Early Experimental Studies of the Roper Resonance at Meson Factories

The Roper resonance (P₁₁(1440) or N(1440)1/2⁺) has been the subject of many experimental studies at both hadron and electromagnetic facilities. This year we will celebrate and honor its discoverer, L. David Roper, on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Recent studies and publications have emphasized the role of electromagnetic beams in studying the properties of the Roper Resonance. In this presentation we will review the role of early experiments using hadron beams that not only led to the discovery of the "Roper", but also prompted the design and construction of the early meson factories such as LAMPF (Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility), TRIUMF (TRI University Meson Facility), PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute (formerly SIN), and INR (Institute for Nuclear Research).