Keith Brueckner (1924-2014). A biographical memoir

Keith Brueckner was a theoretical physicist of considerable technical power who came of age as the mysteries of the atomic nucleus were coming into focus. His fundamental contributions to the "many-body problem" had a lasting impact on our understanding of how the macroscopic behavior of matter emerges from the underlying microscopic rules. A passionate and accomplished mountain climber, he listed the American Alpine Club below the National Academy of Sciences on his vitae. During decades of complex interactions between the physics community and the United States government, he helped build structures that allowed him and many others to provide advice on classified matters, but also actively raised funds to support opposition to the war in Vietnam. At the peak of his career, he left the Ivy League to help found and build a new university in a small village filled with Marines and retirees - La Jolla, California.