Deborah T. Toll established the John S. Toll Endowed Prize in Physics in April 2016 to provide merit-based prizes for undergraduate students in the Department of Physics. John S. Toll always wanted outstanding undergraduate students of Physics to be recognized for their hard work and excellent achievement. His wife, Deborah Toll, founded this prize to honor students following in the footsteps of her husband, John S. Toll, and his legendary legacy at the University of Maryland.
Dr. Toll served a 13-year term as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 1952-1965. He returned in 1978, after serving as president of SUNY Stony Brook, to become president of the original five campuses of the University of Maryland. Later, Dr. Toll became the first chancellor of the new University System of Maryland. The physics building at the University of Maryland, College Park is named for him.