Robert N Compton earned a B.A. in physics from Berea College in 1960, an M.S. in physics from the University of Florida in 1963, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Tennessee in 1965. Compton held numerous positions at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory until 1996. At that time, he became a full-time professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he serves as Professor Emeritus today.

Compton was honored in 1991 with the J.W. Beams Award by the American Physical Society and in 1995 with the William F. Meggers Award from The Optical Society. He is a Fellow of OSA, AAAs, and APS.