ABSTRACT
Born and raised in Provo, Utah, Fletcher received his early training at the Brigham Young University, and graduated in 1907. Continuing study at the University of Chicago, he, along with Robert A. Millikan, measured the charge of an electron. (Millikan won the Nobel Prize for this work.) This fundamental research contributed greatly to the field of electronics, which led to the development of the radio and television industry. Upon completion of his studies at the University of Chicago, Fletcher was awarded a Ph.D. summa cum laude, which was the first ever granted by the physics department of that university. After graduation, he returned to Brigham Young University and was appointed chairman of the physics department, in 1911.
