History of Modern Astrophysics Collection 1849-1979

ArchivalResource

History of Modern Astrophysics Collection 1849-1979

During the mid- to late-1970s, the American Institute of Physics sponsored a project to conduct oral history interviews documenting the recent history of astrophysics, eventually accumulating over 400 hours of fully transcribed and edited audio tapes. The project organizers placed a particular emphasis on documenting the various subdisciplines of cosmology and astronomical spectroscopy. The History of Modern Astrophysics Collection is an important resource for the history of astrophysics in the latter half of the twentieth century. The collection is arranged in two series, the first consisting of transcripts of 52 interviews of 46 astrophysicists recorded between 1976 and 1979 by members of the Center for the History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics. The second series consists of 65 reels of microfilm of significant sets of correspondence for individual astrophysicists. The original oral history tape recordings are housed at AIP.

2.0 Linear feet; 2 linear feet; 67 reels of microfilm

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6632267

Related Entities

There are 59 Entities related to this resource.

Hoffleit, Dorrit, 1907-2007

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zb040m (person)

Ellen Dorrit Hoffleit was born on March 12, 1907, on her parents' farm in Florence, Alabama. Her parents, Fred and Kate Sanio Hoffleit, had emigrated from Germany, and her father worked intermittently as a bookkeeper for the Pennsylvania Railroad. While he preferred farm work, it was not possible to support the family this way, and they relocated from Alabama to New Castle, Pennsylvania. Fred Hoffleit later returned to the farm, while his wife opted to remain in New Castle, judging...

American Institute of Physics

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Physicist. High Energy Radiation Section, National Bureau of Standards, 1949-1962; Chief, Radiation Physics Division, 1962-1966; Director, American Institute of Physics, 1966-1986. From the description of The story of the American Institute of Physics, 1967-1987. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 154305950 The American Institute of Physics (AIP) is a not-for-profit membership corporation chartered in New York State in 1931 for the purpose of promoting the advancement and diffus...

Shapley, Harlow, 1885-1972

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pn96xk (person)

Astronomer (galaxies, photometry, spectroscopy) and administrator. Astronomer, Mount Wilson Observatory, 1914-1921; director, Harvard Observatory, 1921-1952; on the astronomy faculty at Harvard from 1952. From the description of Papers [microform], 1910-1923. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80523781 Harlow Shapley (1885-1972) was an astronomer. Shapley served as director of the Harvard College Observatory and was a professor at Harvard University, eventually he became the Pai...

Vassilevskis, Stanislaus

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tk18zc (person)

McCrea, William Hunter.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fr0047 (person)

Born 1904. From the description of Oral history interview with William Hunter McCrea, 1978 September 22. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 77698909 ...

Van Agt, Steven

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kx8494 (person)

Rossi, Bruno Benedetto, 1905-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6mc9gxh (person)

Struve, Otto

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w69q59pf (person)

Greenstein, Jesse L. (Jesse Leonard), 1909-2002

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fq9xs0 (person)

William Carlos Williams was an American poet, often considered part of the Imagist and Modernist movements. From the description of Letter from Jesse L. Greenstein to William Carlos Williams. 1939, Nov. 19. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 226352006 Greenstein was a Harvard educated astronomer who came to the California Institute of Technology in 1948 to run the astronomy program, which then included the administration of the...

Russell, Henry Norris, 1877-1957

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qj7jnn (person)

Astronomer (stellar evolution, astrophysics of stars, double stars) and administrator. On the astronomy faculty at Princeton University from 1905, director of the observatory, 1912-1947; research associate at Mt. Wilson Observatory, 1922-1942; and at Harvard College Observatory, 1947-1952. From the description of Manuscript of article, The probable distance of Orion, and letter to Russell from Edwin B. Frost, editor of the Astronomical Journal, rejecting the manuscript for publicatio...

Edmonson, Frank K., (Frank Kelly), 1912-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6f02wf6 (person)

Center for History of Physics (American Institute of Physics)

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This oral history project was undertaken by the Center for History of Physics of the American Institute of Physics, beginning in about 1976. The American Philosophical Society Library is a designated repository for the archive, which includes photocopies of typed manuscripts of the interviews, and microfilm and microfiche of certain manuscript collections of astrophysicists. These include the papers of Robert D'E Atkinson, Seth Chandler, Theodore Dunham [The American Philosophical Society has re...

Chang, Y. C.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6r23421 (person)

Hubble, Edwin Powell, 1889-1953

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6891877 (person)

Edwin Powell Hubble, American observational astronomer, Chairman of the Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories Research Committee. In 1938, Hubble was elected Trustee of the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. From the description of Papers of Edwin Powell Hubble, 1900-1989. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 122551882 Astronomer (extragalactic astronomy and cosmology). Researcher, Yerkes Observatory, 1914-1917; on the...

Herget, Paul, 1908-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64q7zqz (person)

Astronmer. Cincinnati Observatory, 1931-1940; Director, 1943-; Lick Observatory, 1935-1936; U. S. Naval Observatory, 1942-1946. From the description of Papers, 1935-1981. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 78261249 Astronomer. From the description of The first astronauts: Second Dirk Brouwer Memorial Prize Lecture delivered before the American Astronomical Society at the University of Maryland, 1980. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84586814 Paul ...

Atkinson, Robert d'Escourt, 1898-1982

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c53t3c (person)

Astronomer (fundamental astronomy, celestial mechanics, relativity). On the physics faculty at Rutgers University, 1929-1937; on the staff of the Royal Greenwich Observatory, 1937-1964; and on the astronomy faculty at University of Indiana, Bloomington from 1964. From the description of Selected correspondence [microform], 1927-1955. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80709772 Visiting Professor, Indiana University Department of Astronomy. Astronomer and...

Swings, P. (Polydore), 1906-1983

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6d79ddq (person)

Astrophysicist. From the description of Curriculum vitae: Liste et analyse des publications, ca. 1970. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 83850060 Astrophysicist (comets, interstellar medium, stellar spectroscopy, shell stars, nebulae). On the astrophysics faculty at Universite̕ de Liege from 1927; on the faculty at University of Chicago, 1939-1942; and president, International Astronomical Union, 1964-1967. From the description of Correspondence with Otto Struve [mi...

Conklin, Nanielov Dieter

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tn9zd6 (person)

Babcock, Horace W.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6cj8g5t (person)

Born 1912. From the description of Oral history interview with Horace W. Babcock, 1977, July 25. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 154302815 ...

Kron, Richard G.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6vb1nc6 (person)

Born 1951. From the description of Oral history interview with Richard G. Kron, 1977 July 19. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79356858 ...

O'Connell, D. J. K.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6w39zs7 (person)

Unsöld, Albrecht, 1905-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63b627f (person)

Aitken, Douglas Carryl

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tk17zz (person)

Abell, George O. (George Ogden), 1927-1983

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w67s7pv2 (person)

Hall, John, of Richmond

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6qs4kv1 (person)

Epithet: of Liverpool British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000001190.0x00022a Epithet: schoolmaster, of Cambuslang British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000001190.0x000233 Epithet: of Egerton Ch 6171 British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000001190.0x000225 The John Ha...

Bowyer, Stuart C.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6bw09b3 (person)

Hogg, Helen Sawyer, 1905-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6t155ch (person)

Sciama, D. W. (Dennis William), 1926-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6x3709x (person)

Plaskett, Harry Hemley, 1893-1980

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66v386f (person)

Massevitch, Alla Genrikhovna

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dd0qpb (person)

Salpeter, Edwin E.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6109qr3 (person)

Spitzer, Lyman, 1914-1997

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6wn23cc (person)

Lyman Spitzer (b. June 26, 1914, Toldedo, OH-d. March 31, 1997, Princeton, NJ) was an American theoretical physicist, astronomer, and mountaineer. As a scientist, he carried out research into star formation, plasma physics, and in 1946, conceived the idea of telescopes operating in outer space. Spitzer invented the stellarator plasma device and is the namesake of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. He also was the founding director of Project Matterhorn, Princeton University's pioneering program in ...

Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-1995

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6df6sq7 (person)

Astrophysicist. B.A., Presidency College, Madras University, 1930. Ph. D., Cambridge University, 1933; Sc. D., 1942. Research Associate, Yerkes Observatory, University of Chicago, 1937. Assistant Professor, University of Chicago, 1938; Associate Professor, 1942; Professor, 1944; Distinguished Service Professor, 1946; Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics, 1952. Managing editor, Astrophysical Journal, 1952-1971. Nobel Prize in Physics, 1983. From t...

Kharadze, Yevgeny Kirillovich

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zm861p (person)

Kron, Gerald E.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63p4rkw (person)

Wesselink, Adriaan Jan

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6k959ps (person)

Died 1995. From the description of Oral history interview with Adriann J. Wesselink, 1977 September 23 and 1978 June 21. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80170506 ...

Hulst, H. C. Van de (Hendrik Christoffell), 1918-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62k9015 (person)

Chandler, Seth Carlo, 1846-1913

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6835j36 (person)

Astronomer (variable stars, variation of latitude, and geodesy) and life insurance actuary. Aid, U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1864-1870; staff, Harvard College Observatory from 1881; editor, Astronomical Journal from 1896. From the description of Papers [microform], 1861-1914. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 78060521 American astronomer. Boston English High School; L.L.D., DePauw University, 1891. After attending high school, he became a personal astronomical assistant, 1...

Bondi, Hermann

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tk19qn (person)

Spinrad, Hyron, 1934-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6rr3977 (person)

Young, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1834-1908

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sj1ng0 (person)

Educator and scientist. From the description of Charles A. Young correspondence, 1873 March 20. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70981440 Astronomer (solar spectroscopy). On the faculty of Western Reserve University in mathematics, natural philosophy, and astronomy (1856-1866), Dartmouth College, natural philosophy and astronomy (1866-1877), Princeton University, astronomy (1877-1905). From the description of Papers. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80717828 ...

Struve, Otto, 1897-1963

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tx3gk4 (person)

Astronomer (astrophysics of stars, spectroscopy, interstellar studies, origin of universe) and administrator. On the staff of Yerkes Observatory, 1921-1932, director, 1932-1950; editor, ASTROPHYSICS JOURNAL, 1932-1947; on the astrophysics faculty, department chair, and director, Leuschner Observatory, University of California, Berkeley, 1950-1959; and director, National Radio Astronomy Observatory from 1959. From the description of Selected correspondence [microform], 1932-1945. (Unk...

Oort, Jan Hendrik

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6cj8fsg (person)

Astronomer (galactic structure, interstellar gas, comets). (1900-1992). Astronomer at and, from 1945, Director of the Leiden Observatory; on the faculty of University of Leiden from 192; established observational verification of galactic rotation; one of the authors of the Oort-Lindbald theory of differential galactic rotation; initiator, with Baade, of the European Southern Observatory; general secretary of the International Astronomical Union from 1935-1948, and president from 1958-1961. ...

Münch, Guido, 1921-.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nd3whg (person)

Tinsley, Beatrice M.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6m626cn (person)

Beatrice M. Tinsley, 1941-1981. From the description of Oral history interview with Beatrice M. Tinsley, 1977 June 14. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79239313 ...

Schlesinger, Frank, 1871-1943

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nc66wx (person)

Astronomer (modern astrometry) and administrator. Head, International Latitude Observatory, 1899-1903; astronomer, Yerkes Observatory, 1903-1905; director, Allegheny Observatory, 1905-1920; and head, Department of Astronomy, Yale University, 1920-1941; and director, Yale Observatory, 1920-1941. From the description of Allegheny Observatory correspondence [microform], 1905-1920. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80601819 Astronomer (modern astrometry) and administrator. Head, In...

Hayes, D.S. (Donald S.)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w60p32pn (person)

Cowling, T. G. (Thomas George)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6x63phd (person)

Born 1906. From the description of Oral history interview with Thomas George Cowling, 1978 March 22. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84185771 From the description of Convection in stars: prize essay, [ca.1935]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 83017340 ...

Locanthi, Dorothy Davis

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6t85629 (person)

Huffer, Charles M. (Charles Morse), 1894-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64x5ccr (person)

Mayall, N. U. (Nicholas Ulrich), 1906-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62s6dd0 (person)

Schatzman, Evry L.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6n60pp1 (person)

Evry L. Schatzman (1920- ). From the description of Oral history interview with Evry L. Schatzman, 1979 August 21. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79753017 ...

King, Ivan R.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sp2z23 (person)

McVittie, George C. (George Cunliffe)

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kh0qhp (person)

Astronomer (cosmology, gravitational collapse, quasars), educator, and applied mathematician. On the mathematics faculty at University of London, Kings College, 1936-1948; and Queen Mary College, 1948-1952; and head, department of astronomy, University of Illinois, Urbana, from 1952. From the description of Selected papers [microform], 1926-1975. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84429677 McVittie (1904-1988). Astronomer (cosmology, gravitational collapse, quasars), educator an...

Shapiro, Bert

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nx25hk (person)

Jones, Burton Wadsworth, 1902-....

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zg8txd (person)

Young, Charles A. (Charles Augustus), 1834-1908

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sj1ng0 (person)

Educator and scientist. From the description of Charles A. Young correspondence, 1873 March 20. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70981440 Astronomer (solar spectroscopy). On the faculty of Western Reserve University in mathematics, natural philosophy, and astronomy (1856-1866), Dartmouth College, natural philosophy and astronomy (1866-1877), Princeton University, astronomy (1877-1905). From the description of Papers. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80717828 ...

Dunham, Theodore J., 1897-1984

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6tb38ks (person)

Theodore Dunham was a physicist, astronomer, and physician. From the description of Papers, 1930-1984. (American Philosophical Society Library). WorldCat record id: 122464827 From the guide to the Theodore Dunham papers, 1930-1984, 1930-1984, (American Philosophical Society) Astrophysicist (astronomical spectroscopy, planetary atmospheres, spectrophotometry) and biophysicist. Astronomer, Mount Wilson Observatory, 1927-1947; chief of the optical instruments section o...

Leighton, Robert B.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64q7z84 (person)

Leighton (1919-1997 ). Member of physics faculty, California Institute of Technology, 1949-1986. From the description of Papers, 1938-1988, (1961-1988) (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79357815 Robert Benjamin Leighton (1919- ). Member of physics faculty, California Institute of Technology, 1949-1986. Died 1997. From the description of Oral history interview with Robert Benjamin Leighton, 1977 July 29 and August 5. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84192601 ...