Pickering, William H., 1910-2004. William H. Pickering Speech Reference Collection, 1959-1974.
Title:
William H. Pickering Speech Reference Collection, 1959-1974.
A majority of the collection consists of secondary reference materials such as journal and magazine articles, press releases, reports, and speeches, presumably gathered for and used by Pickering in his preparation of speeches and articles. Perhaps forty percent of the collection as a whole is correspondence, primarily referring to Pickering's activities in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the National Academy of Engineers. The collection's original organization alphebetically by subject has been retained. The collection was originally composed of a cubic foot of foldered material with subject headings, and two cubic feet of unfoldered items, primarily AIAA and NAE materials, grouped together with rubber bands. All were dated from 1959 to 1974, with bulk dates of 1965 to 1972. The files on the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) document Pickering's activities on the AIAA's Committee for Long-Range Planning, chaired by Edgar M. Cortright, at the time the Director of NASA's Langley Research Center. Pickering was also invloved with the AIAA's Working Group on Philosophy, Science and Technology, with correspondence from James J. Harford, Executive Secretary of AIAA, and Leo Steg, Manager of the Space Sciences Laboratory at General Electric's Space Division. Represented in the collection are a number of folders about the California Museum Foundation. Pickering was on the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, but rarely, if ever, attended Board meetings. He did make a speech, entitled "The Cult of Anti-Science," at the California Museum of Science and Industry in December 1971, which is represented in the collection. Several speeches and papers written by others are represented in the collection, such as a Lee DuBridge article entitled "Policy and the Scientists," written for Foreign Affairs, present in the "Government, Science" folder. Also included in the same folder is an article by Al Hibbs entitled "The Scientific Advisor in Washington." The "Grand Tour" folder includes the JPL Technical Report "The Determination and Characteristics of Ballistic Interplanetary Technology Trajectories Under the Influence of Multiple Planetary Attractions," written by Michael A. Minovitch, dated October 31, 1963. Also included are other reports involving the early concept of what would later become the Voyager missions to the Outer Planets. Pickering also served on the Caltech Institute Administrative Council (IAC), whose duties included determining the hiring and granting of tenure to professors. Three folders of correspondence are devoted to this, along with general correspondence files and reports generated by the IAC. Many of the articles in the collection are from such publications as Science or Scientific American. One example is the 1966 article from Science titled "A Comparison of U.S. and Soviet Efforts to Explore Mars," written by Bruce Murray and Merton E. Davies. Many folders document Pickering's activities in the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), where he was a member of its Committee on Telecommunications. Included is correspondence with Peter C. Goldmark, President and Director of Research at CBS Laboratories. The NAE was also concerned with urban issues, such as environment, transportation, and crime deterrence. Many of the NAE files in the collection are related to such issues. Of note in the files involving the National Academy of Sciences is a series of correspondence and articles involving Nobel laureate William Shockley of Stanford Electronics Laboratories. Shockley postulated a theory that intelligence and mental health were determined more by heredity than environment. He urged for research along the same lines within inner-city slums. Needless to say, this proved to be very controversial. Represented in the folder is a letter from Shockley to members of the National Academy of Sciences attempting to gain support for a resolution he was proposing to urge further study. Included are several attachments to the letter, including parts of journal articles, other correspondence and copies of newspaper articles. Also included are various articles that were entered into the Congressional Record by Representative Charles S. Gubser, Shockley's representative in Congress. The folder titled "Progress in Space" contains several interesting items. There is a report titled "Why Can't the U.S. Match Russian Achievements in Space," dated November 10, 1959, written by Jack N. James. There are several other newspaper articles and entries in the Congressional Record, as well as a speech given by MIT professor H. Guyford Stever entitled "The Future of Aeronautics in the United States," dated January 27, 1965. There are also speeches by NASA Administrator James E. Webb and Edward C. Welsh, Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council, both in 1964. There is also a short reprint from Leonardo, written by Frank J. Malina, dated 1969. The file labeled "Russian Space Programs" includes a translation from an article in Pravda in 1960 that gave a Russian gain of 240-1 against the United States in the weight of the "artificial planets" that had been launched. Also in the file are copies of newspaper articles reporting Pickering's remarks regarding the Russian space program at the World Newspaper Forum in October 1960. The "Space Shuttle" folder includes a fact sheet and a statement from NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher involving the Shuttle program. The documents are undated but probably were created in 1972, soon after when the Shuttle gained Presidential endorsement and Congressional approval.
ArchivalResource:
2.4 cubic ft. (88 folders)
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/733100796 View
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