We are pleased to announce the establishment of the John W. Lowry Enhancement Fund in Physics. Cathy and Jack Lowry established the fund in memory of their son, John, who died recently at his home in Los Angeles, CA. He was a graduate student in the department in the early 1980’s. John did his undergraduate work in the KU Department of Mathematics, earning his degree in 1980. He then joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy, working with Professor Tom Armstrong in the Space Physics program to earn his Masters degree in Physics in 1984.

John worked in the Space Physics program during a time of great excitement as probes were just reaching the outer solar system. At KU, the Space Physics group had taken over the old van de Graaff lab in the basement and set up their own warren, pushing the Department into new computer technologies to analyze the steady stream of incoming data. John wrote computer programs that were needed to place the Voyager 1 and 2 Jupiter flyby observations made with the Low Energy Charged Particle (LECP) in the correct spatial relationship to Jupiter’s magnetic field. Since the LECP instrument observed the electrons the ions trapped in this magnetic field, it was crucial to establish the directions that the observed particles moved relative to this magnetic field and to pick out the correct magnetic field lines along which these particles moved. John was a contributor to the success of the space group’s participation in the LECP investigation. He also assisted greatly in various indirect ways in the dissertation work of Ed Bell, Mark Paonessa, and Gul Tariq who were also in the space group along with John.

John also added greatly to a light-hearted, humorous, and enjoyable intellectual climate in the group. He was a frequent feature of the “Hotel Physica” established at Meadowbrook apartments as the drop-in social center for physics and astronomy graduate students. He was an important and valued member of the Department.

Upon graduation, John was hired by Hughes Aircraft Corporation in their Radar Systems Division in Los Angeles, California. This Division of Hughes eventually became part of the Raytheon Corporation. John worked there for 19 years. His early training at KU prepared him well for his work in this field. He did research and development work on radar systems at Hughes/Raytheon, with most of this work highly classified. His work with Synthetic Aperture radar (SAR) was especially helpful in the efforts of our Country to win the Desert Storm War. He helped to develop radar technology that could identify targets as small as a pie pan from an extremely high altitude. John wrote several scientific papers and a syllabus that was used daily by many of his colleagues as a reference guide for their department. John received numerous Achievement Awards from his company. He also served as a mentor to several younger engineers as they progressed in their profession. One of John’s associates wrote “John was and remains a technical and personal inspiration. His publications will stand forever. His insight will help the Company. His contributions have made us strong”. Another (Kent Edmonds) wrote “John always had a deep sense of compassion for others and a great sense of humor. He will be missed by many.” From a fellow Kansan and KU graduate.

Since early childhood, John was an avid reader. His personal library included over 5,000 volumes ranging from the classics to Philip K. Dick, Asimov to Stephen Hawking, as well as numerous scientific texts. He was well versed in Latin and also studied Greek, French, Russian and Japanese. John had collected over 10,000 comic books and had them cataloged by name and author. His coin and stamp collections were extensive. He had also collected over 3,000 records, VCR tapes, DVD’s, Laser Disks and CD’s, with music ranging from the Beatles to Bach, Rock to Opera and movies from Charlie Chaplin to The Matrix.

Those who knew John well, including his KU friends, were aware of his compassion for others and his great sense of humor. As a KU undergraduate, John served as a Patient Escort at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Kansas City, as Editor of the Naismith Hall Newspaper, and as a Naismith Hall Council Representative.

The John W. Lowry Enhancement Fund will be used to offer fellowship support to either an entering or existing graduate student in the Department, with the recipient chosen by a selection committee. An annual grant will be made based on the earnings of this fund. The larger the fund -- the greater the annual grant will be.

Tax-deductible Contributions to the John W. Lowry Enhancement Fund
Please make your check out to KUEA, and specify the John W. Lowry Enhancement Fund. You may mail your contribution to The Kansas University Endowment Association, P.O. Box 928, Lawrence, KS 66044-0928. Or, you may contribute on-line at www.kuendowment.org. Your gift will go even further if your employer has a matching gift program. For more information, call Kathleen Brady, Endowment Senior Development Director for the College, at (785) 832-7357, or toll-free at (800) 444-4201.