Henry Augustus Rowland

Biography

Henry Augustus Rowland achieved prominence as an exacting scientist whose work at Johns Hopkins University helped to establish the United States as a center of physics research. His meticulous studies of spectroscopy and magnetic phenomena, along with the invention of the concave diffraction grating, brought clarity to the nature of light and inspired generations of experimentalists.

Deeply committed to both scholarship and teaching, Rowland upheld a love of discovery and a devotion to scientific standards that endured throughout his life. He is laid to rest at Green Mount Cemetery, leaving a legacy of precision that continues to guide physicists today.