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James R. Houck

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Carnegie Mellon University Cornell University California Institute of Technology

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James Houck Obituary

Houck, James R.

James R. Houck died at the age of 74 on September 18, 2015 after a long illness. Jim was born in Mobile, Alabama on October 5, 1940 to Elsa and James M. Houck. His father was an engineer for Alcoa and the family moved often, eventually settling in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jim was interested in electronics from an early age and built transistor radios in grade school. Later, he worked as a caddy at Oakmont Country Club. Jim earned a B.S. in Physics from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1962 and a Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell University in 1967. Jim joined the Cornell faculty in the Department of Astronomy soon thereafter, eventually retiring as the Kenneth A. Wallace Professor of Astronomy. Jim met his wife Elaine as an undergraduate and they married in 1965. Jim pioneered infrared observational astronomy, designing detectors and spectrographs that were flown on sounding rockets in the 1960s, on the NASA Lear Jet and Kuiper Airborne Observatory in the 1970s, and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) in 1983 and the Spitzer Space Telescope in 2003. He also led development of Cornell's instrumentation for the Palomar Observatory Hale Telescope. Jim's research outside instrumentation focused on the mechanisms responsible for energy generation in Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies, of which he was a discoverer using the IRAS satellite. Jim also studied the formation of dust in the early Universe. Jim loved teaching his students as they explored the wonders of Astronomy. Over the course of 40 years, Jim was the advisor to dozens of graduate students, who went on to become successful scientists around the world. Jim was one of the key players in building and running the Hartung-Boothroyd Observatory on Mount Pleasant east of Ithaca. One of his favorite courses to teach was Astronomy 4410 in which the students received hands-on observational experience. Jim also taught the second semester of Cornell's year-long Introduction to Astronomy class, giving generations of undergraduates a fun and interesting way of satisfying their science requirement. For Jim's efforts in this course, he was awarded the Clark Award for Distinguished Teaching. In the 1980s, he served on the committee which decided to keep Cornell's infamous swimming requirement for all undergraduate students. Jim was a leader in his field. He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1974, spending the year at the California Institute of Technology. He was awarded the 2008 Joseph Weber Award for Astronomical Instrumentation from the American Astronomical Society. The citation states: "This award was given to Dr. James Houck (Cornell University) for his extraordinary contributions over nearly four decades to major instrumentation for infrared astronomy. From early pioneering rocket experiments and major contributions to IRAS instrumentation to most recently the design and construction of IRS for the Spitzer telescope, Dr. Houck's contributions have been seminal to making infrared astronomy among the most exciting in the entire field. Scientifically, Dr. Houck's contributions have spanned the range from HII regions to the Galactic Center to extragalactic IR sources. It is no exaggeration to say that without Dr. Houck's contributions, modern IR astronomy would never have reached its current level of maturity." NASA recognized Jim twice with one of its top honors, the Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal. In 1984, he received it "for outstanding contributions to IRAS, including efforts in the rebuilding of the telescope focal plane assembly and continuing scientific analysis," and in 2005, for leading the successful development of the Spitzer Space Telescope's infrared spectrograph. Jim was a longtime season ticket holder for the Cornell men's hockey team. Jim was an avid traveler and loved visiting India and Nepal. In 1997, he served as Science Advisor for a trip to watch the solar eclipse in Mongolia. He was predeceased by his wife Elaine (Vezzani) Houck in 2011. He is survived by his sister, Sara Horsman of Pittsburgh; his sons, Chris (Tracy) of Boulder, CO and Rob (Michelle) of Chappaqua, NY; as well as his four beloved grandchildren, Adriana, Aiden, Joshua and Olivia. He is also survived by a niece, Cynthia Horsman of Evergreen, CO, and Richard Horsman and his wife Erica of Ann Arbor, MI. Friends may call on Tuesday, September 22, 2015, from 4-6 p.m. at the Bangs Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Department of Astronomy of Cornell University in the name of Jim Houck. A private burial will be held at a later date at Lakeview Cemetery.

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Published by Ithaca Journal on Sep. 21, 2015.

Memories and Condolences
for James Houck

Sponsored by anonymous.

12 Entries

My infrared portrait, using technology inspired by Jim.

William Forrest

September 14, 2019

Jim designed the first Rockwell 10-detector array we used on the C-141 and Lear Jet spectrometers. My thermal image at 2.2 microns employs many more pixels in an SBRC InSb array.

Alan Enos

October 18, 2015

It was an honor to study and work under Jim around the end of the millennium. His engaging teaching style inspired a generation of space scientists and engineers including this one. His ability to convey the enormity of the universe to his students was one of my most vivid memories I have of his class as a sophomore and what made me fall in love with astronomy. You could imagine my excitement when he hired me as an intern for two years to help build one of his IR cameras. This remains to today one of my most enjoyable and rewarding professional experiences. What set him apart from so many in the field was his technical knowledge of actually building the IR instrumentation he and his colleagues used for the fantastic discoveries made over his 40 year career. My condolences to his family as well as his extended family at Cornell and the astronomical community. There are many of us who are grateful for the careers Jim launched and the knowledge he imparted.

Paul Graf

October 16, 2015

It was only after several years of working in the space science industry that I realized the full value of studying under Jim and working with the IR group. I needed that exposure to realize how unique and deep his science and engineering talents were. Jim was a great mentor and teacher. He taught in such subtle ways that for years, when faced with a difficult problem, I'd ask myself 'how would Jim solve this?'. I am very grateful for my time with Jim and Cornell and cherish my memories. My deepest sympathies go out to his family.

Barbara Cappucci

October 6, 2015

Dear Chris, Rob and families,
We were sorry to hear about the passing of your dad. We knew him as a loving, supportive and proud husband to your late mother and father to you. What a legacy of accomplishments he has left you and the world! May he rest in peace.
With deepest sympathy,
Al and Barb Cappucci and Debora Burke

Peter Hall

October 1, 2015

I worked with Jim Houck for six years (2002-08) on the IRS Instrument Team at Cornell. Jim was the driving force behind the IRS and of much of the entire SIRTF/Spitzer satellite mission on which it flew. He was a quietly brilliant man with an immense range of skills. As well as managing a team of 40+ people (at its largest) he handled the complex bureaucracies of both the Cornell and the NASA parts of the mission and yet at the same time continued to publish his own research, taught undergraduates, tutored his graduate students, sat at a workbench and soldered electronic components together and then went home to care for his ailing wife. Elaine's illness and subsequent death took a great toll on Jim yet he carried on working as a world class academic. Elaine and Jim together opened up their home many times as a gathering place for others. Many memorable evenings took place at their house. What I will always remember most about Jim was his wisdom. Usually conveyed as short quotes or pointed sayings. He knew what to do to get the job done and he did it. And did it well. I learned a tremendous amount from him and his death is very much the end of an era. He will be very greatly missed.

Neil Rowlands

September 23, 2015

Of the many quotable moments that I experienced over my six years as one of Jim's graduate students was during our very first observing trip together. One of the Mt. Lemmon staff members brought his girlfriend up the mountain for dinner and she asked a lot of pointed questions, including how we could justify spending all this time, effort and money doing astronomy. Jim's considered reply was that of all the news stories in a newspaper, the only unfailingly positive ones are the latest astronomical discoveries. Ever since, whenever I have been asked a similar question, I have quoted this practical, yet profound, observation. To me it also exemplifies Jim's approach to his work (and life). Jim was a great teacher who always supported his students, and I feel very fortunate that I was one of them, he will be missed.

William Forrest

September 22, 2015

Jim's acumen as a scientist was very clear very soon after meeting him. He was smart and clever and made a world of difference in the field of infrared astronomy. Perhaps his greatest strength was to inspire others to join in and add to his scientific enterprise. I believe I was his first postdoc, and we did a lot of good science in my years with him. And it was fun, and productive. He showed me his compassionate side when I experienced a life threatening event on a Lear Jet flight to measure the infrared spectrum of Saturn. I feel very fortunate to have worked with and learned from this great scientist.

Dan Watson

September 22, 2015

Jim set a great example for a couple of generations of astronomers and instrument-builders: he was brilliant, utterly sensible, and certainly the cleverest experimental physicist I have ever met. But it's his kindness and good humor toward, and advocacy for, his younger colleagues that I'll miss the most. The scientific teams he built and fostered were models of camaraderie and mutual support as well as productivity. I've been working with Jim for almost three and a half decades, have enjoyed every minute of it, and am extremely deep in his debt for the opportunity to be part of these great adventures.

My heart goes out to Rob, Chris, Sara and their families, and also to Jim's Cornell family, especially George, for this agonizing loss.

Gary Melnick

September 21, 2015

Jim's was the very first class I attended as a Cornell freshman and he was the first to offer me a summer job in the Astronomy Department following my sophomore year. I learned many things from Jim, not the least being that serious research can and should be fun and the fun I had working for Jim played a big part in my decision to pursue astronomy. His intuition and infectious smile will be lasting memories. However, more than a teacher, Jim was a friend. As fellow Pittsburghers, we shared many memories and laughs about our common roots (along with shared agony over sports disappointments). The ease with which Jim was able to jump between wise council and playful banter is what I'll miss most.

My deepest sympathies are with Jim's family. I hope they realize how many lives he touched.

Michael Werner

September 21, 2015

Jim was a friend and colleague for about 50 years, starting when he helped me with the observations for my PhD thesis at Cornell and ending with the great success of the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope. I learned a tremendous amount from him - not all of it about physics and astronomy - and he brought out the best in all of us. I share my sadness at his death with Rob, Chris, and their families and with all of us who had the opportunity to know and work with Jim. He was a unique individual whose like may never be seen again.

Tom Roellig

September 21, 2015

This is really sad. Jim had such a huge influence in my professional life, starting with taking me on as one of his grad students. From that time onward so much of what I have able to achieve was due to his examples and the opportunities that he personally opened for me. I always got on well with Jim and was honored when he asked me to fill in for him for a year as the IRS PI while he dealt with Elaine's illness.

He truly left us way too soon.

Judy Pipher

September 21, 2015

Jim was an amazing scientist who inspired generations of students. I was a student when he joined the far infrared group at Cornell as a postdoc. His technical savvy was crucial to the success of the rocket experiments, and later other space missions. Jim was also a loyal friend. I will miss him.

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