W. Jack Fry
Physicist and violin maker William Frederick (Jack) Fry is Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, where, in 1952, he established the Experimental High Energy Physics Program. This group, of which he was Principal Investigator (Director) for 43 years, became the second largest in the U.S., with yearly support of $6.8 million from the U.S. Department of Energy. Fry was also instrumental in establishing High Energy physics programs at Padova and Milan Universities. He has been advisor to many leading physics laboratories and has published an lectured throughout the world. Fry's work on violin acoustics began in 1965. He has applied principles of acoustics and physics to the complex problems of string instrument construction. His work has been featured on PBS Nova (The Great Violin Mystery) and he has presented 250 public lectures on his violin research in twenty-three states and six countries. In 1992 Rose Mary Harbison performed her Berlin Radio American Music concert (still in circulation in Germany) on a Fry instrument. Fry is also a discerning collector of everything from rare books to early 20th century fountain pens. Recently he donated his unique collection of Italian fascist period materials to the University of Wisconsin Library.