Professor John Clem passed away on August 2, 2013, after a four-year battle with mesothelioma. He was known as the “father of the 2 dimensional pancake vortex.”
Clem received scholarships at the University of Illinois, where he earned his undergraduate degree in engineering physics. He married his high school sweetheart, Judith (Judy) after college graduation. Clem continued the study of physics in graduate school at Illinois, focusing on theory of superconductivity, and earned his PhD under John Bardeen.
After postdoctoral appointments in Maryland and Münich, Clem joined the Iowa State University Physics Department and Ames Laboratory in 1967, and enjoyed 46 years of collaboration with ISU and Ames Lab colleagues. He had a strong appreciation for the beauty of nature and the underlying theories that govern the flow of the natural world. He was named a Distinguished Professor at ISU and received the 2012 Award for Continuing and Significant Contributions in the Field of Applied Superconductivity from the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) Council on Superconductivity.
Clem was also an avid vocalist who enjoyed singing baritone in Ames’ Collegiate Presbyterian Church choir, ISU’s Musica Antiqua and at conference banquets. Clem and his wife enjoyed long associations with Ames Town and Gown, Collegiate Presbyterian Church, the Iowa State Center Performing Arts program, and a couples’ book club.
