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Deep Thoughts
Notes from the underground by Communications Director Constance Walter
Monday, August 31, 2015
A ‘fitting tribute’ to visionary scientist
B
old visionary. Humble. Pioneer.
Respectful. Passionate. Kind.
Encouraging. Fun. Patient. Father. Husband.
Scientist. Gentleman. Role model.
In a ceremony dedicating the Raymond
Davis Jr. Memorial sculpture, speakers
used all of these words to describe the man
who built his solar neutrino experiment on
the 4850 Level of Homestake Mine in the
1960s. Davis created “the solar neutrino
problem” when his experiment detected
only about a third of the neutrinos predicted.
But he never gave up. In 2002, he received
the Nobel Prize in Physics for his research.
“Ray Davis had bold, visionary ideas,”
said Dr. John Wilkerson, Principal
Investigator with the Majorana
Demonstrator Project and a former
colleague of Davis. “He was a softspoken, polite gentleman who treated
everyone around him with respect. This
monument is a tribute to his vision and
accomplishments.”
Photo by Adam Gomez
Photo by Adam Gomez
From Left: Mike Headley, Dale Lamphere, David Kieda, Roger Davis, Linda Davis, John Wilkerson
and Joshua Willhite.
The sculpture, designed by South
Dakota Artist Laureate Dale Lamphere,
is a tank support from Davis’
experiment. The sculpture features a
stainless steel ring that “floats” off the
interior of the tank support. The original
tank was moved in segments to the 4850
Level then assembled. The segmented
monument reflects that process.
“It was a great honor to create this
tribute to Ray Davis and his profoundly
important work,” Lamphere said.
Dr. David Kieda was a graduate
student when he arrived at Homestake in
1983 to work with Davis. Now the Dean
of the Graduate School at the University
of Utah, Kieda recalls the first time he
saw the tank sitting in the cavern. “It
was enormous!” he said. “I couldn’t
understand how it got down that tiny
shaft.” He learned soon enough.
“Seeing the monument today is like
seeing an old friend. The tank allowed
us to see into the sun, now it is in the
sun. It is beautiful and simple and
reflects the qualities of a man who
treated everyone with the same kind of
respect, regardless of who they were.”
Kieda said.
Roger Davis shared anecdotes about his father
during the dedication.
South Dakota Science and Technology Authority
The final speaker of the day was
Roger Davis, son of Ray Davis. Roger
Davis shared many stories about his
father, “a dedicated scientist who
always found time to play with his
children.”
Roger Davis and his four siblings,
who grew up on Long Island, spent
summers sailing, traveling and playing
baseball. “My father was always
the pitcher and he always pitched
underhanded so everyone had the
chance to hit a home run over the
hedges out front.” And he treated every
child in the neighborhood as if they
were all his, including them in family
outings and other activities, Roger said.
Roger Davis summarized his father’s
philosophy on life this way: “Exercise
your body and your mind. Get a good
education. Stay healthy. Listen to great
music. Help others in need. Work hard
and do your best. Be around children as
often as you can. Never forget to have
fun after your work is done. And never
give up.”
The monument, he said, “is a fitting
tribute to him.”
To learn more about Dr. Ray Davis’ Nobel-Prize winning research into
solar neutrinos, go to http://sanfordlab.org/article/270
Lead, South Dakota