Vernon Ehlers, who was the first PhD physicist to be elected to Congress, died on 15 August 2017 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was 83.
Elected to the House of Representatives in a 1993 special election, Ehlers served his western Michigan district until 2010, when he did not seek reelection. He quickly became an advocate for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. During hearings of the Committee on Science and Technology, of which he was a member, he often expressed disappointment and concern with the lack of science and mathematics literacy among the general public. In recognition of his scientific training, he was named as the committee’s vice chairman, a title that was largely symbolic.
A Republican, Ehlers was asked in 1997 by then House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) to produce a national science policy statement. Unlocking Our Future: Toward a New National Science Policy, the 100-page product...
