Doctor Irving Langmuir

Langmuir Laboratory is named in honor of Dr. Irving Langmuir who, in 1932, was awarded the Nobel Prize for his discoveries and investigations in surface chemistry.

Dr. Langmuir was associated with General Electric Company's research laboratory from its formation in 1909 until his death in 1957. His studies significantly advanced knowledge of low pressure phenomena, heat transfer, electrical discharges, plasmas and their oscillations, nucleation of ice in clouds, rain formation and other areas of physics.

Beginning in 1947, following key discoveries at the GE laboratory in 1946 by Vincent Schaefer and Bernard Vonnegut, Dr. Langmuir and the two scientists conducted intensive cloud and storm studies in the Socorro area.

In 1975, Dr. Langmuir's son Kenneth made a generous bequest to Langmuir Laboratory of funds remaining in the estate of his father.