The William V. Houston Personal Papers document his personal life and academic career beginning with his university education at Ohio State and University of Chicago in 1925, and continuing with his studies in Munich and Leipzig during 1927 and 1928 and his work at the California Institute of Technology from 1928 until he accepted the presidency of Rice Institute in 1946. Houston accepted the position at Rice with the proviso that he could continue both teaching and research in physics. After his retirement in 1962, he became president of the American Physical Society. The collection also documents his work with the Research and Development Board of the Dept. of Defense, Naval Research Laboratory on the Synchroton, and the Office of Scientific Research and Development. Houston's major research interests were in the fields of spectroscopy, theory of solid state, quantum mechanics, and superconductivity. The papers consist of correspondence, lecture notes, notebooks, appointment books, speeches, drafts, essays, clippings and various printed materials.