's Kaleidoscope, 2002.

Further Reading

Books

• Who's Who Among African Americans, 17th ed. Gale Group, 2004.

• Daily Variety, March 22, 2004, p. 12.
• Essence, January 1991, p. 30.
• Jet, March 15, 2004, p. 18.
• New York Times, February 27, 2004.
• Variety, March 1, 2004, p. 45.
• Washington Times, February 15, 2001, p. 3; May 11, 2002, p. D3.

• "Actor Who Played 'Superstar' Judas Dead," CNN.com, www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/26/obit.anderson.reut/index.html (September 27, 2004).
• "Carl Anderson," The Internet Movie Database, www.imdb.com/name/nm0026483/ (September 27, 2004).
• "Carl Anderson, Known as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar on Stage and Screen, Dies at 58," TheaterMania.com, www.theatermania.com/content/news.cfm?int_news_id=4418 (September 27, 2004).
• "Carl Anderson, Star of Superstar, Dead at 58," Broadway.com, www.broadway.com/template_1.asp?CI=34296&CT=38&qq=1&qs=jesus (September 27, 2004).
• "Carl Anderson, Superstar's Judas on Stage and Screen, Dead at 58," Playbill, www.playbill.com/news/article/print/84562.html (September 27, 2004).
• "Carl Anderson: The Official Website," Precision Marketing, www.cstone.net/~dgarlock/carl/ (September 27, 2004).

— Kari Bethel

David Anderson may refer to:

• David Anderson (Canadian politician) (born 1937), Canadian Liberal politician and former cabinet member
• David Anderson (bishop) (1814–1885) English Anglican bishop
• David Anderson (Mass Effect), fictional character from Mass Effect: Revelation by Drew Karpyshyn
• David Anderson (UK politician) (born 1953), British Labour politician
• David Anderson (Manx politician), current Minister of Transport and former Education Minister of the Isle of Man
• David A. Anderson, animated film director
• David Colville Anderson QC (1916–1995), Scottish advocate and politician
• David J. Anderson, American neuroscientist
• David L. Anderson (born 1957), Canadian Conservative politician
• David L. Anderson (outlaw) (1861–1918), American outlaw known as Billy Wilson or Buffalo Bily
• David Murray Anderson (Admiral Sir), (1874–1936), sometime Governor of Newfoundland and New South Wales
• David P. Anderson (born 1955), scientist at University of California, Berkeley, director of SETI@home and BOINC
• David W. Anderson, entrepreneur and founder of Famous Dave's restaurants and former head of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education
• Dave Anderson (actor), Scottish actor, playwright and musician
• David Anderson (American football)
• David Anderson (engineer), Scottish civil engineer and lawyer
• David Anderson (rower) (born 1932), Australian Olympic rower
• David Anderson (boxer), British Olympic boxer

See also

• Dave Anderson (disambiguation)
• David Andersson, Swedish orienteerer
• David Andersen Australian Basketball Player - 2008 and 2004 Olympic Games, 2008 Euroleague Champion - CSKA Moscow

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