Benjamin W. Lee

Korean-born American theoretical physicist

Benjamin Whiso Lee (Korean: 이휘소, Lee Whi-so) (January 1, 1935June 16, 1977) or Ben Lee, was a Korean-American theoretical physicist. His work in theorical particle physics was very important to the development of the standard model in the late 20th century. His work mainly affected the renormalization and the charm quark.

Benjamin Whisoh Lee
Benjamin W. Lee
Benjamin W. Lee
Born(1935-01-01)January 1, 1935
DiedJune 16, 1977(1977-06-16) (aged 42)
Kewanee, Illinois, United States
NationalityKorea under Japanese rule (1935–1945)
South Korean (1945–1968)
American (1968–1977)
CitizenshipUnited States
Alma materKyunggi High School
Seoul National University
Miami University
University of Pittsburgh
University of Pennsylvania
Known forWeak Interaction
Gauge theory
Lee-Weinberg bound
SpouseMarianne Mun Ching Sim
AwardsOrder of Camellia
(Order of Civil Merit of South Korea)
Scientific career
FieldsQuantum field theory
Particle physics
Theoretical physics
InstitutionsUniversity of Pennsylvania
Institute for Advanced Study
Stony Brook University
Fermilab
University of Chicago
Doctoral advisorAbraham Klein
Notable studentsBurt Ovrut
InfluencedAbdus Salam
Gerard 't Hooft
Signature
Signature of Benjamin W. Lee
Notes
Biography of Benjamin W. Lee by JooSang Kang

Life change

Benjamin W. Lee was born in Seoul, Korea. Before finishing high school, he entered the department of Chemical Engineering at Seoul National University. He was one of the best students. During his time in college, he transferred to the United States. He graduated from Miami University. Lee received a master degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania at the age of 25. Lee worked at Institute for Advanced Study. He was a professor of physics at University of Pennsylvania, SUNY at Stony Brook, University of Chicago, and head of the theoretical physics department at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. On June 16, 1977, he was killed in a car accident near Kewanee, Illinois. Lee studied symmetry principles and weak interactions.