Finding Aid to the Elmer Hutchisson papers, 1919-1981Niels Bohr Library & Archives 1.0 American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library & Archives
One Physics Ellipse College Park, MD 20740 USA nbl@aip.org
2008 Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Melanie J. Brown in Novemner 2007. Any revisions made to this finding aid occurred as part of the editing and encoding process. Finding aid is written in English Description of the CollectionHutchisson, Elmer, 1902- Elmer Hutchisson papers, 1919-1981. American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. 2.5 linear feet1 flat manuscript box, 2 records boxes, 1 tape/card box AR121 English This collection includes personal and professional correspondence, instruments and a scrapbook of professional accomplishments and papers. 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.

Alvarez, Luis W., 1911- Bromley, D. Allan (David Allan), 1926- Compton, Walter Dale. Condon, Edward Uhler, 1902-1974. Darrow, Karl K. (Karl Kelchner), 1891- Fowler, William A. Hutchisson, Elmer, 1902- Miller, Dayton Clarence, 1866-1941. Schrödinger, Erwin, 1887-1961 Williams, Van Zandt, 1916-1966. American Institute of Physics. Case Institute of Technology. Center for History of Physics (American Institute of Physics) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. University of Minnesota. University of Pittsburgh. Physics. Study and teaching. Biographical Note

Elmer Hutchisson was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1902. He completed his B.S. degree at Case School of Applied Sciences in 1923, his M.S. at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1924, and his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics at the University of Minnesota in 1926. He studied with Edwin Schrödinger at the University of Berlin, Germany in 1929-30. He was on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh from 1926 to 1944. From 1941 to 1944, he took a leave of absence from Pittsburgh to administer research on underwater warfare for the Office of Scientific Research and Development of the U.S. National Defense Research Committee. In 1944, he became dean of the faculty at Case Institute of Technology and in 1955, dean of the graduate school and director of the research division there. He served as acting president of Case from 1950 to 1952.

Hutchisson succeeded Henry Barton as director of the American Institute of Physics in 1957. He had previously served as assistant director in 1936-37 while on a leave from the University of Pittsburgh. At that time, he also founded and became editor of the Journal of Applied Physics.

Hutchisson's publications include original research in physics, works on physics education, numerous reports, and editorials in the Journal of Applied Physics. Reprints of a number of these publications are located in his scrapbook.

Hutchisson retired as director of the AIP in October 1964, but continued to take an active interest in its activities. He corresponded frequently with AIP personnel and wrote The Story of the AIP, 1956-1966 after his retirement. He was asked in 1972 to chair the Council of the Friends of the Niels Bohr Library, an ad-hoc fundraising committee.

Scope and Contents of Collection

The collection includes Hutchisson’s correspondence and records from 1919-1974, which he had bound in chronological order. The files for 1964 were particularly large since that was the year of his retirement. The collection also contains Hutchisson’s files from his involvement with the Council of the Friends of the Niels Bohr Library, an ad hoc committee responsible for a fundraising campaign in the early 1970s. Certain physicists were selected to be on the Council and all other physicists were asked to donate money and become a “Friend” of the Center for History of Physics. Series II documents Hutchisson’s efforts from phase I and phase II of this fundraising drive. Phase I was a general mail solicitation to all American physicists. Phase II was a targeted campaign of at least 100 individuals who were able to make annual contributions in the $500 to $5000 range. The scrapbook contains reprints of Elmer Hutchisson’s papers and newspaper and magazine clippings of his professional accomplishments.

 Organization and Arrangement of Collection

Organized into the following series:

Series I: Correspondence and records Series II: Council of Friends Committee Series III: Instruments Series IV: Scrapbook

This collection is arranged chronologically within each series.

 Access to Collection

Researchers must have an approved access application on file in order to access archival materials. http://www.aip.org/history/nbl/access.html.

 Restrictions on Use of Collection

Provenance and Acquisition Information

This collection was donated to the Niels Bohr Library and Archives by Rose V. Hutchisson in 1985 and Esther Hudson in 1993.

 Processing Information

Lara D'Agaro Novemner 2007.

Preferred Citation of Collection

Box [number], Folder [number], Elmer Hutchisson papers, 1919-1981. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, College Park, MD 20740, USA.

 Container List Series I: Correspondence and records 11 Correspondence and records, 1919-1935 12 Correspondence and records, 1919-1935 13 Correspondence and records, 1936-1944 14 Correspondence and records, 1936-1944 15 Correspondence and records, 1945-1957 16 Correspondence and records, 1945-1957 17 Correspondence and records, 1958-1963 18 Correspondence and records, 1958-1963 19 Correspondence and records, 1964 110 Correspondence and records, 1964 111 Correspondence and records, 1965-1967 112 Correspondence and records, 1965-1967 113 Correspondence and records, 1965-1967 114 Correspondence and records, 1965-1967 115 Correspondence and records, 1965-1971 116 Correspondence and records, 1965-1971 117 Correspondence and records, 1972-1973 118 Correspondence and records, 1974-1979 21 American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library miscellaneous physicists collection file, 1923-1929, 1941, 1964 and 1981 22 Hutchisson, Elmer, "The Energy of the Crossed-Orbit Model of the Hydrogen Molecule and the Theory of the Temperature Variation of the Specific Heat of Hydrogen," thesis, June 1926 23 Science knowledge and education subject file, reprints, 1933-1968 and undated 24 Members of the physics staff at the University of Pittsburgh, "An Outline of Atomic Physics", 1933 25 Lackwood, Oswald and Elmer Hutchisson, "A Manual for Experimental Physics", 1934 26 Tribute to Dr. Elmer Hutchisson from Case Institute of Technology, 1957 27 Photographs of Prince Phillip’s visit to the American Institute of Physics, photocopies, circa 1957 28 Saturday Review, February 1958 29 Honorary membership to Sigma Pi Sigma, plaque, October 1962 210 Friends of the Niels Bohr Library of the History of Physics fundraising kit, 1963 211 “The Impending Crisis in Scientific Information,” lecture, 1968 212 Notes on the life of Elmer Hutchisson, an interview conducted by Charles Weiner, transcript, 1970 213 The need for the history of physics subject file, 1971-1972 214 American Institute of Physics headquarters at Friar’s Club, New York City, photocopies, undated 215 Hutchisson, Elmer, The Story of the AIP 1956-1966, with pen corrections, undated Series II: Council of Friends Committee 216 Council of Friends formation, 1972 217 Council of Friends responses, 1972 218 Council of Friends questionnaire, 1972 219 Phase I fundraising correspondence and records, February-March 1972 and undated 220 Phase I fundraising correspondence and records, April-May 1972 221 Phase I fundraising correspondence and records, June-July 1972 222 Phase I fundraising correspondence and records, August-September 1972 223 Phase I fundraising correspondence and records, October-November 1972 224 Phase II fundraising correspondence and records, December 1972 225 Phase II fundraising correspondence and records, 1973 Series III: Instruments 31 Proportional divider, undated 32 Drafting tool set, undated 33 Compensating planimeter, undated Series IV: Scrapbook 41 Scrapbook, 1924-1972