Norman “Jeff” Holter founded the Holter Research Foundation in Helena and became a globally recognized biophysicist.
Jeff was the son of Norman and Florence Holter. He graduated from Helena High School in 1931 and the University of California in Los Angeles in 1937. Holter then earned Master’s degrees in chemistry and physics, and continued his education by completing postgraduate work at the University of Heidelberg (Germany), the University of Chicago, the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, and the University of Oregon Medical School.
During World War II, Jeff served as senior physicist in the U.S. Navy, studying the characteristics of waves. In 1946 he headed a government research team involved in the atomic-bomb testing at Bikini Atoll.
In 1947, Holter returned to Helena to establish the non-profit, non-commercial Holter Research Foundation (HRF), dedicated to the public good.
Jeff’s research colleague was Wilford “Bill” Glasscock. Their late-1950s development of the Holter Heart Monitor revolutionized the treatment of coronary disease and spawned a billion-dollar industry.
Story by Jacob Fuhrer, MTN News
