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Walter Kistler
Photo: Navrek, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons11

Walter Kistler

Swiss physicist (1918–2015)

Walter P. Kistler (1918 – November 2, 2015) was a physicist, inventor, and philanthropist, born in Biel, Switzerland. Kistler was a life member of the Swiss Physical Society and a member of AIAA and ISA, which presented him the Life Achievement Award in 2000.2

From Wikipedia’s article on Walter Kistler (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born 1918, died Nov 2, 2015.1

About

He held patents on more than 50 inventions in the scientific and industrial instrumentation fields, and had published a number of papers in scientific and trade journals. He was a major donor to a eugenics research organization, the Pioneer Fund.

From Wikipedia’s article on Walter Kistler, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedUniversity of Geneva3
  • Date not recordedETH Zurich3

Kistler studied sciences at the University of Geneva and earned a master's degree in physics from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. While subsequently head of the Instrumentation Lab at the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works, Winterthur, he pioneered a new measurement technology using Piezo-electric quartz crystals as the transduction element in accelerometers, load cells, and pressure gauges. This new technology was made possible by Kistler's invention of a charge amplifier that could handle the very high impedance signals obtained from such sensors. For these achievements, he would in 1980 receive the prestigious Albert F. Sperry Award from the Instrument Society of America (ISA).

From Wikipedia’s article on Walter Kistler (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: physicist.6

Personal life

  • Born1918, Biel/Bienne7
  • DiedNov 2, 2015, Redmond8
  • CitizenshipSwitzerland9

Sources

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