Alexander J. Dessler
| Alexander J. Dessler | |
|---|---|
| Dessler (left) with other chairs of the Space Science Department | |
| Born | October 21, 1928 | 
| Died | April 9, 2023 (aged 94) Bryan, Texas, U.S. | 
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology, Duke University | 
| Known for | Earth's Magnetosphere; Jupiter's Magnetosphere; Founding Chairman of the Department of Space Science, Rice University. | 
| Spouse | Lorraine Barbara Dessler | 
| Awards | Macelwane Medal; Fleming Medal, Arctowski Medal | 
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Magnetospheric Physics, Heliophysics, Jovian Physics | 
| Institutions | Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, Rice University, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona Texas A & M University | 
| Thesis | (1956) | 
| Doctoral advisor | William M. Fairbank | 
Alexander J. Dessler (October 21, 1928 – April 9, 2023) was an American space scientist known for conceiving the term heliosphere and for founding the first Space Science Department in the United States.