Dr. William (Bill) Moulton passed away on December 22, 2013, but his important contribution to condensed matter physics, low-temperature studies, highly correlated electron systems, nuclear magnetic resonance and the MagLab will live on.
With a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, Moulton led the effort to increase the emphasis on condensed matter physics at Florida State University. This work culminated in the founding of the Center for Materials Research and Technology (MARTECH) in 1985. As the center’s founding director, Moulton hired Jack Crow, who later partnered with Don Parkin of Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Neil Sullivan of the University of Florida to write a proposal to locate the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at FSU. The lab was awarded to FSU in 1990, making Moulton a “grandfather” of the MagLab and a key to its success.