Finding Aid to the Bergen Davis notebooks, 1898-1912.Niels Bohr Library & Archives 1.0 American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library & Archives
One Physics Ellipse College Park, MD 20740 USA nbl@aip.org
2009 Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Melanie J. Brown in 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 CollectionDavis, Bergen, Bergen Davis notebooks, 1898-1912. American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. 1.75 linear feet3 manuscript boxes, 1 half manuscript box AR245 English Student notebooks and experimental notebooks from Bergen Davis. 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.

Davis, Bergen, 1869-1958. Hallock, William. Larmor, Joseph, Sir, b.1857. Pupin, Michael Idvorsky, 1858-1935 Reiche, Carl V. E. Stokes, George Gabriel, Sir, 1819-1903. Voigt, Woldemar, 1850-1919. Weber, R. G. Woodward, Robert Simpson, 1849-1924. Cavendish Laboratory (Cambridge, England) Columbia University Universität Göttingen. Electrodynamics. Hydrodynamics. Magnetism. Thermodynamics. Biographical Note

Bergen Davis (1869—1958) attended Rutgers College, where he earned his B.S. degree in 1896. He then attended Columbia University, studying with Drs. Robert S. Woodward and Ogden N. Rood. He earned his degree of Master of Arts in physics in 1900, and in 1901 began an appointment as Assistant in Physics at Columbia. He earned his Ph.D. in physics from Columbia in 1901, then went overseas to study in Gottingen with Reiche and Cavendish Laboratory with J.J. Thomson. He returned to Columbia in 1903 as Tutor in Physics, and held appointments as Instructor from 1907 to 1909, as Adjunct Professor from 1909 to 1913, as Associate Professor from 1913 to 1919, and as Professor of Physics from 1919 until his retirement in 1939, when he was appointed Professor Emeritus of Physics. He was known for his work in X-rays, ionization and discharge through gases. [condensed from "A Biographical Memoir," by Harold W. Webb]

Scope and Contents of Collection

Student notebooks and experimental notebooks. The student notebooks (1899-1905) consist of lecture and laboratory notes taken by Davis while a student at Columbia University, the University of Göttingen, and Cambridge University's Cavendish Laboratory. Courses and professors at Columbia University include Mechanics, taught by Robert S. Woodward; Light Theory, by William Hallock; and Electronics and Magnetism, by Michael I. Pupin. At the University of Göttingen courses included Mechanics, taught by R.G. Weber; Basic Mechanics and Magnetism, taught by Woldemar Voigt; and Electric Phenomena, by Carl V.E. Reicke, as well as other courses (teachers unidentified) on thermodynamics, the theory of gases, and electric phenomena in gases. At the Cavendish Laboratory courses included Electrodynamics, taught by Sir Joseph Larmor, and Hydrodynamics by Sir George Stokes. The experimental notebooks (1899-1900) are for work done while a research fellow at Columbia University in the fields of electricity and magnetism, electron dynamics, and circuit equations.

 Organization and Arrangement of Collection

This collection is organized in a single series:

Series I: Notebooks

This series is arranged chronologically.

 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

 Processing Information

Lara D'Agaro 2007.

Preferred Citation of Collection

Box [number], Folder [number], Bergen Davis notebooks, 1899-1912. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, College Park, MD 20740, USA.

 Container List Series I: Notebooks 11 Vector analysis, Dr. Little, copied from B.G. Nutting, 1898 12 Mechanics 10, Professor Woodward, 1899 13 Mechanics 10, Professor Woodward, 1900 14 Undulatory theory of light, Professor Hallock, 1900 15 Mechanics 11: potential functions, volume 1, 1900 16 Mechanics 14: electricity and magnetism, Professor Michael I. Pupin, volume 1, 1900 17 Mechanics 14: electricity and magnetism, Professor Michael I. Pupin, volume 2, 1900-1901 18 Elementary mechanics, Professor Woldemar Voigt, volume 2, 1901 21 Mechanics 11: potential functions, volume 2, 1901 22 Description of experiments, 1901 23 The motion of fluids, 1901-1902 24 Warm theorie, 1901-1902 25 Electric phenomena, Professor Carl V.E. Reicke, 1902 26 Electro-dynamics, Sir Joseph Larmor, 1902 27 Experiments with gases, 1902-1903 28 Gas theory, Sir Joseph Larmor, 1903 29 Dynamics of the electron, Professor M.I. Pupin, 1905 31 Dynamics of the electron, Professor M.I. Pupin, part II, 1905 32 Warmelehre, Professor Woldemar Voigt, 1912 33 Warmelehre, Professor Woldemar Voigt, volume 2, 1912 34 Circuit equations, Professor M.I. Pupin, undated 35 Discharge through gases, undated 36 Electrical phenomena in gases, Professor Kaufmann, undated 37 Electricity and magnetism, undated 38 Electricity and magnetism notes, undated 39 Electrochemistry, Professor Walther Nernst, undated 310 Examination notes in theoretical physics, undated 311 Experimental notebook, undated 41 Hydrodynamics, Sir George Stokes, undated 42 Hydrodynamics, Sir George Stokes, undated 43 Magnetism, Professor Woldemar Voigt, undated 44 Mathematics of electric radiation, Sir Joseph Larmor, undated 45 Theory of gases, undated