Barbara Anne Hale

Barbara Anne Hale (Nelson), of Rolla, MO, passed away on January 17, 2024 at the age of 86.
She was a renowned physicist, beloved wife, devoted friend, and well-respected community
member.
She was born to Paul and Evelyn Nelson on April 6, 1938 in Lancaster, NY. She remained in
New York throughout her youth and later went on to attend Syracuse University, earning her BA
in Physics with honors. Barbara then furthered her education at Purdue University, where she
met her husband Edward Hale, and the two both earned PhDs in Physics.
Barbara went on to become an important pillar of the Physics department at Missouri University
of Science and Technology in Rolla. In 1973, Barbara became one of the first two women to join
the physics faculty at Missouri S&T. During her 46 years of service there, Dr. Hale's work on
cloud physics led to over 40 publications, almost $1 million in support, and several
awards–including Missouri S&T's Woman of the Year in 2013. In addition to her academic
contributions to the university, Barbara was also a founding member of the Eta Kappa chapter of
Chi Omega. She served as their faculty advisor for many years and received the Chi Omega
Fraternity Lifetime Service Award in 2014.
Barbara is survived by her husband of 60 years, Dr. Edward Hale, niece Diane Nelson, and
nephew Brian Nelson.
Family, friends, and colleagues are invited to attend a celebration of life gathering at the
Hasselmann Alumni House on Monday, January 29th at noon. In lieu of flowers, donations can
be made to the physics department at give.mst.edu.