Neal, Homer Alfred, Sr.
(born: 1942 - died: 2018)Homer Alfred Neal, Sr. was born in Franklin, KY. He is a graduate of Indiana University (where he began his studies at the age of 15) and a two-time graduate of the University of Michigan, earning his Ph.D. in physics in 1966.
In 1981 Homer joined the physics faculty at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he was a professor of physics, In addition to his work as a physics professor, he served as provost and vice president for academic affairs until 1986, the year he received the Stony Brook Medal.
In 1987, Neal was recruited to beomce the chair of the phyiscs department at the University of Michigan, where is also served as Interim President of the University from 1996-1997. He also served on a number of other organization boards.
A joint resolution appointed Neal a Citizen Regent on the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institute. He was the 2003 recipient of the Edward A. Bouchet Award for his contributions to experimental high energy physics. In 2007, it was announced that Michigan University physicists, including Homer Neal, had made a significant contribution toward the discovery of a new particle, Cascade b (Xi-b) baryon.
In 2016, Neal served as president of the American Physical Society. At the time of his death, May 23, 2018, he was the Samuel A. Goudsmit Distinguished University Professor of Physics at the University of Michigan.
For more see T. Davis, "Physics: U-M physicists contribute to new particle discovery," Ann Arbor News, 7/02/2007, p. C1; and Who's Who Among African Americans, 1977-2006.
See Neal's obituary in Physics Today, 2018.
