Max Mason

Charles Max Mason (26 October 1877–22 March 1961), better known as Max Mason, was an American mathematician. Mason was president of the University of Chicago (1925–1928) and the third president of the Rockefeller Foundation (1929–1936).

Mason's mathematical research interests included differential equations, the calculus of variations, and electromagnetic theory.

Education

 * B.Litt., 1898, University of Wisconsin-Madison
 * Ph.D., Mathematics, University of Göttingen, 1903.
 * Dissertation: "Randwertaufgaben bei gewöhnlichen Differentialgleichungen" (Boundary value functions with ordinary differential equations)
 * Advisor: Hilbert

Career

 * Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 1903–1904, Instructor of Mathematics.
 * Yale University, 1904–1908, Assistant Professor of Mathematics.
 * University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1908–1909, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Associate Professor of Mathematics.
 * University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1909–1925, Professor of Physics.
 * National Research Council, 1917–1919, Submarine Committee. (Invented a submarine detection device, which was the basis for sonar detectors used in World War II.)
 * University of Chicago, 1925–1928, President.
 * Rockefeller Foundation, 1928–1929, Director, Natural Sciences Division.
 * Rockefeller Foundation, 1929–1936, President.
 * Palomar Observatory (California), 1936–1949, Chairman of the team directing the construction of the observatory.

On 2 May 1945, he appeared on Edgar Bergen's radio show to chat about the new observatory and trade jokes with Charlie McCarthy. In 1948, he, along with Lee A. DuBridge, William A. Fowler, Linus Pauling, and Bruce H. Sage, was awarded the Medal for Merit by President Harry S. Truman.

Archival collections

 * Max Mason papers, 1898-1961, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
 * Max Mason papers, 1750-1815, Royal Observatory Edinburgh
 * Charles Mason papers, 1750-1815, American Philosophical Society
 * Max Mason papers, 1750-1815, Royal Observatory Edinburgh
 * Charles Mason papers, 1750-1815, American Philosophical Society