Verification of the anecdote about Edwin Hubble and the Nobel Prize

TL;DR

This paper investigates the veracity of an anecdote claiming Edwin Hubble was nearly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1953, by examining Nobel committee records and nominations.

Contribution

It provides verified historical evidence clarifying the Nobel Prize decision process regarding Hubble and debunks the anecdote about his near-award in 1953.

Findings

Nobel committee endorsed Frederik Zernike in 1953, 13 days before Hubble's death.

Hubble was nominated but not endorsed for the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Hubble did not receive the Nobel Prize due to the committee's assessment of his work.

Abstract

Edwin Powel Hubble is regarded as one of the most important astronomers of 20th century. In despite of his great contributions to the field of astronomy, he never received the Nobel Prize because astronomy was not considered as the field of the Nobel Prize in Physics at that era. There is an anecdote about the relation between Hubble and the Nobel Prize. According to this anecdote, the Nobel Committee decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1953 to Hubble as the first Nobel laureate as an astronomer (Christianson 1995). However, Hubble was died just before its announcement, and the Nobel prize is not awarded posthumously. Documents of the Nobel selection committee are open after 50 years, thus this anecdote can be verified. I confirmed that the Nobel selection committee endorsed Frederik Zernike as the Nobel laureate in Physics in 1953 on September 15th, 1953, which is 13 days before the Hubble's death in September 28th, 1953. I also confirmed that Hubble and Henry Norris Russell were nominated but they are not endorsed because the Committee concluded their astronomical works were not appropriate for the Nobel Prize in Physics.