While at Harvard, Purcell taught Physics 198, "Widely Applied Physics," which the department recently revived as Physics 125.

He retired in the spring of 1980.

"He was an excellent teacher," Ramsey said. "His courses were very popular."

Professor of Physics Paul Horowitz '65 took Purcell's quantum mechanics course as an undergraduate.

"I was overwhelmed by his modesty, clarity and sheer inspiration," Horowitz said. "This was a completely unpretentious person."

When Horowitz won tenure, he found that Purcell had a similar effect on his colleagues.

"It was pretty clear that Ed was someone that everyone in the department admired as a great physicist," he said.

"He was a very thoughtful person, one of my very best friends," Ramsey said. "There was no one whose judgment I trusted more than his."

Purcell was born in Taylorville, Ill. in 1912. He received his Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Purdue in 1933 and his Ph.D. from Harvard five years later.

Purcell is survived by his wife, Beth C., and two sons, Dennis W. '62 and Frank B. '65.

A memorial service is being planned