B. Kent Harrison
Bertrand Kent Harrison was a physicist and physics professor.
He was born on July 21, 1934, in Provo, Utah, and received his bachelor’s degree in physics as valedictorian of his class from Brigham Young University. He then studied theoretical physics as a National Science Fellow (NSF) at Princeton University, where he received both master’s and doctoral degrees.
He worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and later at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. For the remainder of his career he was on the faculty of BYU and served for a time as the Physics Department Chair.
He received five NSF grants, did mathematical physics research, mentored graduate students, and supervised the science part of a bachelor’s degree for adults desiring to finish college. He received BYU’s Alcuin Award for excellence in teaching and retired from BYU in 2000.
Kent collaborated with several Nobel laureates, published more than 50 scientific articles about general relativity, and was the lead author for the seminal book Gravitation Theory and Gravitational Collapse (Chicago, 1965). He also wrote Ideas and Experiments in Physical Science (2d ed., Dubuque, 2007) for use in general science courses
He served in scouting and was awarded the Provo Peak and Silver Beaver awards with his wife, Janyce.
Kent was passionate about the concerns of women and encouraged women to pursue careers in science. He also served on BYU’s Advisory Committee on Women’s Concerns. He served on the board for the Utah County Center for Women and Children in Crisis and was a co-author of the book Confronting Abuse – An LDS Perspective on Understanding and Healing.
He also authored the chapter "Truth, the Sum of Existence” in David Leigh Clark, ed., Of Heaven and Earth: Reconciling Scientific Thought with LDS Theology (Salt Lake City, 1998). He saw no conflict between science and religion, simply viewing our understanding in both as incomplete. He strongly believed that all things in the heavens and in the earth bear record of God.
He was a book reviewer for Square Two, a forum for faithful scholarship by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He served in many capacities in the Church of Jesus Christ including as an ordinance worker in the Provo Utah Temple and as a volunteer in the Edgemont North Stake Family History Center.
He died on August 14, 2024.
