Lester Germer
American physicist (1896–1971)
Lester Halbert Germer (October 10, 1896 – October 3, 1971) was an American physicist. With Clinton Davisson, he proved the wave-particle duality of matter in the Davisson–Germer experiment, which was important to the development of the electron microscope. These studies supported the theoretical work of De Broglie. He also studied thermionics, erosion of metals, and contact physics. He was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal in 1931.
A former fighter pilot in World War I, Germer started to work at Bell Labs in 1919, while the Labs was still part of Western Electric. He was a graduate student lab assistant at the time he worked on the famous experiment that would eventually bring the Nobel Prize to Davisson. (Despite being nominated for the Nobel Prize 26 times alongside Davisson, Germer did not share the award.) Later, he headed the Labs’ contact physics department, and developed equipment that allowed for the visual display of low-energy electron diffraction patterns on a fluorescent screen. He retired in early 1960s.
In 1945 (at the age of 49), Germer launched a side career as a rock climber.
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