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The Institute for Physical Science and Technology (IPST) was established in 1976 as a merger of the Institute for Fluid Dynamics and Applied Mathematics (IFDAM) and the Institute for Molecular Physics (IMP). Both Institutes were established shortly after World War II because the NAVY was interested in supporting research in fluid dynamics and applied mathematics (IFDAM) and high-pressure physics and engineering (IMP). IFDAM was established in 1949 with Martin Monroe as the first director; IMP in 1952 with Antonius M.J.F. Michels from the University of Amsterdam as first director. Early faculty recruited for IFDAM included Shih-I Pai (1949-1996) and Johannes M. Burgers (1955-1981) in the area of fluid dynamics, and Elliott Montroll (1951-1960, 1981-1983) in the area of applied statistical mechanics.

Autobiographical Notes of Johannes M. Burgers. Published in JMBC 15 years. © J.M. Burgerscentrum, Research School for Fluid Mechanics, The Netherlands. Reproduced with permission. For a brief introduction to this autobiography, please see the related article on page 7 of the March 2010 issue of the IPST newsletter written by Jan V. Sengers.

Elliott W. Montroll, as narrated by Michael Shlesinger.

"IFDAM became the origin of major research programs in meteorology culminating in the establishment of a Department of Atmospheric and Ocean Science at the University of Maryland", an account narrated by Alan Faller.

Interview with Michael E. Fisher by José M. Ortiz de Zárate, in Europhysics News Vol. 42, No. 1, 2011.