Grant O. Gale
Encyclopedia
Grant Oscar Gale was a professor of physics
at Grinnell College
in Grinnell, Iowa
. In 1928 Gale came to the college as an instructor in physics, and eventually became Professor of Physics. Until his death in 1998 he collected science
equipment which had become obsolete and maintained a series of exhibits which now form the core of Grinnell's Physics Historical Museum.
One of Gale's most noted students was Robert Noyce
, co-inventor of the integrated circuit
and founder of Intel. While a student at Grinnell, Noyce stole a pig
from a nearby farmer for a college luau
and then slaughtered it in Clark Hall. The prank would have earned him expulsion, if not for Gale's intervention.
The large "Alpha and Omega Sundial
" which sits next to the Noyce Science Center on the Grinnell College campus is named in honor of Gale's wife Harriet.
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at Grinnell College
Grinnell College
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, U.S. known for its strong tradition of social activism. It was founded in 1846, when a group of pioneer New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College....
in Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell, Iowa
Grinnell is a city in Poweshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 9,218 at the 2010 census. Grinnell was named after Josiah Bushnell Grinnell and is the home of Grinnell College.- History :...
. In 1928 Gale came to the college as an instructor in physics, and eventually became Professor of Physics. Until his death in 1998 he collected science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
equipment which had become obsolete and maintained a series of exhibits which now form the core of Grinnell's Physics Historical Museum.
One of Gale's most noted students was Robert Noyce
Robert Noyce
Robert Norton Noyce , nicknamed "the Mayor of Silicon Valley", co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957 and Intel in 1968...
, co-inventor of the integrated circuit
Integrated circuit
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
and founder of Intel. While a student at Grinnell, Noyce stole a pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
from a nearby farmer for a college luau
Luau
A luau is a Hawaiian feast. It may feature food, such as poi, kalua pig, poke, lomi salmon, opihi, haupia, and beer; and entertainment, such as Hawaiian music and hula...
and then slaughtered it in Clark Hall. The prank would have earned him expulsion, if not for Gale's intervention.
The large "Alpha and Omega Sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
" which sits next to the Noyce Science Center on the Grinnell College campus is named in honor of Gale's wife Harriet.