Gordon Hull, 94
July 17, 2006
Gordon F. Hull Jr., of Rockport, formerly of Hanover,
NH, died peacefully on July 19, 2006, at the age of 94.
Dr. Hull graduated from Dartmouth College with a
bachelor's of science in physics in 1933. He received his masters in 1934
and his doctorate in physics from Yale University in 1937.
During his high school years, Dr. Hull studied at the
Universities of Gottingen and Strasbourg.
Dr. Hull began his career at the Bell Telephone
Laboratories in 1937. There, he headed various research groups, the last
being in microwave antennas and microwave radar systems.
In 1944, he was appointed professor of physics at
Dartmouth College. As part of his responsibilities, in addition to his
teaching and research, he directed research for the Office of Naval
Research.
During this affiliation, he worked as a scientific
attache at the American embassy.
On leave from Dartmouth, he was stationed in London,
Washington, and Bern, Switzerland. In the last appointment he acted for the
Department of State as the scientific liaison between European and U.S.
physicists.
In 1953, Dr. Hull became a consultant to Saunders
Assoc. in Nashua, NH, and from 1954 to 1958 he worked with MIT Lincoln Labs
as a consultant. There he developed radar systems and evaluated them using
radio astronomy techniques.
From 1958 to 1963, Dr. Hull was head of the Physics
System Engineering for Sylvania Systems Engineering Laboratory.
In 1963, he joined Baird Atomic as director of
research, with a particular focus on optical masers.
In 1965, and for the next several years, Dr. Hull was
a scientific consultant for highly specialized companies working in optics
and lasers.
In 1970, Dr. Hull and his wife made a major life
change; making Rockport their permanent home, after years of being summer
residents. There they bought the Hull House, a prominent federalist home on
Main Street. They operated the home as a guesthouse and apartment house for
many years.
Dr. Hull was a member of many scientific organizations
both in the U.S. and abroad.
He was a long-term member of the Sandy Bay Yacht Club,
and an enthusiastic sailor. He was a patron and longtime member of the
Rockport Art Association, buying many original pastel works and oil
paintings over the years.
He involved himself in local government in Rockport
with great enthusiasm.
Dr. Hull was the beloved husband of the late Mona C.
Hull, to whom he was married for 65 years. Father of Gordon F. Hull III and
wife Barbara of Kenilworth, Illinois; Jerusha Hull McCormack of Dublin,
Ireland; Jonathan C. Hull and wife Gretchen of Newcastle, Maine; David B.
Hull and wife Sandra of Claremont, California; and Berney Elizabeth Graham
and husband Richard of Andover. He leaves 10 grandchildren.
Arrangements: A memorial service is scheduled
for July 29, 2006, 1 p.m., at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Hanover, NH,
followed by interment in the family plot at Pine Knoll Cemetery. A reception
will follow. A memorial will be held in Rockport at a later date, yet to be
determined. Relatives and friends are cordially invited. In lieu of flowers,
donations may be given in Dr. Hull's name to the Rockport Art Association,
12 Main St., Rockport, MA 01966. Funeral arrangements are by the Burgess &
Mackey Funeral Home, 201 Main St., Rockport.
