In Memoriam: Allen M. Goldman

Regents Professor Emeritus Allen M. Goldman of the School of Physics and Astronomy passed away on Friday, May 16, 2025 in St. Paul at the age of 87. Allen was a member of the School for 60 years, joining as an assistant professor in 1965. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1968, and Professor in 1975. In 1992, Allen was appointed an Institute of Technology (now College of Science and Engineering) Distinguished Professor, and in 2008 he was selected as a Regents Professor, the University of Minnesota’s highest academic honor. He served as Head of the School from 1996 –2009.

Allen was one of the giants in the field of superconducting thin films, which he used to study the physics of collective behavior and phase transitions in reduced dimensions. His contributions include the discovery of order parameter collective modes in superconducting thin films (also known as the Carlson-Goldman modes), realization of the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in networks of Josephson junctions, and an extremely elegant and impactful series of experiments probing the superconductor-insulator transition in extremely thin films. After the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in 1986, Allen and his group developed a unique approach for growing oxide superconductors by molecular beam epitaxy. His group was known for ambitious and sophisticated experiments combining low-temperature technology with state-of-the-art deposition techniques. 

Over the course of his career, Allen mentored over 60 PhD students, who have gone on to distinguished careers in academia, national labs, and industry. They were often provided with the opportunity to collaborate with theorists, with whom Allen was always happy to share his latest data. Allen’s research was widely recognized. He was an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for Advancement of Science. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2007. Allen was also awarded the Fritz London Prize in Low Temperature Physics (2002) by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics and the Oliver E. Buckley Prize in Condensed Matter Physics (2015) by the American Physical Society. 

While serving as the Head of the School for 13 years, Allen hired many of the current faculty and laid the groundwork for a new building for experimental laboratories, which became the Physics and Nanotechnology Building.  Above all, the standards he set for research and academic excellence have inspired members of the School of Physics and Astronomy for over 60 years.

Allen is survived by his wife Katherine, sons Matthew and Benjamin, daughter Rachel (Ernie Behringer), grandchildren Hannah and Josh, and sister Linda (Sam Chororos).

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Sholom Foundation are encouraged.