Allan A. Needell research records,
1944-1988
Repository
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives.
Papers created by
Needell, Allan A.
Size of collection
3 linear feet
3 records boxes
Short description of collection
Research records collected by historian Allan A. Needell, likely from his time as the Associate Historian at the American Institute of Physics, Center for History of Physics.
Language(s) of collection
English
Collection number:
AR20151860
Dr. Allan A. Needell earned a BA in physics from Cornell University and a PhD in the history of science from Yale University.
From 1978-81 he served as associate historian at the Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics, where he had responsibility for a federally funded project to investigate and recommend ways of identifying and preserving documents relating to the U.S. Department of Energy's research laboratories.
Dr. Needell joined the Museum in 1981. He is responsible for its Apollo artifacts collection, and has recently completed a multiyear effort to preserve the only Saturn V launch vehicle made of flight-qualified components.
From 1999 to 2002, Dr. Needell served as chairman of the Space History Division. During that period he published Science, Cold War and the American State: Lloyd V Berkner and the Balance of Professional Ideals (Routledge, 2000), and wrote articles on the history of physics, the origins of U.S. national laboratories, and government-science relations.
In addition, he has edited a collection of essays, The First 25 Years in Space: A Symposium (Smithsonian Institution, 1983; paperback, 1989) and is currently working on a book devoted the political and philosophical beliefs of the leaders of the Apollo program.
Biography from Allan Needell's biography page at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: https://airandspace.si.edu/staff/allan-needell
Research records collected by Allan A. Needell, likely from his time as the Associate Historian at the American Institute of Physics, Center for History of Physics. The records cover his work at the national laboratories (Argonne National Laboratory, Associated Universities, Inc., Brookhaven National Laboratory, Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and Zero Gradient Synchrotron) and some of the people and subjects his interviews and research covered (Joan Bromberg, G. Kenneth Green, Arthur Snell, G. Vineyard, W. W. Watson, Spencer Weart, Alvin M. Weinberg, Bruce R. Wheaton, Eugene P. Wigner, D. F. Wood, Norm Hilberry, Milt Levenson, Walter Zinn, A. Zucker, Nicholas C. Christofilos, Meyer H. Fishbein, Joe Frino, Gertrude Goldhaber, Richard G. Hewlett, J. B. H. Kuper, Alexander Langsdorf,hydrogen bombs, nuclear and high energy density physics).
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.
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.
Persons
Bromberg, Joan Lisa.
Fishbein, Meyer H. (Meyer Harry)
Goldhaber, Gertrude Scharff, 1911-1998
Green, George Kenneth
Hewlett, Richard G.
Hilberry, Norman, 1899-
Kuper, J. B. H.
Langsdorf, Alexander, 1912-
Needell, Allan A.
Snell, Arthur H.
Vineyard, G. H.
Watson, William W. (William Weldon), 1899-
Weart, Spencer R., 1942-
Weinberg, Alvin Martin, 1915-2006-
Wheaton, Bruce R.
Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-
Zinn, Walter H. (Walter Henry), 1906-2000
Zucker, Alexander
Institutions
Argonne National Laboratory
Associated Universities, Inc.
Brookhaven National Laboratory.
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
United States. Department of Energy.
Subject terms
Hydrogen bomb
Nuclear physics
Particles (Nuclear physics)
Physics -- Laboratories
Zero gradient synchrotrons
Collection is arranged into three series:
- Series I. National laboratory files
- Series II. Person and subject files
- Series III. Project administrative files
The folders within each series are in alphabetical order.
Gift of Allan Needell, 2015. Addition from Allan Needell, 2018.
This collection was processed by
Amanda Nelson in
2015.
Box [number], Folder [number], Allan A. Needell research records, 1944-1988. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, College Park, MD 20740, USA.
Title
Finding Aid to the Allan A. Needell research records, 1944-1988
Publisher
American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library & Archives
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740
USA
nbl@aip.org
2015
Encoding Information
Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Amanda Nelson in 2015. Any revisions made to this finding aid occurred as part of the editing and encoding process.
| Box 1 |
Folder 1 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - American Institute of Physics (AIP) correspondence, 1979 |
|
Folder 2 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - Archivist/Records Manager position, 1979 |
|
Folder 3 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - backlog collections, undated |
|
Folder 4 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - history of Argonne physics division, undated |
|
Folder 5 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - history project, 1980 |
|
Folder 6 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - interview, artifacts, memorabilia, 1979 |
|
Folder 7 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - interviews, 1979 |
|
Folder 8 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - laboratory director's office files, undated |
|
Folder 9 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - letter from Gordon Goodman to Senator John Pastore re: the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and ANL, undated |
|
Folder 10 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - Manhattan Project files, undated |
|
Folder 11 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - Metallurgical Project organizational chart, undated |
|
Folder 12 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - miscellaneous correspondence, 1980 |
|
Folder 13 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - organization, undated |
|
Folder 14 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - Physics Division files, undated |
|
Folder 15 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - Physics Division - history document copies, undated |
|
Folder 16 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - preservation of documents report, 1980 |
|
Folder 17 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - records management, undated |
|
Folder 18 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - seminar presentation, undated |
|
Folder 19 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - users of documents and research for others, 1979 |
|
Folder 20 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - Zero Gradient Synchrotron (ZGS) file inventories, undated |
|
Folder 21 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - Zero Gradient Synchrotron (ZGS) history essay, undated |
|
Folder 22 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - Zero Gradient Synchrotron (ZGS) symposium, 1979 |
|
Folder 23 |
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) - Zero Gradient Synchrotron (ZGS) user groups, undated |
|
Folder 24 |
Associated Universities, Inc. - miscellaneous files (1 of 4), undated |
|
Folder 25 |
Associated Universities, Inc. - miscellaneous files (2 of 4), undated |
|
Folder 26 |
Associated Universities, Inc. - miscellaneous files (3 of 4), undated |
|
Folder 27 |
Associated Universities, Inc. - miscellaneous files (4 of 4), undated |
|
Folder 28 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - acronyms and abbreviations, undated |
|
Folder 29 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) office building - file inventory, undated |
|
Folder 30 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - "Atoms for research nuclear reactors" paper drafts and feedback, 1983 |
|
Folder 31 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - "Atoms for research nuclear reactors" presentation at American Physical Society (APS) meeting, undated |
|
Folder 32 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor (BGRR) and the BNL Cosmotron, undated |
|
Folder 33 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - Brookhaven Graphite Research Reactor (BGRR) documents and articles, undated |
|
Folder 34 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - consulting contract, undated |
|
Folder 35 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - Federal Records Center - accession number lists, 1980 |
|
Folder 36 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - finding aid (annotated) and related papers, undated |
|
Folder 37 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - folder listing (1 of 4), undated |
|
Folder 38 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - folder listing (2 of 4), undated |
| Box 2 |
Folder 1 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - folder listing (3 of 4), undated |
|
Folder 2 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - folder listing (4 of 4), undated |
|
Folder 3 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - hierarchical study, undated |
|
Folder 4 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - History Committee, 1980-1981 |
|
Folder 5 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - interviews, undated |
|
Folder 6 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - lectures, undated |
|
Folder 7 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - notebook inventories, 1975 |
|
Folder 8 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - organizational charts, undated |
|
Folder 9 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - photographs and slides, undated |
|
Folder 10 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - publicity, undated |
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Folder 11 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - reactors, undated |
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Folder 12 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - records in non-science divisions, undated |
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Folder 13 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - Records Management - official correspondence, undated |
|
Folder 14 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - research program probe, undated |
|
Folder 15 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - sources for the history of physics, undated |
|
Folder 16 |
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) - Visiting Committees - membership lists, undated |
|
Folder 17 |
Department of Energy (DOE) - headquarters records, undated |
|
Folder 18 |
Department of Energy (DOE) - laboratories - records requests, undated |
|
Folder 19 |
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) - history, 1979 |
|
Folder 20 |
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) - preservation of documents report, 1980 |
|
Folder 21 |
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) - proposal for an archival program, 1979 |
|
Folder 22 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - budget information, undated |
|
Folder 23 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - central files, undated |
|
Folder 24 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Director's office file, undated |
|
Folder 25 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Division Director's files, undated |
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Folder 26 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - early history notes, undated |
|
Folder 27 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Health and Safety Division, undated |
|
Folder 28 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - initialisms and acronyms, undated |
|
Folder 29 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - One Atom Detection project file, undated |
|
Folder 30 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - organization charts, undated |
|
Folder 31 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Philip S. Baker correspondence, undated |
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Folder 32 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - photographs and drawings, undated |
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Folder 33 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Physical Research - annual reports/notes, undated |
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Folder 34 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Physics Division, undated |
|
Folder 35 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - preservation of documents report, 1979 |
|
Folder 36 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - proposal for a high-intensity short-burst electron linear accelerator, undated |
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Folder 37 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - publications, undated |
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Folder 38 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - questionnaire, undated |
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Folder 39 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - Records Management, undated |
| Box 3 |
Folder 40 |
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) - technical notebooks, undated |
|
Folder 1 |
Zero Gradient Synchrotron (ZGS) - document copies (1 of 2), undated |
|
Folder 2 |
Zero Gradient Synchrotron (ZGS) - document copies (2 of 2), undated |
|
Folder 3 |
Joan Bromberg, undated |
|
Folder 4 |
Nicholas C. Christofilos, undated |
|
Folder 5 |
Meyer H. Fishbein, undated |
|
Folder 7 |
"From Military Research to Big Science: Lloyd Berkner and Science-Statesmanship in the Postwar Era" in Big Science: The Growth of Large-Scale Research, 1989 |
|
Folder 8 |
Gertrude Goldhaber, undated |
|
Folder 9 |
G. Kenneth Green, undated |
|
Folder 10 |
Richard G. Hewlett, undated |
|
Folder 11 |
Roger H. Hildebrand, undated |
|
Folder 12 |
Hydrogen bomb - secrecy, undated |
|
Folder 13 |
J. B. H. Kuper, 1977 |
|
Folder 14 |
Alexander Langsdorf, 1979 |
|
Folder 15 |
Miscellaneous document copies re: nuclear and high energy density (HED) physics at national laboratories, undated |
|
Folder 16 |
Scientific American articles and notes, undated |
|
Folder 17 |
Arthur H. Snell, undated |
|
Folder 18 |
G. Vineyard - project recommendations, undated |
|
Folder 19 |
W. W. Watson, undated |
|
Folder 20 |
Spencer Weart, undated |
|
Folder 21 |
Alvin M. Weinberg, undated |
|
Folder 22 |
Bruce R. Wheaton, undated |
|
Folder 23 |
Eugene P. Wigner, undated |
|
Folder 24 |
D. F. Wood interviews - Norm Hilberry, undated |
|
Folder 25 |
D. F. Wood interviews - Milt Levenson, undated |
|
Folder 26 |
D. F. Wood interviews - Walter Zinn, undated |
|
Folder 27 |
A. Zucker - Associate Director, undated |
| Box 3 |
Folder 28 |
American Institute of Physics (AIP) - correspondence and papers, undated |
|
Folder 29 |
Chapter II: The Wartime Origins of the National Laboratories, undated |
|
Folder 30 |
Final project report and recommendations to the Department of Energy (DOE), undated |
|
Folder 31 |
Final Report - "A study of preservation of documents at Department of Energy national laboratories", 1982 |
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Folder 32 |
Other history documentation projects, undated |
|
Folder 33 |
"The Preservation of Historical Records of Scientific Research under the Federal Government" - report, 1979 |
|
Folder 34 |
Workshop on the History of Postwar Big Science, 1988 |
