Burton Richter
His Nobel-winning discovery of a new particle fundamentally reshaped our understanding of matter's basic building blocks.
1931–2018 (age 87)·American physicist·Birthday: March 22·The Silent Generation
Biography
Burton Richter was a force in high-energy physics whose vision built machines to see the unseen. At the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), he championed the construction of the Stanford Positron Electron Asymmetric Ring (SPEAR), a collider designed to smash particles together at unprecedented energies. In 1974, his team at SLAC and a group led by Samuel Ting at Brookhaven independently discovered the same new particle. Richter named it the ψ particle, Ting called it the J, and it is now known as the J/ψ. This discovery provided the first direct evidence for the existence of the charm quark, a crucial confirmation of the quark model, and earned Richter and Ting the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physics. Beyond his research, Richter was a powerful advocate for science policy and energy research, serving as SLAC's director for over a decade.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Burton was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Burton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Burton's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2018Died at 87
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
Key Achievements
- Awarded the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of the J/ψ particle.
- Led the design and construction of the SPEAR particle collider at SLAC.
- Served as the director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center from 1984 to 1999.
- Was a prominent voice advocating for investment in renewable energy and fusion research.
Did You Know?
The simultaneous discovery of the J/ψ particle is often called the "November Revolution" in particle physics.
He chose the name ψ (psi) for the particle, partly because the shape resembles a trident, a symbol of power.
Richter was a skilled photographer and published a book of his photographs titled "Beyond Smoke and Mirrors."
He was a direct descendant of Nathan Mayer Rothschild, founder of the Rothschild banking dynasty.
“"The most important product of science is new ways of thinking."”
