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General Information

Description of Collection Historical Note Scope and Contents of Collection Restrictions on Use and Access Selected Search Terms Organization and Arrangement of Collection Provenance and Acquisition Information Processing Information Preferred Citation of Collection Administrative Information

Container List

Series I: Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) Series II: Strategic Defense Initiative Series III: Reports on High Energy Physics Projects

American Institute of Physics Physics Today Division records of Irwin Goodwin, 1983-1993.

Description of Collection

Repository

American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives.

Papers created by

American Institute of Physics. Physics Today Division.

Size of collection

6 linear feet
(6 records boxes)

Short description of collection

This collection includes government reports, newspaper clippings and university reviews of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), otherwise known as “Star Wars,” and the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC).

Language(s) of collection

English

Collection number:

AR200062

Historical Note

Irwin Goodwin was editor of the Washington Bureau of Physics Today (1983 to 1993) and Senior Editor of Physics Today, until his retirement in 2000.

The Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) was proposed by the subpanel on New Facilities of the Department of Energy’s High Energy Physics Advisory Panel (HEPAP) in 1983. The site outside Waxahachie, TX was selected in 1988 and construction began in 1991. The SSC was to have been the largest and most advanced particle accelerator in the world with a 54-mile long particle accelerator oval shaped loop. Due to budget problems, the project was abandoned in October 1993 with the site 20% completed.

The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a satellite-based defense system, was announced by President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983. The Strategic Defense Initiative Organization was established in 1984 and headed by General James Abrahamson. Research by the SDI continued through the 1980s and eventually ended with the collapse of the USSR.

Scope and Contents of Collection

The papers of Irwin Goodwin contain his records pertaining to the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) and the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The SSC papers include government reports and environmental impact studies, testimonies before Congress and the House Science, Technology, and Space Committee, newspaper clippings, and notes by Irwin Goodwin. The SDI papers include government reports, newspaper clippings, expert reports and an interview of General James Abrahamson by Irwin Goodwin. Also included are papers about the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator.

Restrictions on Use and Access

Permission of an officer of depositing organization required for access to records less than 25 years old.

Researchers must have an approved access application on file in order to access archival materials. https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/item-request.

Selected Search Terms

These papers have been indexed in the International Catalog of Sources for History of Physics and Allied Sciences (ICOS) using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.

Organization and Arrangement of Collection

Organized into the following series:

Series I: Superconducting Super Collider
Series II: Strategic Defense Initiative
Series III: Reports of High Energy Physics Projects

This collection is arranged chronologically within each series.

Provenance and Acquisition Information

The bulk of this collection was donated to the Niels Bohr Library and Archives by Irwin Goodwin in 2000, upon his retirement from Physics Today. A small addition was later added and is shown as Series III: Reports of High Energy Physics Projects.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Lara D'Agaro in May 2007.

Preferred Citation of Collection

Box [number], Folder [number], American Institute of Physics Physics Today Division records of Irwin Goodwin, 1983-1993. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, College Park, MD 20740, USA.

Administrative Information

Title

Finding Aid to the American Institute of Physics Physics Today Division records of Irwin Goodwin, 1983-1993.

Publisher

American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library & Archives

One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740
USA
nbl@aip.org

2008

Encoding Information

Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Melanie J. Brown in May 2007. Any revisions made to this finding aid occurred as part of the editing and encoding process.

Series I: Superconducting Super Collider (SSC)

Subseries A: SSC reports

Box 1

Folder 1

Superconducting Super Collider #1, 1985-1988

Folder 2

Superconducting Super Collider #1, 1985-1988

Folder 3

Superconducting Super Collider #1, 1985-1988

Folder 4

Superconducting Super Collider #1, 1985-1988

Folder 5