Richard B. Minnix
Richard Bryant Minnix, a 1950 graduate of Andrew Lewis High School in Salem, Virginia, received in 1954 his B.S. in physics from Roanoke College in Salem, in 1957 his M.S. in physics from the University of Virginia, and in 1965 a Ph.D. in Experimental Physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,. Driven by early inclinations to the world of science, Dr. Minnix has devoted most of his life to the teaching of physics, spurred by his appointment in 1954 as Teaching Assistant while in graduate studies at the University of Virginia. From 1956 through 1996, he has been Professor of Physics at Virginia Military Institute, in Lexington, serving as department head from 1974-79 and division head from 1989-94.
His forty years at V.M.I. have produced numerous accomplishments in his field: co-editorship of several manuals for the teaching of physics, numerous workshops for college and high school teachers and guest lecturer at a Demonstration Course for Canadian teachers at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, and more recently, in 1993, made the Demonstration Presentation at the XXIV International Physics Olympiad at the college of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
As if that were not enough, Dr. Minnix has served as a judge at science fairs, and frequently judged paper presentations sponsored by the Virginia Junior Academy of Science from 1970-74. He was Director of a $275,000 program to improve science instruction at V.M.I., funded by the National Science Foundation. Among his countless Demonstration Lecture appearances are the dozen or so offered at V.M.I. to visiting school groups annually since the early ‘70’s.
As early as 1954, Richard Minnix’s long list of honors began by his being named to Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities and in 1992 his alma mater named him Roanoke College Distinguished Alumnus. In 1983, V.M.I. bestowed upon Dr. Richard Bryant Minnix its Award for Distinguished Teaching and in 1990 its Award for Distinguished Service. In 1986, ’88, and ’89, he received Distinguished Teaching Awards from three separate entities. Additionally, he holds membership in the following groups: Blue Key National Honor Society (for leadership); the Society of the Sigma XI; Phi Kappa Phi; and Sigma Pi Sigma.
Dr. Minnix as also found time to participate in the American Physical Society; the Southeastern Section, American Physical Society; American Association of Physics Teachers; and Virginia Academy of Science, of which in 1979-80 he served as Treasurer and of its Astronomy, Mathematics, Physics Section, he was Secretary in 1970-712 and its Chairman in 1971-72.
Another former Andrew Lewis High School student, Marian Chapman, is Dr. Minnix’s wife. Their children are Jeffrey Bryant, Wesley Todd, and Leslie Montague.
In recognition of his outstanding career achievements, in 1996 Richard Bryant Minnix was among the charter members inducted into the Salem Alumni Hall of Fame established by the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association.
