Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953
Robert Millikan papers [microform], 1821-1953 (bulk 1921-1953).
Correspondence (1888-1953) consists primarily of the official papers generated by Millikan as chairman of the Executive Council of the California Institute of Technology (Reels 17-40) which serve as a prime source for the history of the Institute. Other correspondence covers his involvement in many organizations and committees (Reels 6-16) such as the National Academy of Science (1913-1952), National Research Council (1916-1926), Science Advisory Board (1933-1941), etc. as well as considerable material on the role of the Carnegie, Rockefeller, and Guggenheim foundations in the expansion of higher education in the United States in the post-World War I decades. His personal and family correspondence (Reels 41-65, 1913-1953) contains a voluminous number of letters exchanged between Millikan and his wife Greta during the frequent periods they were apart as well as Greta's correspondence with other family members and friends, providing a rich social commentary not only on the Millikan family but on contemporary events and Greta's role as a wife of a famous public figure. A small portion (Reel 5) documents the significant role Millikan played in the mobilization of science for national defense during World War I. Family documents and memorabilia (Reels 74-80) include material on their sons' early childhood, legal papers, social calendars, biographical sketches, etc. Speeches and articles (Reels 66-71, 1915-1949) cover a broad spectrum of political, social, and scientific topics. Scientific notes (Reels 1-4) include lecture notes (1899-1920) which offer insight into the state of physics and physics education. Research notebooks (1897-1920) contain recorded data from his scientific experiments on electron charge measurement, bubble patent machine, photo-electric phenomena, and cosmic rays. Correspondents include: Henry H. Arnold, Albert Barrows, Paul Brockett, Vannar Bush, Harry Chandler, Karl T. Compton, Gano Dunn, Arthur H. Fleming, Johns A. Fleming, George E. Hale, Herbert Hover, Frank B. Jewett, Henry M. Robinson and Theodore von K'arm'an.
Physicist (photoelectricity, ions) and educator. On the physics faculty at the University of Chicago, 1896-1921; on the faculty at California Institute of Technology: director, Norman Bridge Laboratory of Physics and chairman of the Executive Council, 1921-1946, emeritus professor of physics and chairman of the Board of Trustees from 1946; Nobel Prize in physics, 1923.
Arnold, Henry Harley, 1886-1950
Brockett, Paul, 1872-1946.
Bush, Vannevar, 1890-1974
Compton, K. T. (Karl Taylor), 1887-1954.
Fleming, J. A. (John Adam), 1877-1956.
Hale, George Ellery, 1868-1938
Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964.
Von Kr̀mǹ, Theodore, 1881-1963.
California Institute of Technology
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)
National Research Council (U.S.)
Rockefeller Foundation.
Cosmic rays -- Experiments.
Electrons -- Measurement -- Experiments.
Nuclear physics.
Photoelectricity -- Experiments.
Physics -- Experiments.
Physics -- Research.
Physics -- Study and teaching
World War, 1914-1918.
Laboratory notes. aat aat
Physicists. lcsh
Barrows, Albert.
Chandler, Harry.
Dunn, Gano.
Fleming, Arthur H.
Jewett, Frank B. (Frank Baldwin), 1879-1949
Millikan, Greta.
Robinson, Henry M.
Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation.
Science Advisory Board.
AIP-ICOS
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA