Finding Aids

Physical Sciences, Astronomy and Astrophysics

Adye, Ernest Howard, Twentieth Century Atlas of Microscopical Petrography

Ernest Howard Adye's Twentieth Century Atlas of Microscopical Petrography (London: Thomas Murby, 1906), with accompanying microscopic slides. Crerar Manuscript 402.

Allison, Samuel King. Papers

Samuel King Allison (1900-1965), physicist. The papers document his career at the University of Chicago, both as student and faculty member, and his research on X-rays and lithium. The papers also include material on his service as director of the Enrico Fermi Institute for Nuclear Studies (1945-1965), and his chairmanship of the Physics Section of the National Academy of Sciences. The collection contains correspondence, manuscripts, notebooks, course notes, reprints, lectures, and speeches.

Anderson, Herbert L. Papers

Herbert L. Anderson (1914-1988) physicist. The papers document Anderson's participation in the Manhattan Project, including his close collaboration with Enrico Fermi, as well as his subsequent career as a researcher, teacher and administrator.

Association of Cambridge Scientists. Records

The Association of Cambridge Scientists was founded in late 1945 as a response to the growing controversy over the use of atomic energy. Membership consisted of scientists in the Boston area and composed mainly of staff at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The main purpose of the association was "to inform the general public on scientific matters when such information is pertinent to matters of public policy." The collection consists of 1 linear foot and contains correspondence, memoranda, press releases, committee minutes, and newsletters for the Association of Cambridge Scientists and associated organizations.

Association of Los Alamos Scientists. Records

The Association of Los Alamos Scientists (ALAS) was founded on August 30, 1945, by scientists who had worked on the development of the atomic bomb. The purpose of the organization was "to promote the attainment and use of scientific technological advances in the best interests of humanity." The records of the ALAS include correspondence, memoranda, reports, minutes, membership lists, financial records, press releases, newsletters, photographs and glass slides of atomic explosions. The collection documents the efforts of the ALAS to promote international control of atomic energy by sponsoring educational programs and influencing federal legislation.

Association of Oak Ridge Engineers and Scientists. Records

The Association of Oak Ridge Engineers and Scientists was formed in June 1946 as the result of the merger of organizations of scientists in Tennessee interested in the international control of atomic energy. The organizations included the Oak Ridge Engineers and Scientists (formerly the Atomic Engineers of Oak Ridge and the Atomic Production Scientists of Oak Ridge) and the Association of Oak Ridge Scientists (formerly the Association of Oak Ridge Scientists at Clinton Laboratories). The collection includes correspondence, memoranda, minutes, press releases, membership files, policy statements, constitutions and by-laws, and publications. The records document the organization's efforts to influence passage of the McMahon Bill and the National Science Bill.

Association of Pasadena Scientists. Records

The Association of Pasadena Scientists was founded late in 1945 as a response to the growing controversy over the use of atomic energy. Membership in the organization was open to scientists, graduate students, and technicians in the Pasadena area. The main purpose of the group was "to meet the increasingly apparent responsibility of scientists in promoting the welfare of mankind and the achievement of a stable world peace." The records of the Association of Pasadena Scientists cover the period 1945 to 1946 and include press releases, statements and correspondence of members of the Association.

Association of Scientists for Atomic Education. Records

The Association of Scientists for Atomic Education (ASAE) was incorporated on December 16, 1946. Its purpose was education rather than direct political agitation, and in this respect, its intention was to supplement the work of such sister organizations as the Federation of American Scientists and the National Committee for Atomic Information whose chief concern was to influence government policy. The records of the Association of Scientists for Atomic Education comprise 2 linear feet and covers the period 1945 to 1948. They have been divided into three series: Papers of the National Office, New York City; Papers of the Regional Offices; and Conference and Subject Files. The records include correspondence, minutes, by-laws and documents of incorporation, financial records, newsletters, memoranda, and press releases. The regional offices included the Atlantic Region, Central Region, Chesapeake Region, Mountain Region, Pacific Region and the Southern Region.

Astrophysical Journal. Records

Astrophysical Journal is a prominent research journal devoted to astronomy and astrophysics. Founded in 1895 by George E. Hale and James E. Keeler, Astrophysical Journal and its supplement series are published by the University of Chicago Press for the American Astronomical Society. This collection contains the administrative correspondence of several notable editors of the journal, including Edwin B. Frost, Henry H. Gale, Otto Struve, and W. W. Morgan, spanning from 1894 to 1951.

Atomic Scientists of Chicago. Records

The Atomic Scientists of Chicago (ASC) was founded in September 1945 at the Metallurgical Laboratory of the University of Chicago to address the moral and social responsibilities of scientists regarding the use of nuclear energy and to promote public awareness of its possible consequences. Members included J. A. Simpson, Jr., Kenneth Cole, Farrington Daniels, James Franck, Lester Guttman, Thorfin Hogness, Robert Mulliken, Glenn Seaborg, Leo Szilard, Harold Urey, and Walter Zinn. ASC sponsored conferences, lobbied for policies and in December 1945 began publishing the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The collection contains correspondence, subject files, financial records, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, conference material, membership records, and reports. It also includes material relating to the Chicago Committee for Civilian Control of Atomic Energy, the Association of Scientists for Atomic Education, the Federation of American Scientists, the University Office of Inquiry into the Social Aspects of Atomic Energy, and the papers of Lester Guttman.

Atomic Scientists' Printed and Near-Print Material. Records

The Atomic Scientists Printed and Near-Print Material consists of material relating to the postwar scientists' movement, including U.S. Senate and House bills and amendments as well as other print and near-print material.

Atomic Scientists. Miscellaneous Records

Correspondence, mimeographs, newsletters, minutes, and publications of national and local Atomic Scientists' organizations. Included are: Atomic Scientists of Chicago, Federation of American Scientists, Society for Social Responsibility in Science, Council for a Livable World, and the Committee for Nuclear Information. This material came from different sources and was gathered together in this collection.

Barnard. Edward Emerson. Papers

Edward Emerson Barnard (1857-1923) Astronomer and pioneering astrophotographer. The Papers contain observation notes, calculations, photographs, and published and unpublished writings, most documenting Barnard's work at the University of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory.

Barrows, Samuel J., Papers

The Samuel J. Barrows papers contain materials from the years 1897 to 1910. The papers deal with Barrows' career as International Prison Commissioner. They include general correspondence, correspondence in regard to the 1910 appropriation from Congress, and correspondence concerning efforts to receive a $50,000 appropriation for the 1910 International Prison Commission Congress to be held in Washington, D.C.

Bartky, Walter, Papers

The papers of Walter Bartky, Professor of Astronomy, cover the period 1940 to 1957. They include class notes, personal correspondence, correspondence in relation to various university programs, his consultant work with several industrial firms and several speeches. Also included are files related to the Chicago Astronomy Society, the American Mathematical Society, and the American Statistical Association.

Bastin, Edson Sunderland. Papers

Edson Sunderland Bastin, geologist, professor. The Edson Sunderland Bastin Papers consist of 11 United States Geological Survey maps of Wisconsin, many of which have Bastin's notes and drawing on them.

Becker, Hans Karl. Schriften zur Höhlenkunde

Typed carbon copies in German, of geological studies made of chalky formations at Frankfurt-am-Main, and of caves at Stromberg and Dinkelberg. Illustrated with photographs, pasted in, and oversize diagrams, folded in.

Bernstein, Seymour. Papers

Seymour Bernstein, physicist, engineer, and professor. The Seymour Bernstein Papers consist of correspondence, manuscripts, course materials, notes, articles, photographs, and other materials related to Bernstein.

Bohr, Niels. Collection

Niels Bohr, Physicist. This collection contains documents pertaining to Niels Bohr, the Danish physicist who made major contributions to understandings of atomic structure, nuclear fission, and nuclear policy. The materials include offprints of published writings by and about Bohr and his work. Some of Bohr's writings are coauthored with other physicists. The writings about Bohr both predate and postdate his death. The collection also includes mimeographed copies of letters and the transcripts of lectures. There are also photographs of Bohr and his laboratory staff and several printed brochures pertaining to Bohr, his laboratory, and related events.

Bretz, J Harlen. Papers

J Harlen Bretz (1882-1981), geologist. The papers include biographical and autobiographical documents, a journal of the Louise A. Boyd Expedition to East Greenland (1933), publications and correspondence related to Bretz' controversial theory of the channeled scablands of Washington, professional correspondence, field notes, offprints, and photographs.

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Records

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, journal of nuclear energy and security news. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Records consist of material relating to the organization's two purposes of exploring, clarifying, and formulating the opinion and responsibilities of scientists in regard to the problems brought about by the release of nuclear energy as well as educating the public to a full understanding of the scientific, technological and social problems arising from the release of nuclear energy. The collection includes newspaper clippings, press releases, periodicals, correspondence, editorial materials, manuscripts, and other related materials.

Casson, Harvey. Papers.

Dr. Harvey Casson (b. January 21, 1922, d. March 15, 2009) was a nuclear physicist and participant of the Manhattan Project that ultimately led to the first successful atomic bomb. His career at the Argonne National Laboratory spanned over 30 years. Included in this collection are collected articles, booklets, manuals and reports of early atomic technology. The collection would be of interest to researchers and scholars of the history of atomic science including scholars particularly interested in the United States government’s atomic interest in alternative uses for radiation and atomic energy.

Chamberlin, Thomas Chrowder. Papers

Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin (1843-1928) directed the Department of Geology at the University of Chicago from 1892-1919. Though his academic interests were wide-ranging, he is best known for the Chamberlin-Moulton Planetesimal Hypothesis, a theory of solar system formation. Chamberlin's papers include biographies, clippings, personal and professional correspondence, drafts, research notes, reprints, and teaching materials. The collection spans 1878-1932.

Chandrasekhar, Subrahmanyan. Papers

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1910-1995), Astrophysicist, Nobel Prize winner. The Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar Papers contains personal and professional correspondence, notes, manuscripts, offprints, lecture notes, scientific writings, records of the Astrophysical Journal, awards, honorary degrees, biographical material, photographs, and sound and video recordings. The Papers span Chandrasekhar's career and document his student years at Cambridge University, his teaching career at the University of Chicago, scientific research and writing in astrophysics, editing of the Astrophysical Journal, and connections with family members and friends in India. The Papers document the development of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and Yerkes Observatory, and provide much information on colleagues and students from the late 1930s to the early 1990s.

Compton, Arthur Holly. Papers

After co-winning the 1927 Nobel Prize in Physics, Arthur Holly Compton (1892-1962) served as the Charles H. Swift Distinguished Service Professor of Physics at the University of Chicago for 22 years, from 1923-1945. Compton worked on the Manhattan Project from 1940 to 1945. This collection includes material pertaining to Compton’s time at the University of Chicago, including various correspondence, writing, and personal ephemera. Materials date between 1918-1947, 1964, with the bulk of the material dating between 1930 and 1935.

Coryell, Charles D. Papers

Charles D. Coryell, Chief of the Fission Products Section of the Manhattan Project. The Charles D. Coryell Papers consist of material the socio-political questions that consumed scientists after the unleashing of the atom, especially arms control and nuclear disposal. The materials in the papers include correspondence, periodicals, articles, and other items related to the atomic age.

Cronin, James. Papers

James Watson Cronin, physicist (1931-2016). The Papers document Cronin’s career as a Professor of Physics at the University of Chicago, his role in the discovery of the CP violation, and the founding of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The collection includes professional activities; correspondence; subject files; personal ephemera; honors and awards; annotated photographs, and audio and visual recordings. Materials date between 1936 and 2016, with the bulk of the material dating from 1951-2011.

Danos, Michael. Papers

Michael Danos was a theoretical physicist who worked in photonuclear physics, relativistic heavy ions and x-ray imaging devices, and spent several years as a Visiting Scholar at the Enrico Fermi Institute. The Michael Danos Papers consist of 15.75 linear feet of correspondence, calendars, writings, notebooks, clippings, transparencies, conference materials, photographs, blueprints and diagrams, and computer disks.

Einstein, Albert. Collection

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) Nobel Prize-winning theoretical physicist The collection includes correspondence and manuscripts written and received by Einstein from 1921 to 1954, the largest portion of which are letters and manuscripts exchanged Einstein and University of Chicago philosopher Charles Wegener in association with the translation and publication of “Physics and Reality,”

Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists. Records

The Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists was formed in May, 1946, by Albert Einstein, R.F. Bacher, Hans A. Bethe, Edward U. Condon, R. Hogness, Leo Szilard, Harold C. Urey, and V.F. Weisskopf. Their objective was to encourage and further the peaceful uses of atomic energy and to do this they would solicit private contributions in support of the work of the National Committee for Atomic Information. On August 6, 1946 the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists was incorporated in New Jersey in order "that the contributions it received might be devoted to other groups interested in the field of atomic information and education as well as the NCAI." The records of the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists consist of 11.5 linear feet cover the period 1946 to 1952. The collection includes correspondence files with the several organizations, which it helped to support financially, and those organizations and individuals with whom the Committee had a common cause. It also contains the official papers, memoranda, and minutes of the meetings of the Trustees and the annual members' meetings; material relating to its fund raising and educational campaigns; minutes, reports, and papers of various scientific and interested groups' meetings; the Committee's financial records; and the general correspondence files.

Fano, Ugo. Papers

Physicist Ugo Fano (1912-2001) was a pioneer in atomic theory and radiation physics. This collection consists of 13.5 linear feet of research material, lecture notes, correspondence, drafts and publications. The largest part of the collection contains research papers drafted for journal submission, often with correspondence between Fano and the editors, as well as Fano's own notes and research data. Correspondence in the collection represents discussions of technical details of physics and machines, between Fano and his friends, colleagues at other institutions, and former and current students. Other material in the collection documents Fano's work as a teacher and lecturer; his participation in conferences and professional organization; and his administrative activities at the University of Chicago.

Federation of American Scientists. Records

The Federation of American Scientists was established on January 6, 1946, as a federation of seven associations of scientists and engineers, including those formed at the Manhattan Project sites of Oak Ridge, Los Alamos, New York, and Chicago. Its purpose, like that of its predecessor, the Federation of Atomic Scientists, was to agitate for the international control of atomic energy and its devotion to peaceful uses, public promotion of science and the freedom and integrity of scientists and scientific research.

Fermi, Enrico. Collection

Enrico Fermi (1901-1954), Charles H. Swift Distinguished Service Professor of Physics at the University of Chicago and 1938 Nobel Prize winner in physics, is best known to the general public for having produced the first controlled, self-sustained nuclear chain reaction. This experiment, which was carried out at the University of Chicago on December 2, 1942, made possible the development of the atomic bomb. Fermi's papers document his career as a research physicist and professor in Italy and the United States, including his work with the U. S. Department of War, the Atomic Energy Commission, the Office of Naval Research, the American Physical Society, the Institute for Nuclear Studies at the University of Chicago, and the Los Alamos, Brookhaven, and Argonne National Laboratories. The collection consists primarily of professional correspondence, publications, research and lecture notes, and patent claims. Personal materials in the collection include correspondence, identification papers, schoolbooks, engagement calendars, books from Fermi's personal library, financial records, and a large number of awards and memorials.

Fox, Philip. Collection

Philip Fox (1878-1944) astronomer and first Director of the Adler Planetarium. Contains sixteen notebooks of astronomical observations and calculations in Berlin and at Yerkes Observatory and Dearborn Observatory, photographs and a recording.

Frocht, Max Mark. Papers

Max Mark Frocht was an educator and researcher in experimental mechanics. He was an authority on photoelasticity, a method used to visualize stress distribution in materials. His two volume work, Photoelasticity, is a classic text in the field. This collection documents Max Mark Frocht's work as a researcher and educator. The Max Mark Frocht Papers include manuscripts of his major works; technical illustrations including proofs, photographic reproductions and original drawings; technical reports to the United States Army; teaching materials; calculations and notes.

Frost, Edwin B. Papers

Edwin B. Frost (1866-1935), professor of astrophysics at the University of Chicago and Director of the University’s Yerkes Observatory at Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The majority of this collection consists of the professional correspondence of Edwin B. Frost from 1889-1924. This collection also contains article drafts, notes, sketches, and experiment data.

Gale, Henry Gordon. Papers

The papers of Henry Gordon Gale comprise 12.5 linear feet of personal and professional material, spanning the years 1889-1948. The materials document Gale's career as a physicist, from his time as a student in the early years of the University of Chicago, to his retirement from the Faculty of the Physics Department in 1940. The papers consist of professional and personal correspondence; notes, manuscripts, and reprints; and personal material such as photographs, biographical material, and documents from his Army service and university employment. The collection also includes some correspondence and personal material of his wife, Agnes Spofford Cook Gale.

Greene, Benjamin Franklin. Lectures in Rational Mechanics

Formal holograph lecture notes, taken by Russell Sage, Jr. at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York. Volume One: "Rational mechanics." Volume Two: "Physical mechanics." Volume Three: "Technical mechanics."

Harkins, William D. Papers

William D. (William Draper) Harkins, Professor of Chemistry. The William D. Harkins’ papers are comprised mostly of documents which predate his career at Chicago. The collection contains a series of reprints and typescripts, pertains to the research for which Harkins is most famous, as well as documents related to Harkins’ work at the University of Montana on the effects of smoke from the Anaconda copper smelter on local livestock. The remaining documents pertain to Harkins’ family, his father-in-law, Henry A. Hatheway, and his brother-in-law, Thomas G. Hatheway, Harkins’ personal and professional correspondence and photographs of family members.

Henshaw, Paul Stewart. Papers

Paul S. Henshaw, biophysicist, atomic energy activist. The Paul S. Henshaw Papers consist of correspondence, press releases, bulletins, and pamphlet material dating from the end of the Second World War, nearly all of which is concerned with educating the public about atomic energy and the Bomb.

Hilberry, Norman. Papers

Norman Hilberry earned a doctorate in Physics from University of Chicago in 1941, and went on to serve in a number of administrative positions in research and development in the physical sciences. As a personal aide to Arthur Holly Compton, Hilberry participated in the 1942 Chicago Pile Experiment. This collection consists of a photograph album documenting Hilberry's 1961 visit to Japan, as a consultant to the Japanese Atomic Energy Commission.

Hoff, Ramon B. Papers

Ramon Brewster Hoff (1935-2016) was a University of Chicago graduate and physicist. The Papers contain Hoff’s course notes, assignments, and exams, research notes, dissertation materials, published writings, and a collection of articles and lectures written by others. The bulk of the material dates from 1957 to 1969, during his doctoral study and research at the University of Chicago.

Hogness, Thorfin R. Papers.

Thorfin R. Hogness, (1894-1976) Physical Chemistry Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Chicago (1930-1959); Director, Chemistry Division, Metallurgical Laboratory (1944-1945). The Thorfin R. Hogness Papers consist of material relating to the postwar scientists’ movement, including U.S. Senate and House bills and amendments as well as other print and near-print material.

Howard, Luke. Collection

Luke Howard, FRS, (1772-1864) chemist and amateur meteorologist. In 1802, he contributed a paper to the Askesian Society which sought to classify clouds into families and coined their now-common nomenclature. The Luke Howard collection contains six handwritten, autographed letters from admirers of the 1865 edition of his “Essay on the Modifications of Clouds,” mainly written to Howard’s sons.

Jay, Frank Webster. Collection

The Frank Webster Jay Papers contains letters written by scientists from Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Correspondents include Nicolaas L. Burman, J. A. van Bemmelen, Hermann Boerhaave, Alexander Brongniart, Bory de St. Vincent, Edward Jenner, Antony van Leeuwenhoek, Karl Peter Thunberg, and Casimir Christoph Schmidel.

Kayser, Emanuel. Die devonischen Bildungen der Eifel

Handwritten copy in German, of Kayser's article, "Die devonischen Bildungen der Eifel."

Lanzl, Lawrence H. Papers

Lawrence Lanzl (1921-2001) was a distinguished researcher in the area of medical physics, who worked both on the Manhattan Project and as a cancer researcher and professor of in the Department of Radiology while at the University of Chicago. This collection consists of 40.5 linear feet of Dr. Lanzl's research, correspondence, administrative and organizational material, and personal items.

MacRae, Donald Alexander. Papers

This collection contains the papers of Donald Alexander MacRae (1916-2006), an astronomer and physicist, who worked in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as part of the research team developing the gaseous diffusion method of uranium enrichment for the Manhattan Project. These papers focus on MacRae’s time at Oak Ridge, from 1945 to 1946, particularly MacRae’s efforts as part of scientific outreach organizations. The collection contains awards; newsletters and notes related to his participation in various nuclear scientific organizations; newspapers covering atomic weapons and nuclear energy; drafts of and notes concerning Senate Bill S.1717, the Atomic Energy Act of 1946; correspondence; research done by MacRae and others at Oak Ridge, including architectural drawings of the gaseous diffusion plants and technical drawings of a mass spectrometer.

Mather, Kirtley Fletcher. Papers

Kirtley F. Mather, geologist, political organizer. The Kirtley F. Mather Papers contain correspondence, minutes, proceedings, speeches, newsletters, announcements, agenda, and bulletins. Materials in the collection relate to the National Wartime Conference and the American Association of Scientific Workers.

Michelson, Albert A. Papers

Albert A. Michelson, physicist, professor. The Albert A. Michelson Papers consist of Michelson’s correspondence (1906-1935), correspondence regarding the curation of Michelson’s medals (1930-1940), cancelled checks, Michelson’s notebook on the Velocity of Light Determination (1925), an inventory Michelson’s materials held at Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories, reprints of articles (1891-1925), biographical materials on Michelson, drafts of speech about Michelson, press releases from the University of Chicago (1924-1927), two copies of Michelson’s notebook titled “Velocity of Light,” and a typescript of a work about Michelson’s interferometer.

Moffitt, George Wilbur. Papers

Physicist whose work centered on the design of lenses, lens systems, and optical instruments. The collection contains correspondence, student and professional notebooks, teaching materials, manuscripts and reprints of published articles, technical reports, diaries, drawings, and lantern slides. Also includes files Moffitt maintained as an independent consultant to camera manufacturers, optical companies, war contractors, and other businesses. Papers document Moffitt's work as a scientist and involvement with various organizations including Yerkes Observatory, McDonald Observatory, and Smith-Dietrich Corporation.

Moore, Eliakim Hastings. Papers

Eliakim Hastings Moore (1862-1932) served as chairman of the Mathematics Department from its founding in 1892 until his retirement in 1931. After Moore received his doctorate from Yale in 1885, he taught at that university and Northwestern before being called to Chicago. One of the seminal mathematicians of his day, Moore produced over seventy studies on the subjects of general analysis, geometry and foundations, group theory, integral equations and general analysis, and function theory.

Morgan, W. W. Papers

W. W. Morgan (1906-1994), astronomer. The papers document Morgan's career as a scientist and administrator at the Yerkes Observatory as well as his family history and personal interests. Contains correspondence, manuscripts, diaries, photographs and research materials

Mulliken, Robert S. Papers

The papers of Robert S. Mulliken, comprising 63 linear feet, document most aspects of his long and successful career in the field of chemical physics from the 1920s through 1985. They include correspondence, lectures and writings, research and teaching materials, and files from his affiliations at the University of Chicago and with other scientific organizations.

Nambu, Yoichiro. Papers

Yoichiro Nambu (1921-2015) was a Japanese-born theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate, who served as professor at the University of Chicago from 1958 to 1991. Nambu is widely regarded as one of the great physicists of the twentieth century, and several of his contributions are considered foundational to the modern field of theoretical physics. His most important contributions were made in the areas of spontaneous symmetry breaking – for which he earned the 2008 Nobel Prize in physics – color gauging, and string theory.

Parker, Eugene. Papers

Eugene Parker was an astrophysicist and University of Chicago professor best known for predicting the existence of solar wind. In addition to heliophysics, Parker also studied cosmic rays and magnetic fields. The collection includes Parker’s email correspondence; scientific and personal photographs; reprints of Parker’s scientific publications from 1952 to 2016; lecture notes and overhead projector slides from Parker’s courses; materials related to astrophysicist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar; scientific publications written by others; and Parker’s awards and diplomas. Materials date between 1948 and 2018, with the bulk of material dating between 1952 and 2011.

Platzman, Robert Leroy. Papers

Robert Leroy Platzman, physicist, chemist, teacher. The Robert Leroy Platzman Papers consist of a greeting card from James Franck, three cards from Arthur H. Compton on behalf of the Metallurgical Laboratory, and a carbon copy of a letter to Eugene Rabinowitch regarding the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Plotnick, Harvey B. Collection of the History of Quantum Mechanics and the Theory of Relativity

This collection contains documents concerning the history of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity. The manuscripts consist mainly of drafts of papers and lecture notes, correspondence, class notes, and syllabi. They span the period from 1911-1995.

Polanyi, Michael. Papers

Michael Polanyi, chemist and philosopher, was born, Budapest, Hungary, 1891. He received his M.D. (1913) and Ph.D (1917) from the University of Budapest. He worked at Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Fibre Chemistry, Berlin, 1920 to 1923, and the Institute of Physical and Electro-Chemistry, Berlin, 1923 to 1933. He was chair of physical chemistry, 1933 to 1948, and professor of social studies, 1948-58, at the University of Manchester. Polanyi was senior research fellow, Merton College, Oxford, from 1958 to 1976. Died, 1976. The papers of Michael Polanyi contains personal and professional correspondence; research notes; manuscripts of lectures, published and unpublished works, speeches, German scientific writings, patents, and poetry; diaries and notebooks; offprints; and memorabilia, including photographs, clippings, a sound recording of an interview with Polanyi, Christmas cards, and invitations. Also includes photocopies of title pages of the 1,500 books from Polanyi's library. Correspondents include Joseph Oldham, Marjorie Grene, Harry Prosch, Arthur Koestler, Karl Mannheim, Edward Shils, and Eugene Wigner. Manuscripts and correspondence reveal the range of Polanyi's philosophical thought and interests in intellectual liberty and the issue of planning in science. Correspondence also illustrates Polanyi's participation in the organization of the Congress for Cultural Freedom and the Committee on Science and Freedom.

Rabinowitch, Eugene I., Papers

Eugene I. Rabinowitch, biophysicist and co-founder and editor of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. The papers contain material on the Pugwash Conferences, and relating to Rabinowitch's professional and academic career, including lecture notes, research reports and correspondence. The bulk of the papers cover the years 1954-1964, with clippings and articles on science, international relations and domestic politics dating from 1945.

Salisbury, Rollin D. Papers

Rollin D. Salisbury, Professor at the University of Chicago, Dean of the Ogden School of Social Science, and Head of the Department of Geography was one of the scholars on the Peary Relief Expedition. Salisbury's papers consist of fifteen boxes containing personal correspondence, legal and financial records, professional correspondence, notebooks, lecture outlines, manuscripts, speeches, clippings, photographs, and postcards.

Schaffner, Joseph Halle, Collection in the History of Science

Contains correspondence and other documents from or related to prominent scientists. Includes the Marie Curie Correspondence with Charlotte Kellogg (ca. 1921-1929) and Curie Memorabilia, the Charles Darwin and Darwin Family Correspondence, the Albert Einstein-Walther Mayer Correspondence (1930-1933) and Einstein Photographs, the Isaac Newton Collection (1642-1727), and Miscellaneous Scientific Manuscripts (1744, 1777, 1820). The Joseph Halle Schaffner Papers (1943-1961) are also included and contain material relating to Schaffner's activities as a collector and how the collections were used by scholars and in exhibits.

Schein, Marcel. Papers

This collection contains correspondence, proposals, reports, notes, manuscripts, photographs, diagrams, and films pertaining to physicist Marcel Schein's research on cosmic rays.

Schramm, David N. Papers

David N. Schramm (1945-1997), Astrophysicist and University of Chicago Professor and administrator. Schramm was a world leader in theoretical astrophysics and perhaps the leading authority on the Big-Bang model of the formation of the universe. His most fundamental contribution may have been his calculation of the number of families of elementary particles in the universe. The Papers document his career as a scientist, teacher and administrator.

Shackelford, Benjamin. Papers

Benjamin Shackelford, student. The Benjamin Shackelford papers consist of lecture notes taken while Shackelford was a graduate student in Physics at the University of Chicago (1915-1917). The collection includes notes from classes given by Frederick Lindemann, Albert Abraham Michelson, Robert Andrews Millikan, Arthur Lunn, and Gilbert Bliss.

Shaw, Albert E. Papers

Albert E. Shaw (1899-1981) University of Chicago graduate student and Assistant Professor of Physics. Includes correspondence and Shaw's student research and course notes.

Sherwood, Andrew and Clark. Collection

The Andrew and Clark Sherwood Collection contains letters, notes, and reports relating to the brothers’ study of geology in the northeastern United States in the late 19th century. The letters are addressed to James Hall, a then-prominent geologist and paleontologist. Much of the material in the collection concerns the geology of New York and Pennsylvania, in particular the stratigraphic columns found.

Simpson, John A. Papers

John A. Simpson (1916-2000) Papers include professional and personal correspondence, scientific research notes, lectures and articles, teaching materials, grant proposals, and technical reports and drawings. They document Simpson's graduate work at New York University, his activity in the Metallurgical Laboratory during World War II and his teaching and research at the University of Chicago. They also document his invention and development of radiation counters, cosmic ray neutron monitors, and numerous types of charged-particle analyzers designed for space research. Simpson utilized for his research the material and financial resources of the Air Force, Navy, NSF, and NASA, and these relationships are documented in the papers. They also document his chairmanship of the Atomic Scientists of Chicago in 1945-1946 and his work with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. The papers represent Simpson's scientific and administrative roles in the International Geophysical Year of 1957-1958, and his later interactions with European and Soviet scientists and space agencies. These papers are supplemented by the separately described

Simpson, John A.. Papers. Addenda

John A. Simpson (1916-2000) Papers include professional and personal correspondence, scientific research notes, lectures and articles, teaching materials, grant proposals, and technical reports and drawings. The bulk of the material is from the 1960s through the 1990s. This Addenda supplements the material in the main body of the

Slotin, Louis Memorial Fund. Records

Slotin, born in Canada in 1912, earned his PhD in Chemistry in 1936. Slotin died at Los Alamos in 1946 after being exposed to radiation in a laboratory accident. Following his death, the Louis A. Slotin Memorial Fund was established to raise money to finance lectures in the sciences at the University of Chicago. The collection contains correspondence, donor lists, lists of speakers, and some biographical material about Slotin. The collection also contains two or three letters concerning the disposition of Slotin's personal library, as well as other material pertaining to his work.

Smith, Joseph V. Papers

Joseph Victor Smith (1928 – 2007) Professor of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago. Smith was an authority on feldspars, a developer of scientific instruments, principal investigator for the analysis of lunar samples at University of Chicago and an advocate for applying the insights of geoscience to the pursuit of human welfare. The collection includes research notebooks, official correspondence, teaching materials, project proposals, article clippings, a typescript, oversize photos of lunar samples as well as video recordings connected with International Geoscience and Human Welfare projects.

Trattato delli orioli solari astronomici, ovvero la maniera di fare questi orologi orizzontali, verticali, e portatili ancora

Manuscript treatise on astronomy. Includes Delli[sic] Orioli Solari Orizzontali", Delli [sic] Orioli Verticali ossia da Muvo", and "Degli Oriolo Solari Portatili."

University of Chicago. Department of Geography. 75th Anniversary Exhibit. Records

The Department of Geography, 75th Anniversary Exhibit Records contain the materials used for the exhibit "Geography at Chicago: The Past in Review." The exhibition was written and mounted by William D. Pattison, on the occasion of the Department of Geography's 75th Anniversary in 1979.

University of Chicago. Department of Geography. Records

The University of Chicago's Department of Geography was the first to be established at an American university, with coursework beginning in the 1902-1903 school year. The department continued to define the field of geography throughout the early and mid-twentieth century. This collection contains departmental statistics, reports, student information and other administrative material, as well as an assortment of correspondence, cartographic material and publications.

University of Chicago. Department of Geology. Records

The Department of Geology was founded in 1892, and produced influential research until 1961, when it merged with the Department of Meteorology to form the Department of the Geophysical Sciences. This collection contains correspondence, departmental publications, organizational material and other administrative records of the Department of Geology.

University of Chicago. Department of Meteorology. Records

The University of Chicago's Department of Meteorology was established in 1942, and conducted ground-breaking research through World War II. This collection consists of reports, correspondence, financial material, and other administrative records, mainly related to the department's research and development contracts with the U.S. Army and Navy, with a concentration of material dating from the mid- to late-1940s.

University of Chicago. Department of Physics. Records

Contains correspondence, records, reports, reprints, scientific data and recordings that originated in the Department of Physics primarily in 1937-1947 and 1972-1985. Includes data from the Cosmic Ray Study directed by Arthur H. Compton, documents student and faculty interactions with Department, optical grating transactions, the impact of World War II on the Department and profession, renovation and building construction.

University of Chicago. Division of the Physical Sciences. Records

Formed in 1930, by the 1940s the University of Chicago's Division of the Physical Sciences included the Departments of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Chemistry, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Meteorology and Physics, as well as the Institute for the Study of Metals and the Institute for Nuclear Studies. The astronomer Walter Bartky served as dean of the division during this time. The records in this collection span a narrow period of time, with most of the material dating from the years 1942-1948. These records, which include correspondence, minutes, reports, contracts, and financial material, represent an important period in the development of the division, and document significant physical sciences research.

University of Chicago. Institute for Nuclear Studies. Cyclotron. Records

The Institute for Nuclear Studies Cyclotron Records contains correspondence with the Navy and sub-contractors about the building of the cyclotron, the construction of the Accelerator Building, designs for large electro-nuclear machines, and equipment needed to service the cyclotron. The collection also includes budgets and related materials.

University of Chicago. Nuclear Pile and Plutonium 20th Anniversary Celebrations. Records

This collection consists of three bound volumes of press releases, speeches, publications, and news clippings concerning the commemoration in 1962-1963 of the 20th anniversary of the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction and related events in 1942.

University of Chicago. Yerkes Observatory. Logbooks and Notebooks

The collection contains logbooks and observations notebooks compiled by astronomers at the Yerkes Observatory. The majority of notebooks date from 1892 to 1947, though All the notebooks are in excellent condition and their information is very accessible.

University of Chicago. Yerkes Observatory. Office of the Director. Records

Yerkes Observatory, located in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, is a facility of the University of Chicago's Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics. Known as the home of the last of the great refracting telescopes, the observatory housed the university's Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics until the 1960s, and was the site of some of the most significant research in modern astronomy and astrophysics. This collection contains records of the Office of the Director of Yerkes Observatory, documenting the administrative history of the observatory from before its founding through the mid-1940s.

Van Biesbroeck, George. Papers

George van Biesbroeck (1880-1974) astronomer at The University of Chicago’s Yerkes Observatory 1914, 1917-1945. . Van Biesbroeck’s research included comets, double stars, asteroids, and Einstein’s theory of relativity. The collection includes correspondence, observation records, published papers, handwritten work, interviews, articles, clippings, photographs, albums, and diaries, including material compiled by Faye Larson for an uncompleted biography of van Biesbroeck.

Washington Association of Scientists. Records

The Washington Association of Scientists was formed in January, 1946, to impress upon the public the potentialities of atomic energy, and to urge satisfactory methods of control and development of this source of energy. Contains correspondence, constitution and by-laws, minutes, memoranda, financial records, and membership information. Material relates to the administration and activities of the Association. Also includes material relating to other organizations of scientists concerned with atomic energy control such as the Federation of American Scientists.

Wattenberg, Albert. Papers

Albert “Al” Wattenberg (1017-2007), nuclear physicist worked on the Manhattan Project in the Metallurgical Laboratory led by Enrico Fermi at the University of Chicago. This collection contains essays and speeches written by Wattenberg, commendations, photographs of Wattenberg and Manhattan Project collaborators, press releases, booklets, journals, and newspaper clippings.

Weller, Stuart. Papers

Paleontologist. B.A., Cornell University, 1894. Ph.D., Yale University, 1901. Professor Department of Geology, University of Chicago, 1897-1927. Contains professional correspondence, student recommendations, an undated report on Mississippian geology, and drawings of Brachiopod fossils. Material relates to the Illinois State Geological Survey (1908-1921) and other state surveys, including Kentucky and Missouri; the Walker Museum at the University of Chicago; and research on fossils. Correspondents include William Rainey Harper, Frederick T. Gates, Ernest D. Burton, F. W. DeWolf, Max Mason, Kirtley F. Mather, Raymond C. Moore, David White, Charles Butts, Rollin D. Salisbury, Charles Schuchert, and others.

Wilkening, Marvin. Papers

Physicist. B.S., Southeast Missouri State University, 1939. M.S., Illinois Institute of Technology, 1943; Ph.D., 1949. Professor Emeritus of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Contains correspondence, memoranda, notes, reprints, publications, and photographs. Material documents Wilkening's participation in the experiment that produced the first controlled nuclear chain reaction at the University of Chicago in 1942 and later scientific work at nuclear installations.

Winstein, Bruce. Papers

Bruce Winstein (1943-2011) experimental physicist at the University of Chicago. This collection contains course materials, experimental materials, and scientific materials by others amassed by Winstein during his career. The bulk of the material dates from 1970-2003 and documents Winstein’s scientific career.