Background
Bronk, Detlev W. was born on August 13, 1897 in New York City. Son of Mitchell and Marie (Wulf) Bronk.
Bronk, Detlev W. was born on August 13, 1897 in New York City. Son of Mitchell and Marie (Wulf) Bronk.
Bachelor of Arts, Swarthmore College, 1920. Postgraduate University of Pennsylvania, 1921. Master of Science, University of Michigan, 1922, Doctor of Philosophy, 1926.
Recipient over 55 honorary degrees from university and colleges
He is credited with establishing biophysics as a recognized discipline. Bronk served as President of Johns Hopkins University from 1949 to 1953 and as President of The Rockefeller University from 1953 to 1968. Bronk also held the presidency of the National Academy of Sciences between 1950 and 1962.
Bronk was a descendent of Jonas Bronck, an early settler to New Netherland from whose name The Bronx is derived.
In September 1921 Bronk married Helen Alexander Ramsey, who had been a fellow student at Swarthmore. By 1924 he was intent on applying physics and mathematics to physiology, receiving a Doctor of Philosophy in 1926 from the University of Michigan.
From 1953–1968 Bronk was president of The Rockefeller University. (The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research was renamed The Rockefeller University in 1965).
He firmly espoused academic freedom and resisted attempts by Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy to have Johns Hopkins University dismiss Professor Owen Lattimore.
The same year he was awarded the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences. He was credited with formulating the modern theory of the science of biophysics. He served on the board of trustees for Science Service, now known as Society for Science & the Public, from 1965–1967.
Bronk is quoted as saying:
"A great deal of undergraduate education is built on.. telling a student what to do—at the very time he is developing intellectual habits for life.
Too rarely is a student told, "This is the problem with which we are going to deal. Here are the books" ".
Salvation is not based on an individual's fulfillment of God’s commands, but rather on Christ's fulfillment of them and of being united with him through faith.
Member university faculties, 1921-1949. Member President's Science Advisory Committee, 1956-1963. Member Inter-American commission on science and technical Organization of American States, 1969-1975.
Member of New York State Public Health Council, 1972-1975.
Trustee Atoms for Peace Awards, Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute (Chairman of the Board 1966-1971), Tulane University, University of Pennsylvania, Bucknell University, Haifa University, Marine Biological Laboratory, Johns Hopkins, Population Council, Protein Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Sloan-Kettering Institute. Served as ensign United States Naval Aviation Corps, 1918-1919.
Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (president 1952). Member or honorary; member many American, foreign professor societies (sometime officer several).
Clubs: New York Yacht, University, Century, Lotos (New York City).
Married Helen A. Ramsey, September 10, 1921. Children: John Everton Ramsey, Adrian, Mitchell Herbert.