The Department of Physics Records document
physics research and teaching at Oregon State University as well as the KOAC
radio station which was established and initially housed within the department.
The records include correspondence, project reports, faculty research,
curriculum materials, and documents pertaining to the functioning of the
department.
Funding for encoding this
finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for
the Humanities.
Historical Note
The Department of Physics was established in 1908 with Dr. Willibald
Weniger hired as Assistant Professor to teach the four courses offered in
physics. Prior to 1908, courses on physics were offered by several different
academic departments including the Department of Chemistry, Physics, Geology,
and Minerology, and the Department of Physics, History, and Latin. Initially
housed in Apperson Hall, the department relocated to the newly constructed
Covell Hall in 1928 and moved again in 1962 to the Physics-Chemistry Building
(now Weniger Hall). Expanding the number and range of classes after 1908 to
eventually form the core of an undergraduate degree program, the department
began to offer graduate-level courses in physics in 1926.
Content Description
Given differences in the series designations and date ranges between the
paper and microfilm records in this group, the microfilm reels are described
separately below and in the inventory.
General correspondence on microfilm consists of reports to the
President's Office and letters and memoranda pertaining to research projects,
equipment, professional organizations, general administrative operations, and
the Photo Services Unit. Series II on microfilm consists of materials
pertaining to KOAC radio licenses and applications, equipment, budget, and
radio talks by department members.
In the paper records, Series I consists largely of correspondence
covering the years 1969 to 1974, picking up where the microfilm records end and
pertaining to department faculty, research equipment and facilities, and
administrative matters with other OSU departments and colleges. Series II
contains correspondence, memoranda, and blank forms covering the years 1957 to
1973 and pertains to procedural guidelines for curriculum development and
instruction. Series III consists of proposals for scientific research, renewal
requests for approved research projects, and final reports dating from 1966 to
1974. Series IV consists of minutes from Physics Dept. staff and graduate
student meetings. Series V primarily consists of flyers for seminar
presentations and lectures by professors and researchers from OSU and other
universities.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation :
Department of Physics Records (RG 37), Oregon State University Archives,
Corvallis, Oregon.
Administrative Information
Arrangement :
Organized into two series for the microfilm records: 1. General
Correspondence and 2. College Radio Development and Administration; and five
series for the paper records: 1. Correspondence; 2. Curriculum
Policies/Procedures; 3. Research Proposals, Renewals, and Final Reports; 4.
Minutes; and 5. Lectures and Informational Materials.
Related Materials :
The Physics Department Photographs (P 78) consist primarily of images of
the construction of Weniger Hall. The Archives holdings also include the
personal papers of two Physics Department faculty members: the David P.
Nicodemus Papers and the Willibald Weniger Papers (MSS) and Photographic
Collection (P 81). The KOAC Records (RG 15) include more extensive materials
pertaining to the establishment and functioning of KOAC radio. The College of
Science Records (RG 24) contain reports and other materials pertaining to the
Physics Department.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series I: General
Correspondence, 1909-1974
Container(s)
Description
1909-1946
Reel
Folder
1
1
Possible Value &
Organization Problems, 1909-1910
1
2
Possible Value &
Organization Problems, 1913-1914
1
3
Report to the
President, 1914-1915
1
4
Lab Record, 1919-1920
1
5
Report to the
President, 1921-1922
Report to the President's
Office
Reel
Folder
1
6
1922-1923
1
7
1923-1924
1
8
1924-1928
1
9
Dean Smith, 1924-1925
1
10
Reports to the
President's Office, 1924-1925
1
11
Catalog
Material, 1925-1926
1
12
Seismograph, 1925-1928
1
13
Reports to the
President's Office, 1925-1926
1
14
Graduate
Students, 1926
1
15
Special Problems,
technical, 1926-1927
Reports to the
Presidents' Office
Reel
Folder
1
16
1926-1927
1
17
1927-1929
2
18
Building, 1927-1928
2
19
President's
Office, 1929-1930
2
20
Dean Smith's
Office, 1929-1930
2
21
Dean Smith, 1930-1932
2
22
Reports to the
President's Office, 1931-1932
2
23
Oregon College Physics
Conference, 1931-1934
2
24
Seminar, 1932-1934
2
25
Dean E.L.
Packard, 1933-1934
2
26
Vinyard, Harold
Roth, 1936-1944
2
27
Brady, James
Joseph, 1937-1944
2
28
Flatsheet
Micro-photographic Camera, 1941
2
29
Administrative
Council, 1942-1943
2
30
Administrative Council:
Information Re: Army Physics, 1945-1946
2
31
Administrative Council:
Information Re: Navy Physics, 1945-1946
1947-1948
Reel
Folder
2
1
Seminar
2
2
War Surplus,
General
2
3
War Surplus
2
4
W -
Miscellaneous
2
5
Vanport, Extension
Center
2
6
U -
Miscellaneous
2
7
Teaching of
Physics
2
8
T -
Miscellaneous
2
9
Staff
2
10
Scientific Personnel
Bulletin (Office of Naval Research)
2
11
Science
Curricula
2
12
S -
Miscellaneous
2
13
Registrar's
Office
2
14
Recommendations
Miscellaneous
Reel
Folder
2
15
R
2
16
P
2
17
Oregon Academy of
Science
2
18
U.S. Navy - Office of
Naval Research
2
19
O -
Miscellaneous
2
20
New Building
2
21
Navy Project
Miscellaneous
Reel
Folder
2
22
N
2
23
Mc
2
24
Meteorology
2
25
M -
Miscellaneous
2
26
Library
2
27
L -
Miscellaneous
2
28
KOAC
2
29
Kerr Memorial
Books
2
30
Jobs
2
31
J -
Miscellaneous
2
32
Instruction,
General
2
33
H -
Miscellaneous
2
34
Gifts
2
35
General Extension
Center
2
36
G -
Miscellaneous
2
37
Faculty Men's
Club
2
38
F -
Miscellaneous
2
39
Education
2
40
Faculty
Council
Miscellaneous
Reel
Folder
2
41
E
2
42
D
2
43
Corvallis Engineering
Club
2
44
Century Club
2
45
C -
Miscellaneous
2
46
Business
Office
2
47
B -
Miscellaneous
2
48
American Physical
Society
3
49
American Institute of
Physics
3
50
American Association of
Physics Teachers
3
51
Albany Lab. - U.S. Bureau
of Mines
3
52
A -
Miscellaneous
3
53
Seismograph
1948-1949
Reel
Folder
3
54
Yunker, E.A., Letters
written by
3
55
War Surplus
3
56
W -
Miscellaneous
3
57
Vanport Extension
Center
Miscellaneous
Reel
Folder
3
58
V
3
59
U
3
60
T
3
61
Surplus Reserve
Inventory
3
62
Staff
3
63
Seminar Talks
3
64
Schedule Data
3
65
S -
Miscellaneous
3
66
Registrar's
Office
3
67
Dempster, R.R., Letters
Written by
3
68
Recommendations
3
69
R -
Miscellaneous
3
70
Questionnaires
3
71
Physics
Majors
Miscellaneous
Reel
Folder
3
72
P
3
73
O
3
74
Navy Project
Miscellaneous
Reel
Folder
3
75
N
3
76
Mc
3
77
Microfilm
Camera
3
78
Meteorology
Miscellaneous
Reel
Folder
3
79
M
3
80
L
3
81
K
3
82
J
3
83
H
3
84
Gifts
Miscellaneous
Reel
Folder
3
85
G
3
86
F
3
87
Equipment
Miscellaneous
Reel
Folder
3
88
E
3
89
D
3
90
Cycl. Project
3-2751
3
91
Cyclotron
3
92
Catalog
3
93
Campus
Communism
3
94
C -
Miscellaneous
3
95
Business
Office
Biology
Colloquium
Reel
Folder
3
96
Publicity
3
97
Letters
3
98
B -
Miscellaneous
3
99
American Association of
Physics Teachers
3
100
Industrial Accidents
Commission
3
101
A -
Miscellaneous
3
102
Physical
Plant
3
103
Dempster, R.R., Letters
written by
3
104
Seismograph
1949-1950
Reel
Folder
3
1
Seismograph
3
2
High school Senior
Day
3
3
Atomic
Physics
3
4
Radio-Isotopes
Comm.
3
5
Spectrograph
3
6
Cyclotron
3
7
Mass
Spectrometer, 1950-1960
1950-1951
Reel
Folder
3
8
Seismograph
3
9
Navy Project
3
10
Presidents
office
3
11
War Emergency
Seismograph
Reel
Folder
3
12
1952-1953
3
13
1949-1956
3
14
Signal Corps
Project, 1954
1954-1955
Reel
Folder
3
15
Seismograph
3
16
Signal Corps Project
(Meso meteorology)
3
17
Schedule Data
3
18
Signal Corps
3
19
Seminar Talks
3
20
Dempster,
R.R.
1955-1956
Reel
Folder
3
21
Decker, F.W.
4
21
Decker, F.W.
4
22
Meetings, Programs,
etc.
4
23
Day, J.A.
Electron
Microscope
Reel
Folder
4
24
1955-1956
4
25
1956-1957
4
26
1957-1958
4
27
Signal Corps - Course
Prep. at Fort Huachuca, 1957-1958