In Memoriam: Sterling P. Newberry

We regret to announce the passing of Sterling P. Newberry on January 28, at the age of 101. Sterling was the last surviving founding member of our Society, from 1942. He contributed to our society throughout his carrier, especially for our 50th anniversary, in 1992. For this occasion, starting in 1990, he carried out video interviews of many of the pioneers in our field. This work has continued, and the list is available on the MSA website.

We also published Sterling’s book "EMSA and its People — the First Fifty Years", which was given to each attendee of the 50th Anniversary Annual Meeting in 1992 in Boston. A few copies are still available from large booksellers. Sterling was given a certificate of special recognition at M&M 2006 in Chicago, the last he was able to attend.

We are saddened that he cannot be with us at our 75th annual meeting in St. Louis this summer, however it is very fitting that the meeting be held there, since Sterling built the very first electron microscope in the US there, in 1935. The 1939 version is at the Medical School of Washington University, and we hope to display it at M&M2017. Little is known about the early US election microscopes because they did not exceed the resolution of the light microscope, as did the 1938 Toronto TEM of Hillier and Prebus.

Sterling worked for many years at the General Electric Company, where he designed an electrostatic TEM that was not marketed and the first commercial x-ray microscope, of which about 100 were sold.

After GE, Sterling founded the MicroBit Company, which designed a “fly’s eye” electron-optical memory device for computers (which was, of course, superseded by silicon devices). Subsequently, he pursued scientific studies at this private lab (CBI), collaborating with several scientists in applications of x-ay microscopy as well as continued development of x-ray microscopy. He was very active in scientific research into his 80s, and was enthusiastic about microscopy outreach and teaching to young people.

Our Archives house Sterling’s complete scientific papers.