Theoretical physicist John Derieux, UT class of 1914, received both the BS and MS degrees in electrical engineering from UT. In 1919 he received the PhD in physics from the University of Chicago. In 1920 he served as chief electrician for the US Bureau of the Census.
During his 31-year career as professor of theoretical physics at North Carolina State University, he completed 23 research projects and reported the results before scientific societies. Among other things, he solved the mystery of the Brown Mountain light, found the effect of the tread upon the resistance to skidding of automobile tires, tested the mileage of different grades of gasoline and at different speeds, and measured the charge of the electron. He was the author of three books and a number of scientific articles. His papers are in the archives at North Carolina State University.