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Mott, N. F. (Nevill Francis), Sir, 1905-
Sir Nevill Francis Mott papers and correspondence, 1902-2003.
First accession: Biographical material is slight. It includes, however, drafts for his autobiography and a bibliography, albeit incomplete. Research papers principally comprise a sequence of published papers, pre-prints etc by other scientists annotated by Mott or occasionally by collaborators such as A.S. Alexandrov, 1946-1996. In addition there are a very small number of notes and drafts by Mott and others, 1989-1996. Only a small number of Motts public and invitation lectures are documented, 1964, 1986-1994. There is a major sequence of drafts for his scientific publications, 1961-1996 which is especially substantial for his last years though not always straightforward in its interpretation. Publications correspondence is not extensive and his long association with Taylor & Francis is represented by a relatively few papers, 1980-1996. There is a substantial but incomplete set of Motts off-prints, 1929-1995. There is documentation of Motts association with eleven British and international societies and organisations. His interests in nuclear weapons issues and defence questions more widely are reflected in the papers of the Oxford Research Group and the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. Although Mott was a Fellow of the Royal Society from 1936 the record presented here covers the period 1976-1993 only, and relates almost entirely to his interests in science education. There is a record of a small number of visits and conferences attended by Mott in the UK and overseas for about twenty years from 1977 including invitations for 1996 and 1997 he was not able to fulfil. In addition to visits and conferences associated with Motts scientific research there are records of a seminar on gifted children at Cambridge, 1981 and the Second Nova Spes Colloquium of Nobel Prizewinners in Rome, November 1987 when Mott met the Pope. There is useful documentation of Motts developing interest in religion in his later years. There is correspondence, 1977-1996, including a small group of papers kept separately by Mott about the Swiss Catholic theologian Hans K ng, and drafts for Can scientists believe?, Motts shorter publications and writings, and sermons. Finally, there is a chronological sequence of correspondence, 1968-1996, predominantly incoming, reflecting Motts continuing interest in research to the end of his life. It includes correspondence and papers on energy questions, especially solar energy and photovoltaics, and high temperature superconductivity.
Supplementary material: Biographical material forms by far the largest group of papers. There is additional material relating to Motts autobiography, a major sequence of documentation of career, honours and awards, 1918-1996, including the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physics, and an almost complete sequence of appointment diaries, 1958-1996. The most substantial component is Motts family correspondence, 1922-1962. This is principally Motts letters to his parents and provides indispensable documentation of his career from Clifton College school, Bristol to the Cavendish Professorship of Physics, Cambridge. The sequence includes Motts undergraduate years at St Johns College, Cambridge, 1924-1927, Copenhagen with Bohr in 1928, Manchester with W.L. Bragg, 1928-1929, Cambridge, 1930-1933, pre- and post-war Bristol and the Second World War. There are also sequences of correspondence from Motts visits to Japan, 1953 and Africa, 1962. Biographical items of particular interest are drafts relating to his fathers research at the Cavendish under J.J. Thomson and Ruth Motts account of her and her husbands visit to Russia in 1934. There are also sequences of press-cuttings and a small number of photographs of Mott and scientific colleagues. There is documentation of a small number of Motts public and invitation lectures and shorter publications and writings, and a little publications correspondence, 1970-1995. Societies and organisations material is slight, providing additional documentation of Motts association with five British and international bodies, 1952-1995, including the Royal Society. Visits and conferences material is also slight, comprising single items representing six occasions, 1959-1993. There is further documentation of Motts developing interest in religion in his later years: correspondence, 1977-1996, an annotated draft of Christianity without miracles, Motts own contribution for Can scientists believe?, shorter publications and writings, and sermons. There is a little further correspondence presented as a chronological sequence with scientific colleagues and others, 1963-1996.
Nevill Francis Mott, 1905-1996. British theoretical physicist; also worked in semiconductors and solid state physics. Major affiliations include: University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, UK, 1930-1933, 1954-1971; University of Bristol, Bristol, England, UK, 1933-1948; and Taylor & Francis, London, England, UK, 1970-. FRS, 1936. Nobel Prize in physics in 1977 (with P.W. Anderson and J.H. Van Vleck).
Mott, N. F. (Nevill Francis), Sir, 1905-
Oxford Research Group.
High temperature superconductivity -- Research -- History.
Nobel Prizes.
Photovoltaic power generation -- Research.
Physicists -- Correspondence.
Solar energy -- Research.
Solid state physics.
Physicists. lcsh
Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs
AIP-ICOS
Cambridge University. Library. Department of Manuscripts and University Archives. West Road, Cambridge, CH3 9DR
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