Rustum Roy 1924-2010

Rustum Roy 86, July 3, 1924 – August 26, 2010.

He was born and raised in India. Rustum Roy was Evan Pugh Professor of the Solid State Emeritus, Professor of Geochemistry Emeritus and Professor of Science, Technology and Society at The Pennsylvania State University. He obtained his Ph.D. in Ceramics at Penn State in 1948, after receiving BS and MS degrees in Chemistry, in India. He was a Distinguished Professor in the Materials Program at Arizona State University and visiting Professor of Medicine at the University of Arizona. In 1973 he founded the Materials Research Society, an international society which now has members in 80 countries.

Roy’s specialty was the synthesis of new materials. He published more than 700 papers and books in materials engineering and science. At Penn State, he established one of the nation’s top solid state science programs and helped found the internationally prominent Materials Research Laboratory.
He was also elected as a foreign member of the Swedish, Japanese, Indian, and Russian National Academies, and ‘knighted’ by the Emperor of Japan. Rustum Roy was a renaissance man whose interests were broad. His books include topics ranging from science policy and radioactive waste management to sexual ethics.

He was able to incorporate the best ideas from science, religion and medicine, always striving to better mankind. His friends included Linus Pauling, Norman Cousins, Deepak Chopra and Larry Dossey, as well as many religious leaders.

He also founded the Friends of Health, a non-profit organization which fostered the art and science of whole person healing.

Among his many interests, Rustum Roy was involved in research on water science, and in this regard he wrote papers that helped explain the mechanics of homeopathy. He is much quoted in support of homeopathy and was a staunch defender of homeopathy, from both a scientific and humanitarian standpoint. Rustum Roy’s contributions were unique and creative. He will be missed by all.