James T. Cushing

James Thomas Cushing (February 4, 1937 – March 29, 2002) was an American theoretical physicist and philosopher of science. He was a professor of physics and professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. Cushing earned his BSc from Loyola University, Chicago in 1959, his MSc from Northwestern University in 1960, and his PhD in physics from the University of Iowa in 1963. He conducted research at several institutions, including the University of Iowa, Imperial College in London, and Argonne National Laboratory. He joined the University of Notre Dame in 1966, initially as an assistant professor, later becoming an associate professor and, from 1978, a professor of physics. From 1990 to 1993, he also served as a professor of philosophy at the same university. Cushing's primary research interests were the history and philosophy of 20th-century physics and the foundations of quantum theory. He particularly focused on interpretations of quantum mechanics, investigating the reasons behind the dominance of the Copenhagen interpretation over alternative theories like hidden-variable theories or the de Broglie–Bohm theory. Since 2004, the Cushing Memorial Prize has been awarded annually to honor younger scholars for their significant contributions to the history and philosophical foundations of modern physics.