Simpson, John A. (John Alexander), 1916-2000
John A. Simpson papers, 1940-1988.
Professional and personal correspondence, scientific research notes, lectures and articles, teaching materials, grant proposals, technical reports and drawings. Papers span his graduate work at New York University, activity in Metallurgical Laboratory during World War II, teaching and research at University of Chicago. They document his development of radiation counters, neutron monitors, and numerous types of charged-particle analyzers designed for application in astrophysical research, as well as chairmanship of Atomic Scientists of Chicago, and his work with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Also documents scientific and administrative roles in International Geophysical Year, 1956-57. His papers illustrate changing nature of astrophysical research after World War II. Additions, dating from the 1970s-1980s, include books; offprints; scientific journals; data from geophysical monitoring projects.
Graduate work at New York University, received an S.M. degree in 1942 and a Ph.D. degree in 1943. After requesting an opportunity to help in the war effort, Simpson received a visit in 1942 from Volney Wilson of the University of Chicago, an assistant of Arthur Holly Compton. Compton was then director of the Metallurgical Laboratory devoted to producing a nuclear chain reaction and to producing plutonium for a nuclear bomb. Among his administrative appointments, Simpson served as Chairman of the Committee on Instruction and Biophysics (1951-1952) and Director of the Enrico Fermi Institute (1973-1978). In 1962 he founded the Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research in the Enrico Fermi Institute.
Simpson, John A. (John Alexander), 1916-2000
United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development. Metallurgical Laboratory
Bulletin of the atomic scientists
Astrophysics -- History -- 20th century.
Astrophysics -- Instruments.
Charged particle detection -- Instruments.
Neutron counters -- Research.
Nuclear counters -- Design and construction.
Physics -- Study and teaching.
Radiation -- Measurement.
Radiation -- Scientific apparatus and instruments.
Articles. aat
Drawings. aat aat
Lectures lcgft
Proposals. aat
Technical reports. aat
International Geophysical Year, 1957-1958.
Atomic Scientists of Chicago.
New York University -- Study and teaching.
University of Chicago -- Study and teaching.
AIP-ICOS
University of Chicago. The Joseph Regenstein Library. Department of Special Collections. 1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA