THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 15, 1996 TAG: 9609150001
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: JACKSONVILLE, FLA. LENGTH: 37 lines
Melvin A. Pittman, 91, died Friday Sept. 13, 1996.
Born in Chester County, S.C., he received his B.S. from The Citadel in 1925, his M.S. from the University of South Carolina in 1929 and his Ph.D. from John Hopkins University in 1936. He did additional graduate work at the University of Michigan and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As part of his life long career as an educator he organized William and Mary's Physics Department's first graduate program in 1959, and Ph.D. program in 1964. Dr. Pittman also served as director of the National Science Foundation Summer Institute of Mathematics and Science Teachers for nine years from 1959 to 1967 at the College of William and Mary and from 1967 to 1974 was dean for the School of Sciences at Old Dominion University. Dr. Pittman was a member of many honor societies including Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in America, World Who's Who in Science, Who's Who in the South and Southwest, Marquis International Who's Who in Official Science and Engineering (1985), Leaders in American Science and the International Platform Association. Dr. Pittman also belonged to many professional societies including Optical Society of America, American Physical Science and American Association of Physics Teachers.
Mr. Pittman was a lieutenant commander, U.S. Navy (retired), and taught at the U.S. Naval Academy from 1942 to 1946. He and his wife of 53 years, Lorraine, moved to Jacksonville in 1979 and became members of the Mandarin Baptist Church where he served as historian for the Henry Maxwell Bible Class.
His family also includes two sons, Melvin P. Pittman (Cindy) of Atlanta, Ga., and William P. Pittman of Jacksonville; a daughter, Joyce Hodge (Charley) of Jacksonville.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in the chapel of Hardage-Giddens Mandarin Funeral Home, Jacksonville, with the Rev. Bill Yeldell and Dr. Robert Witty officiating. Interment will follow at Oaklawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. today at the funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Mandarin Baptist Church Building Fund.
KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY by CNB