Betts, Donald

Person

Betts, Donald

1929-2012

Donald Drysdale Betts was born in Montreal in 1929 to Wallace and Mary (Drysdale), and later moved to Halifax. He studied at the University of King's College, earning his Baccalaureate-first class honours and receiving the Dalhousie-King's University Medal in Physics in 1950, and his M.Sc. in 1952 from Dalhousie University. After this, he attended McGill University to complete his Ph.D.in theoretical mathematics (1955). Betts moved to Edmonton and served a year as a Post Doctoral Fellow before being appointed as a faculty member in the physics department at the University of Alberta, where he became a full professor over the following 24 years (1955-1980). During this time, he was appointed Director of the Theoretical Physics Institute at the University of Alberta (1972-78), as well as several executive roles within the Canadian Association of Physics (CAP), including president (1969-70). In 1980, Betts returned to Dalhousie as Dean of Arts and Science (1980-88), Dean of Science (1988-1990) and Provost of the College of Arts and Science (1988-89). He continued as a Professor of Physics until his retirement in 1994, when he was was awarded the honourary position of Professor Emeritus in physics. Betts also served as chair and later as a member of the Selection Committee for the Rutherford Medal in Physics for the Royal Society of Canada (1986-87, 1998-2002); as the editor of the Canadian Journal of Physics from March 1992 to March 1997; and on the executive of the Nova Scotia Institute of Science (NSIS) (1996-2002), including a term as President (1999-2001). Donald Betts died in Halifax on October 23, 2012.

Dalhousie University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (1988 -)

International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families, 2nd Edition

Final

Full

• English