David Norman Schramm (October 25, 1945 – December 19, 1997) was an American astrophysicist and educator, and one of the world's foremost experts on the Big Bang theory.

He also made important contributions to the study of cosmic rays, supernova explosions, heavy-element nucleosynthesis, and nuclear astrophysics generally.

[1][2] David Schramm was born in St. Louis, Missouri and earned his master's degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1967, where he was also a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity and the wrestling squad.

At the time of his death he was vice president for research and Louis Block Distinguished Service Professor in the Physical Sciences at the University of Chicago.

[4] The Committee on the Physics of the Universe of the U.S. National Research Council dedicated the 2003 report Connecting Quarks with the Cosmos: Eleven Science Questions for the New Century to the memory of David N.