Finding Aid to the Patrick McCray research material for his book, Giant Telescopes, 1904-2003

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.

Biographical Note

Professor, Department of History, UC Santa Barbara. Research interests: the confluence of science and technology with politics and popular culture; technology during the Cold War (nuclear and space-related).

Scope and Contents of Collection

This collection contains correspondence, reports, notes, press items and clippings and other research material assembled and created by McCray while writing his book Giant Telescopes: astronomical ambition and the promise of technology (Harvard University Press, 2004). Topics and individuals discussed in these files include: Gemini 8M Telescope Project; other large telescopes such as the Next Generation Telescope (NGT) and National New Technology Telescope (NNTT); observatories and organizations such as Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML), National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA); government funding of telescope construction by the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences; and developments in astronomy and telescope construction.

Organization and Arrangement of Collection

The collection is organized into six series:

• Series I: Gemini 8M Telescope Project
• Series II: Next Generation Telescope (NGT) and National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
• Series III: Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML)
• Series IV: Telescopes
• Series V: Astronomy
• Series VI: Miscellaneous

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.

Provenance and Acquisition Information

Gift of Patrick McCray, 2007.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Melanie J. Brown in 2009.

Preferred Citation of Collection

Box [number], Folder [number], Patrick McCray research material for his book, Giant Telescopes, 1904-2003. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, College Park, MD 20740, USA.

Container List

Series I: Gemini 8M Telescope Project
Box 1	Folder 1	Gemini Project - U.S. politics (formal and informal) regarding Gemini, 1983-1993
	Folder 2	Gemini - mirror selection (with index) (1 of 2), 1985-1993
	Folder 3	Gemini - mirror selection (with index) (2 of 2), 1985-1993
	Folder 4	Gemini - international collaboration: United Kingdom and Canada, 1987-2001
	Folder 5	Gemini - forums on "megascience" (with index), 1988-1992
	Folder 6	Gemini management - board and committee meeting minutes, 1990-1993
	Folder 7	Gemini - project management - correspondence and reports, 1990-2001
	Folder 8	Gemini - "Science" requirements, science/design issues, 1991-1996
	Folder 9	Gemini board meeting book, November 1992
	Folder 10	Gemini - international collaboration: South America and Australia, 1992-2002
	Folder 11	Gemini 8M Telescope Project - materials for the Gemini oversight committee, May 1993
	Folder 12	Gemini project - telescope instrumentation, 1993-2002
Box 2	Folder 1	Gemini 8M Telescope Project - papers submitted to SPIE 1994 Symposium on Astromonmical Telescope and Instrumentation for the 21st Century (RPT-PS-60029), March 1994
	Folder 2	Gemini - board meeting minutes, 1994-1998
	Folder 3	Gemini - telescopes - management issues and tools, 1995-2001
	Folder 4	Gemini - miscellaneous documents, 1996-1997
	Folder 5	Gemini - miscellaneous material, 1999-2002
	Folder 6	Gemini finding aids, 2000
	Folder 7	Gemini - science results (press releases, reports), 2000-2002
	Folder 8	List of Gemini and telescope documents at National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Astronomical Sciences, 2001

Series II: Next Generation Telescope (NGT) and National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)
Box 2	Folder 9	Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) - history and establishment, National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) - miscellaneous press, 1992-2000
	Folder 10	Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) - "X"-inch project, 1953; undated
	Folder 11	Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) telescopes - 150", 80", 1965; undated
	Folder 12	Next Generation Telescope (NGT) to National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - primary material and notes (w/index), 1975-1987
	Folder 13	Next Generation Telescope (NGT) - technology development program, 1977
	Folder 14	NSF proposal - "The Palantir": a concept for a 25M telescope - Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), January 1977
	Folder 15	Next Generation Telescope (NGT) report #2 - a concept for a 25M telescope - the rotating shoe array, Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), May 1977
	Folder 16	Next Generation Telescope (NGT), National New Technology Telescope (NNTT), Gemini - miscellaneous documents (w/index), 1977-1993
	Folder 17	Next Generation Telescope (NGT) to National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - technology articles, staff publications and news updates, 1978-1988
	Folder 18	Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) 2M Advanced Technology Telescope (ATT), 1979
	Folder 19	Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) - additional newletters, 1979-1992
	Folder 20	Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), Gemini - newsletters, 1980-1994
	Folder 21	National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - status report, April 1983
	Folder 22	National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) Scientific Advisory Committee meeting #s 5, 6, and 7, November 1983-January 1984
	Folder 23	Consultant notes from National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) Scientific Advisory Committee technology assessment workshops, 1984
Box 3	Folder 1	Larry Barr files - notes on National New Technology Telescope (NNTT)/National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) 8M telescope, 1998, 1977-1986
	Folder 2	National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) - technology development program - Report number 3 - notes on the NNTT design workshop, 1982
	Folder 3	Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)/National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) - correspondence, minutes, reports (w/index) (1 of 2), 1983-1999
	Folder 4	Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA)/National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) - correspondence, minutes, reports (w/index) (2 of 2), 1983-1999
	Folder 5	National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) - report of the National New Technology Telescope (NNTT) Scientific Advisory Committee, December 1984
	Folder 6	National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) 8M telescopes - executive summary and scientific programs, 1989
	Folder 7	National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) 8M telescopes - technical description, September 1989

Series III: Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML)
Box 3	Folder 8	Mirror Lab - popular press, articles, 1977-2002
	Folder 9	Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML) proposals of the 1980s (NSF, AURA, KPNO, NOAO), 1981-1989
	Folder 10	Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML) - publications, 1981-2001
	Folder 11	University of Arizona Steward - Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML) - proposal for the fabrication of telescope primary mirror blanks for the Gemini project, June 1992
	Folder 12	Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML) project - internal reports and documents, 1982-1989
	Folder 13	Steward Observatory Mirror Lab (SOML) - press releases, news and popular articles, 1987-1998

Series IV: Telescopes
Box 3	Folder 14	Lick Observatory 120" telescope, undated
	Folder 15	Telescopes - Hale 200" - papers by Ritchy Hale, 1904-2001
	Folder 16	Papers on large telescopes - demand, issues, general design, reviews, panel discussions (1 of 2), 1961-2002
Box 4	Folder 1	Papers on large telescopes - demand, issues, general design, reviews, panel discussions (2 of 2), 1961-2002
	Folder 2	Canadian Queen Elizabeth II (QE2) 157" telescope, 1964-1968; undated
	Folder 3	Corning Glass Works astronomical telescopes, 1965
	Folder 4	Telescopes - computers, data handling, automation, 1967-2001
	Folder 5	Telescopes - site selection, Hawaii and Mt. Graham, 1968-2001
	Folder 6	Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT) - upgrade, 1970-2002
	Folder 7	Telescopes - Soviet 6M, 1977-1992
	Folder 8	Keck Telescope, University of California (UC) 10M telescope, UC Segmented Mirror Telescope (SMT) - tech development, 1978-1998
	Folder 9	Multiple Mirror Telescope (MMT) - the MMT and the future of ground-based astronomy (Special Report number 385), May 1979
	Folder 10	Telescopes - technical literature (A-L), 1980-1999
	Folder 11	Telescopes - technical literature (M-Z), 1980-1999
	Folder 12	National Science Foundation (NSF) development program for a national 15M telescope, 1981
	Folder 13	Mirrors and telescopes - commercial interest, 1982-2000
	Folder 14	European Southern Observatory (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT), 1983-1998
	Folder 15	University of Texas (Astronomy, number 22) - report of the optical conference on the 7.6M telescope, March 1992, May 1984
	Folder 16	Telescopes - Subaru project, 1984-1999
	Folder 17	Telescopes - Large Binocular Telescope (LBT), 1985-1998
	Folder 18	Hubble Space Telescope, 1985-1999
	Folder 19	Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT), Southern Observatory for Astrophysical Research (SOAR), Wisconsin Indiana Yale NOAO (WIYN) telescope, Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC), and Starfire Optical Range (SOR) 3.5M, 1986-1998
	Folder 20	Telescopes - miscellaneous material and news, 1986-2002
	Folder 21	Science and Engineering Research Council - astronomy and planetary science board - report of the large telescope panel, 1987
	Folder 22	National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal - making large borosilicate glass honeycomb mirrors for astronomical telescopes, 1987
	Folder 23	National Science Foundation (NSF) proposal - casting and polishing telescope mirrors, 1989
Box 5	Folder 1	William Herschel Telescope - La Palma, 1990
	Folder 2	Telescopes - Magellan, 1994-2001
	Folder 3	California Extremely Large Telescope (CELT), Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT), Overwhelmingly Large Telescope (OWL) - press, 1998-2002

Series V: Astronomy
Box 5	Folder 4	Astronomy - detectors and Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs), 1955-2001
	Folder 5	Astronomy - "practice" and use of telescopes, 1972-2002
	Folder 6	History of astronomy - funding and policy, 1972-2003
	Folder 7	Astronomy - publication, citation, productivity papers, 1980-2001
	Folder 8	Astronomy - policy papers and reports, 1990-1999
	Folder 9	Astronomy - visibility and publicity, 1994-2001

Series VI: Miscellaneous
Box 5	Folder 10	R. Gehrz - personal/working file material, University of Minnesota (w/index), 1976-1983
	Folder 11	Adaptive optics (1 of 2), 1978-2002
	Folder 12	Adaptive optics (2 of 2), 1978-2002
	Folder 13	U.S. science policy and funding (general), 1980s through 1990s, 1980-2000
	Folder 14	United Kingdom science - background, 1982-2001
	Folder 15	Richard Ellis - personal papers on various topics (w/index), 1986-1995
	Folder 16	European Southern Observatory (ESO) - general, 1988-2002
	Folder 17	National Academy of Science (NAS) - McKee-Taylor decadal survey, 2000, 1999-2001
	Folder 18	Guides to primary documents and finding aids, 2001; undated
	Folder 19	National Academy of Science (NAS) - blue ribbon panel, 2001
	Folder 20	Sloan Digital Sky Survey, 2001