Charles Max Mason (–), better known as Max Mason, was an American mathematician. Mason was president of the University of Chicago (1925–1928) and president of the Rockefeller Foundation (1929–1936). Mason's mathematical research interests included differential equations, the calculus of variations, and electromagnetic theory. Education B.Litt., 1898, University of Wisconsin-Madison Ph.D., Mathematics, University of Göttingen, 1903. Dissertation: "Randwertaufgaben bei gewöhnlichen Differentialgleichungen" (Boundary value functions with ordinary differential equations) Advisor: Hilbert Career Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 1903–1904, Instructor of Mathematics. Yale University, 1904–1908, Assistant Professor of Mathematics. University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1908–1909, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Associate Professor of Mathematics. University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1909–1925, Professor of Physics. National Research Council, 1917–1919, Submarine Committee. (Invented a submarine detection device, which was the basis for sonar detectors used in World War II.) University of Chicago, 1925–1928, President. Rockefeller Foundation, 1928–1929, Director, Natural Sciences Division. Rockefeller Foundation, 1929–1936, President. Palomar Observatory (California), 1936–1949, Chairman of the team directing the construction of the observatory. On , he appeared on Edgar Bergen's radio show to chat about the new observatory and trade jokes with Charlie McCarthy. In 1948, he, along with Lee A. DuBridge, William A. Fowler, Linus Pauling, and Bruce H. Sage, was awarded the Medal for Merit by President Harry S. Truman. Notes and references External links 1877 births 1961 deaths 20th-century American mathematicians Mathematical analysts Mathematics educators Medal for Merit recipients Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences People from Madison, Wisconsin Presidents of the Rockefeller Foundation Presidents of the University of Chicago University of Chicago faculty University of WisconsinMadison alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty Yale University faculty