Walter Dunhan Claus

Walter Dunham Claus (6 March 1903 – 12 May 1995) was a pioneer in the field of radiation biology, especially in helping to establish the field in medical physics curriculum.

Life and Times

He was born in St. Louis, Missouri and died in Golden, Jefferson County, Colorado. Claus’s father Ernest Claus was from Germany and his mother Laura Claus was from Missouri. They resided at 310 N. Stein in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1931 received his Ph.D. in Physics from Washington University in St. Louis. Claus worked at the Mellon Institute and then went to work for the Atomic Energy Commission.

Dissertation

• “Effect of temperature on the diffuse scattering of X-rays from rock-salt.”

• Hull, Callie and West, Clarence J. (1931). Doctorates Conferred in the Sciences by American Universities, 1930-1931. National Research Council. Washington, D.C.

Atomic Energy Commission

Walter D. Claus, (annual salary $12,000), Division of Biology and Medicine, Biophysics Branch, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D. C. From 1949-1955 he held the position of Chief in the Division of Biology and Medicine, AEC. Then from 1955-1967 he served as Special Assistant to Division Director, AEC.

Health Physics Society

Dr. Claus was a key member in the formation of the Health Physics Society and represented the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

• Founding AND Charter member, 1955
• Board of Directors, 1955 – 1958, 1962
• President, 1961

• "News of Science". Science. 122 (15 July 1955): 112. 15 July 1955. Bibcode:1955Sci...122..112.. doi:10.1126/science.122.3159.112. 
• Reinig, William C. (July/August 1989). C.M. Patterson 1913-1989. HPS Newsletter, XVII(7/8): 19-20.
• Claus, Walter D. (1958) "What is Health Physics?." Health physics 1.1: 56-61.

Publications

• Health Effects of Plutonium and Radium.
• Interpretation of Atomic Structure Factor Curves in Crystal Reflection of X-Rays.
• The bactericidal effect of ultraviolet radiation on Escherichia coli in liquid suspensions.
• An experimental study of the problem of mitogenetic radiation.
• What is Health Physics?
• Radiation Biology and Medicine
• Symposium on Education and Training in Health Physics: Training Programs in Health Physics.

• Jee, Webster S. (Ed.). (1976). The health effects of plutonium and radium. Salt Lake City, Utah: JW Press. J. W. Press.
• Jauncey, G. E. M., & Claus, W. D. (1928). Interpretation of Atomic Structure Factor Curves in Crystal Reflection of X-Rays. Physical Review, 32(1), 12.
• Hollaender, Alexander, and Walter D. Claus. (1936). "The bactericidal effect of ultraviolet radiation on Escherichia coli in liquid suspensions." The Journal of general physiology 19.5: 753-765.
• Hollaender, Alexander, and Walter Dunham Claus. (1937). An experimental study of the problem of mitogenetic radiation. National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Claus, Walter D. (1958) "What is Health Physics?." Health physics 1.1: 56-61.
• Claus, Walter D. (1958), Radiation Biology and Medicine, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company: Reading, Massachusetts.
• Claus, W. D. (1962). Symposium on Education and Training in Health Physics: Training Programs in Health Physics. Health Physics, 8(2), 93-95.