Enrico Fermi

See also Wikipedia's article about "Enrico Fermi".

Enrico Fermi was an Italian physicist famous for his work on the Manhattan Project, among other things. When Fermi emigrated to the U.S. in early January 1939, he had already won the Nobel Prize and was offered chairs at five different universities - and chose Columbia. By January 25, he was conducting the first nuclear fission experiment in the U.S. - in Pupin Hall.

In addition to his Nobel, Columbia also awarded Fermi a Barnard Medal for Meritorious Service to Science in 1950.

Fermi later moved on to the University of Chicago, which, as it does with the Core Curriculum, continues to lay almost exclusive claim to him to this day.