Arthur Thorpe

Arthur Nathaniel "Pete" Thorpe (26 April 1933 – 30 June 2015) was a physicist and professor at Howard University in Washington, D.C. He was the second student to receive a PhD in physics from Howard, and helped to establish a cooperative degree program between Howard University and other historically Black colleges and universities to increase access to physics education. Throughout his career, his research centered around condensed matter; solid state physics; the evaluation of superconducting materials for space application; and enhancing high-temperature superconductors. He was raised in the Durham area and attended Hillside High School, where he graduated in 1950.

He received his bachelor's degree in 1954 from Howard University in Washington, D.C. The same year as he received his degree, he joined the United States Air Force, where he served as a fighter pilot until 1958. In 1959 he received his master's degree, and in 1964 he received his PhD in physics, both from Howard University. At Howard, he studied under Dr. Herman R. Branson, who had created the graduate physics program at the university. His thesis was titled "Magnetic Properties of Pd,Pd-H, and Pd-D from 300K to 4.2K." Thorpe was Branson's second student to complete the PhD program, making him the second student to receive a physics PhD at Howard, following Titus Pankey in 1962.

In 1993, Thorpe became the director of Howard University's Center for the Study of Terrestrial and Extraterrestrial Atmospheres (CSTEA), which was funded by NASA and had a major focus on student training. Along with Thorpe as its director, Dr. Vernon R. Morris served as the center's deputy director.

Over his career, Thorpe published over 93 articles in journals such as the Journal of Geophysical Research, the Physical Review, the Journal of Radiation Effects, and Science. He continued to teach at Howard University until his death in 2015.

Personal life Thorpe was married to Wanda Thorpe, and they had five children. He was also involved in Wheeler Airlines, the first Black-owned airline certificated in the US by the FAA.