Dragomir Hurmuzescu (1865-1953)

Dragomir Hurmuzescu

1865 He was born on the 13th of March in Bucharest where he also graduated primary school, high school and university. He was called “Romanian physicists’ Dean” because of his concerns and the age he reached.

1896 Due to a scholarship obtained by competition, he got at Sorbonne his Ph.D. having the thesis: “About Determination of Ratio between Electrostatic and Electromagnetic Units”, by which he obviously contributed to this field. Being to Paris, 29 years old, he was elected member of French Society of Physics, an honour that is given to foreigners only on exceptional circumstances. He had a brilliant activity of experimental scientific research in Lippmann’s laboratory and, in the same time, he studied theoretical Physics under H. Poincare’s leadership. To Paris he also dealt with X rays’ study, discovering together with L. Benoit a new and important feature of these rays: that to download electrified objects. Because sealant used to different electrostatic devices did not make him be glad, Hurmuzescu invented a new insulator, superior to the existing ones, and called it dielectrine. He also made a simple, sensitive and well insulated by dielectrine using electroscope which was imposed in all physicists’ laboratories due to its qualities.

Both Becquerel and Curie family used this type of electroscope for their researches.

This year, 1896, Hurmuzescu also came back to Romania and was appointed Associate Professor of Physics for University in Iasi.

About in the same time he was Chemistry and Physics teacher of Boarding School in Iasi.

1897 He became academic substitute teacher and founded electricity laboratory.

1900 He was appointed tenured teacher and editor of “Scientific Annals” published at University in Iasi due to his elaborated works.

1910 Hurmuzescu organized “Electricity School” besides University in Iasi and he was appointed its director. Later, this school became “Electrotechnical Institute”.

1913 He was transferred to Bucharest, as director of “Electrotechnical Institute” in the capital.

1915 He became Associate of Romanian Academy.

Being known and appreciated abroad, he was invited to different scientific congresses together with world-renowned scientists.

1926 Within electrotechnical institute in Bucharest he made and put into operation the first broadcasting station in the country. He published a lot of works (over 50) of which, except the quoted ones, the following must be mentioned: “Determination of Romanian Oil and Mineral Water’s Radioactivity”, “Diffraction from Afar”, “Magnetization”, “Magnetostriction”, “Magneton and Electrons” and “Metal’s Superconductivity”.

Hurmuzescu dedicated his entire life to scientific research and academic courses by which he wanted to inspire love for science; he trusted Romanian scientists’ creative power.

1953 On the 31st of May, after a long activity, he died being 89 years old.

During centenary of University in Iasi, Romanian scholar Stefan Procopiu, one of his former students, wrote about Hurmuzescu: “University in Iasi owes a part of its glory, Physics owes some classical discoveries. Our science owes a scientific environment creating.”[1]




    1. Dragomir Hurmuzescu (1865-1953), ro.biography.name


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