Albert W. Overhauser (August 17, 1925 – December 10, 2011) was an American physicist and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

[1][2] Born in San Diego, California, Overhauser attended high school in San Francisco at Lick-Wilmerding High School and began his undergraduate work at the University of California, Berkeley in 1942.

He interrupted his studies during World War II for a two-year stint in the U.S. Navy Reserve, then returned to Berkeley to complete his education.

He was on the faculty at Cornell University from 1953 to 1958, and then left to join the research staff at Ford Motor Company.

He remained at Purdue as the Stuart Distinguished Professor of Physics for the rest of his career.