William H. Pickering Speech Reference Collection, 1959-1974.

ArchivalResource

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.

2.4 cubic ft. (88 folders)

Related Entities

There are 37 Entities related to this resource.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.)

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The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a research and development center and NASA field center in Pasadena, California. The JPL is owned by NASA and managed by the nearby California Institute of Technology. The laboratory's primary function is the construction and operation of planetary robotic spacecraft, though it also conducts Earth-orbit and astronomy missions. It is also responsible for operating NASA's Deep Space Network. Among the laboratory's major active projects are the Mars Scien...

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

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The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established as an independent agency of the executive branch on October 1, 1958 by the National Aeronautics and Space Act (72 Stat. 426), approved July 29, 1958. It superseded the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). NASA conducted redsearch on problems of flight, developed aeronautical and space vehicles, explored outer space, and participated in international programs for the peaceful development of space technology....

Naugle, John F., 1923-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64n6qjr (person)

Malina, Frank J.

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Frank Malina (1912-1981) was an American aeronautical engineer and kinetic artist. Born in Brenham, Texas to parents of Czechoslovakian extraction (both musicians), Malina was for many years a scientist and directed American rocket research and UNESCO projects. In 1950 he learned the basics of oil painting from Reginald Weston and began to experiment, eventually leaving his UNESCO work to devote himself entirely to the pursuit of art. An early explorer in the field of digital art and the use of ...

Melikan, Victoria L., 1928-

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64z2vd6 (person)

Steg, Leo

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w63n9ppz (person)

Welsh, Edward C. (Edward Cristy), 1909-1990

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Edward Cristy Welsh (1909-1990) was the Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council from 1961 to 1969. From the description of Welsh, Edward C. (Edward Cristy), 1909-1990 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10574416 ...

DuBridge, Lee A. (Lee Alvin), 1901-1994

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Lee DuBridge was President of the California Institute of Technology from 1946-1969. From the description of Space Research, 1958. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 733095203 DuBridge was President of Caltech. From the description of No Shakeup in JPL Management Due, 1964 Feb. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 733096493 From the description of Confirmation of Conditions for Relations...

Cortright, Edgar M.

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Cortright was Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications. From the description of Ranger 6 Failure : letter to William H. Pickering, Robert J. Parks, and Harris M. Schurmeier, 1964 Feb 5. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 733095323 From the description of Expressing support for the Ranger program after the failure of Ranger 6 : letter to William H. Pickering, Robert J. Parks, and Harris M. Schurmeier, 1964 Feb 5. (Je...

Shoemaker, E. M. (Eugene Merle), 1928-1997

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Eugene Merl Shoemaker (1928-1997). From the description of Oral history interview with Eugene Merle Shoemaker, 1986 January 30 to 1988 September 8. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 81474023 Eugene Merle Shoemaker (b. April 28, 1928, Los Angeles, California-d. July 18, 1997, Alice Springs, Australia) earned a B.S. in geology in 1947 from the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) and subsequently earned a M.S. from the same institution in 1948. Upon graduating, Shoemaker ...

Mrozinski, R. V.

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Pickering, W. H. (William Hayward), 1910-2004

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William Hayward Pickering was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on December 24, 1910. After one year at the University of New Zealand, he entered California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1929. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1932, his Master of Science degree in Physics in 1933, and his Doctorate in Physics in 1936, all from Caltech. After graduation, he joined the Caltech faculty, becoming a full professor of electrical engineering in 1...

Pickering, W. H. (William Hayward), 1910-2004

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William Hayward Pickering was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on December 24, 1910. After one year at the University of New Zealand, he entered California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1929. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 1932, his Master of Science degree in Physics in 1933, and his Doctorate in Physics in 1936, all from Caltech. After graduation, he joined the Caltech faculty, becoming a full professor of electrical engineering in 1...

Webb, James E. (James Edwin), 1906-

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Government official and businessman. From the description of Letter : Washington, D.C., to Mattie U. Russell, 1976 Sept. 22. (Duke University Library). WorldCat record id: 26997249 James Edwin Webb (1906-1992), lawyer and government official, was the Director of the Bureau of the Budget from 1946 to 1949, Under Secretary of State from 1949 to 1952, and Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from 1961 to 1968. From the description of We...

National Academy of Engineering.

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Reid, Alex.

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Harford, James J

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Minovitch, Michael A.

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Goldmark, Peter C.

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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.). Office of the Director.

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Piel, Gerard

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Editor, publisher; interviewee b.1915. From the description of Reminiscences of Gerard Piel : oral history, 1982. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 309724416 ...

Coates, Joseph A.

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Hibbs, Albert R., 1924-2003

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Hibbs was Chief of the Division of Space Sciences. From the description of Division of Space Sciences - Division 32 Program Structure, 1960 Sep. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 733096844 From the description of Proposed budget for a lunar seismograph system, FY 1962, NASA-Lamont Geological Observatory : letter to Charles Sonett, NASA Chief of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, 1961 May 10. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). Wor...

Fletcher, James Chipman, 1919-1991

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James Chipman Fletcher, born 5 June 1919, in Millburn, New Jersey, attended high school in New York City and received a B.A. in physics from Columbia University in 1940. He served as a research physicist with the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ordnance, and in 1941 became a special research associate at the Cruf Laboratory of Harvard University. He went to Princeton University in 1942 as a teaching fellow and later was an instructor and research physicist. Under an Eastman Kodak fe...

Davies, Merton E.

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California Museum Foundation.

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Von Braun, Wernher, 1912-1977

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Wernher Von Braun was one of the world's first and foremost rocket engineers and a leading authority on space travel. From the description of Wernher von Braun letter, 1960. (National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum). WorldCat record id: 61257728 Von Braun was Director of the Development Operations Division. From the description of Interim Report of Agena Survey Team and Management Plan for NASA Agena Project : letter to General Don R. Ostrander, NASA Direct...

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

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The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics was formed in 1963 by the merger of the Institute of Aerospace Sciences and the American Rocket Society. These records constitute the historical aeronautical archives of the Institute of Aerospace Sciences. From the description of Institute of Aerospace Sciences archives, 1783-1962. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71065827 ...

Stever, H.Guyford

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Scientist, university and government administrator, and consultant to government and industry; b. Horton Guyford Stever, 1916. From the description of Papers, 1930-1990 (bulk 1939-1990). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 29797583 Horton Guyford Stever was born on October 24, 1916 in Corning New York. He received an A.B. in Physics from Colgate University in 1938, and a Ph.D. in Physics from California Institute of Technology in 1941. He was a staff member of the Radiation Labor...

Shockley, William B., 1910-1989.

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Hornig, Donald F., 1920-2013

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Fourteenth president of Brown University, 1970-1976. From the description of Donald F. Hornig papers, 1970-1976. (Brown University). WorldCat record id: 122615900 Hornig was Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology. From the description of 1960 Report of the President's Science Advisory Committee Ad Hoc Panel on Man-in-Space : letter to Eugene M. Emme, NASA Historian, 1968 Jul 12. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat rec...

California Institute of Technology. Institute Administrative Council.

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Brown, Harold, 1927-....

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U.S. secretary of defense, physicist, and educator. From the description of Papers of Harold Brown. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71132876 Harold Brown was born on September 10, 1927 in New York, New York. He received an A.B. (1945), an A.M. (1946) and a Ph.D. (1949) from Columbia University. He was a research scientist at Columbia University from 1945 to 1950 and lecturer in physics at Columbia from 1947 to 1948. From 1949 to 1950 he was a lecturer in physics at Stevens In...

Dreyfuss, Henry, 1904-1972

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Industrial and stage designer. Born New York, March 2, 1904. Attended Society for Ethical Culture High School in New York. Apprenticed to designer Norman Bel Geddes, 1922-1924. Established his own industrial design firm in 1929. His clients included Bell Telephone Laboratories, Deere & Company, Honeywell, Inc., Polaroid Corporation, General Electric, the 1939-40 and 1964-65 New York World's Fairs, New York Central Railroad, Hoover Company, Singer Sewing Machine Company, Royal Typewriter Co.,...

Gubser, Charles S., 1916-

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James, Jack N. (Jack Norval), 1920-2001

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James was Mariner R Project Manager. From the description of Sonett's letter of 1961 Oct 16 with four action items regarding Mariner R : letter to Charles Sonett, 1961 Oct 20. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library and Archives). WorldCat record id: 733097630 James was Deputy Planetary Program Director. From the description of Criticism of the New PMP (Program Management Plan) Format : letter to F.D. Kochendorfer, NASA, 1961 Feb 23. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory Library...

Murray, Bruce C.

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Bruce C. Murray was born November 30, 1931, in New York City. He earned a doctorate in Geology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1955, and served as a geologist for Standard Oil from 1955-58. After serving as a Geophysicist for the U.S. Air Force, Murray joined the Caltech faculty as a Research Fellow of Planetary Science and Geology in 1960. Murray became a full Professor of Planetary Science and Geology at Caltech in 1969. Dr. Murray was a member of the Mars ...