Melvin Eisner

Dr. Melvin Eisner, beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather and esteemed physics professor emeritus, passed away peacefully on December 11, 2024. Having lived a healthy life including regular exercise, nutritious food, and constant curiosity, he reached the age of 102. Just weeks before he died, he was walking with his rollator, changing his own clothes, religiously reading the newspaper and watching the news.

He was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, on March 2, 1922, to Moses Eisner, a Jewish orthodox religious teacher and Lena Weiss Eisner, a nurse and homemaker. He was the third of four brothers, Leonard, Elmer and Robert. His mother was the matriarch of 12 siblings and 40 nephews and nieces. In addition to his brothers Melvin grew up in a household constantly filled with similarly aged cousins and other extended family members. He took on the mantle of his mother of keeping extended family constantly in contact.

A gifted student, Melvin graduated early from Brooklyn College before earning his master’s and PhD in plasma physics from the University of North Carolina in the late 1940s. In the mid 1940s, he enlisted in the US Navy as a noncommissioned officer, where he used his significant creative scientific talents to help develop sonar technology to detect mines in the English Channel.

His first teaching job was at Texas A&M University where he was hired at the elevated level of associate physics professor in 1948. He transformed that physics department by recruiting many talented faculty and students. All of his co-workers and students respected and revered him, many of whom stayed in contact with him until the time he passed. He moved on to a tenured professorship at University of Houston in 1967, where several graduate students followed him. He also elevated the reputation of that institution by bringing more talented professors. He taught there for over 20 years, where he worked on a variety of subjects with his current and past graduate students. He also contracted with NASA to be develop experiments that would be performed by astronauts in space. During his lifetime he was the coauthor of at least three patents. He was widely published in peer reviewed physics journals and coauthored a textbook.

He was an avid, intrepid traveler. He visited six of seven continents. His trips included going on a trek in Nepal and a safari in Africa at age 90.

Dr. Eisner is survived by his three children: Susan, Hannah and Michael; nine grandchildren: Zachariah Hiatt, Joshua Hiatt, Gabriel Hiatt, Daniel Eisner, Benjamin Eisner, Jonah Pryor, Leah Pryor, Lisa Carls and Reba Carls and four great grandchildren: Wyatt Pryor Lipe, Asa Pryor Lipe, Holden Pryor Lipe and Jackson Pryor. His wife of thirty four years, Jane Eisner, stepson Earl Carls and grandson Leroy Carls preceded him in death.

His legacy of intellectual rigor, love of family, life of travel and adventure will continue to resonate with all who knew him.

May his memory be a blessing to all.