Morris Cohen: From Metallurgy to Materials

Morris Cohen grew up around metals. His family’s business produced and refined lead-based alloys used in metal type and solders. In 1929, he enrolled in MIT with plans to complete a metallurgy degree and return to the family business. Instead, he began an academic career that culminated in 1975 when he was named Institute Professor.

Professor Cohen is best known for his role in expanding the field of metallurgy into the discipline of materials science. “The Cohen Report played a key role in moving academic departments to expand into ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, and composites---and the universal paradigm of structure-property-processing-performance relations that hold regardless of the particular type of material considered,” said Ned Thomas, current holder of the Morris Cohen Chair.

Professor Thomas emphasizes the honor of holding the Cohen Chair, “Any materials scientist would be very, very highly honored to recive an award in Cohen’s name. When I would go to Japan as the Morris Cohen Professor---always, right after my talk, members of the audience would  greet me and want to pass their best regards to me to take back to Morris. He was especially loved in Japan for his outstanding metallurgical contributions.”