HUGFP 94.xx
Kistiakowsky, George B. (George Bogdan), 1900- Papers of George B. Kistiakowsky : an inventory
Harvard University Archives
Harvard University
©President and Fellows of Harvard College, 2001
Repository:
Harvard University Archives
Cambridge, MA 02138
Title: Papers of George B. Kistiakowsky, ca. 1928-1932 (inclusive)
Quantity:
32.8 cubic feet in 95 containers
Call No.: HUGFP 94
Creator:
Kistiakowsky, George B. (George Bogdan), 1900-1982.
Abstract: George B. Kistiakowsky (1900-1982) was a Ukrainian-born American chemist. He was not only a renowned in academic circles, but was also a consultant, defense researcher, and public policy advisor. Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University, Kistiakowsky was also a participant in the development of the atomic bomb known as the Manhattan Project, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in later years, a political activist, most notably concerned with the arms race. These papers document Kistiakowsky's academic, consulting, and public policy activities.
Note:
This document last updated 2004 November 16.
Language of materials:
English.
Council for a Livable World.
Harvard University. Dept. of Chemistry -- Faculty.
Manhattan Project (U.S.).
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.) Committee on Science and Public Policy.
United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development. National Defense Research Committee.
United States. President's Science Advisory Committee.
Arms control.
Chemistry -- Study and teaching.
Science and state -- United States.
Science -- Political aspects -- United States.
Lectures.
Minutes.
Technical reports.
Science consultants.
- General Correspondence
- Consulting Services and Board Memberships
- President's Science Advisory Committee
- National Academy of Sciences
- Vietnam War
- Council for a Livable World
- Letters of Recommendation
- Advisees, Graduate Students, and Postdoctoral Fellows
- Speeches, Publications, and Meetings
- Course Materials
George Bogdan Kistiakowsky ( 1917-1982 ) was a Ukrainian-born American chemist. He was not only a renowned in academic circles, but was also a consultant, defense researcher, and public policy advisor. Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Chemistry at Harvard University, Kistiakowsky was also a participant in the development of the atomic bomb known as the Manhattan Project, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and in later years, a political activist, most notably concerned with the arms race as an advocate for banning nuclear weapons.
Kistiakowsky was born in Kiev, Ukraine (then a province of Russia) on November 18, 1900. He attended private schools in Kiev and Moscow until the revolutionary events of 1917 disrupted his education. After serving as soldier in the White Russian Army and spending a year in the concentration camps of Turkey and the Balkans, Kistiakowsky finally found refuge in Germany, where he attended the University of Berlin .
He studied physical chemistry under Max Bodenstein and received his doctorate in 1925. In the following year, Kistiakowsky came to the United States on an International Education Board Fellowship. After teaching at Princeton for two years, he joined the Harvard faculty as an assistant professor of chemistry in 1930.
His work in the fields of thermodynamics, spectroscopy, and chemical kinetics brought him involvement as a military researcher, corporate consultant, and policy advisor. At the same time, he remained actively engaged in academia. He rose to the rank of professor in 1938, chaired the Department of Chemistry from 1947 to 1950, and maintained a busy schedule of teaching and research until his retirement in 1971.
During the World War II, influenced by James B. Conant, President of Harvard University, Kistiakowsky served as chief of the Explosives Division of the National Defense Research Committee . In 1944 , he was recruited to join the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, where he was responsible for designing the triggering device that used conventional explosives to detonate the atomic bomb.
In the postwar years, he became a member of several military advisory boards in Washington. Between 1957 and 1964, he served on the President's Science Advisory Committee and was Special Assistant to the President for the Science and Technology from 1959 to 1961. Kistiakowsky was also a member of the U.S. delegation in Geneva during 1958, when the two superpowers discussed ways to reduce the danger of surprise nuclear attack.
Increasingly concerned with public policy issues, he worked to influence the allocation of government resources through his participation in the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Kistiakowsky served as chairman of its Committee on Science and Public Policy (COSPUP) from 1962 to 1965, then as vice-president of NAS from 1965 to 1973.
At first he worked within channels to influence policy, but he became less and less sanguine about prospects that administrations in Washington would heed voices of dissent. In 1968, in protest against the course of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, Kistiakowsky severed his connections with the Pentagon . He shifted his efforts to electoral campaigns and advocacy group politics. After his retirement, he devoted himself even more fully to political activism. From 1977 until his death in 1982, he served as chairman of Council for Livable World , campaigning to de-escalate the arms race and reorient the domestic political agenda.
Kistiakowsky received much recognition for his role as a scientist and as a citizen. He was the recipient of numerous honorary degrees and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Joseph Priestly Award of the American Chemical Society. His presence on many boards, including his positions as director of Itek Corporation and Cabot Corporation attest to his prominence. He died on December 7, 1982.
This collection documents Kistiakowsky's professional and public life as teacher, researcher, policy advisor, and political activist. The General Correspondence Series is the major series in the collection and should be consulted by researchers interested in any of the many facets of Kistiakowsky's public life.
Permission of third party is required for viewing the Papers of George Bogdan Kistiakowsky held by the Harvard University Archives. See Reference staff for details. These restrictions may change in 2007.
Permission of third party is required for photocopying and quoting from the Papers of George Bogdan Kistiakowsky held by the Harvard University Archives. See Reference staff for details. These restrictions may change in 2007.
Gift of Mrs. George Kistiakowsky.
Accession number 11261; received 1987 October 21.
Accession number 11354; received 1988 March 16.
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Series:
Series call number: HUGFP 94.12
Consulting services and board memberships, ca. 1946-1975
(Physical extent: 5 boxes)
Scope and Content: Series description: This series documents Kistiakowsky's services as a consultant and as a member of the board of several corporations. It documents affiliations with Cabot Corporation, Monsanto Chemical Company, and the United Aircraft Corporation, among others. Technical advice focuses on thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, and spectrometry. Format of material is correspondence, financial records, technical reports, minutes, agendas, and memoranda.
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Box 1
Cabot Corporation, 1949-1970
(5 folders)
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Box 1
Franklin GNO Corporation, 1970-1971
(2 folders)
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Box 1
Itek Corporation General 1959-1962
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Box 2
Itek Corporation Board of Directors 1961-1962
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Box 2
Itek Corporation Science Board 1961-1962
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Box 2
Itek Corporation General 1963-1968
(3 folders)
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Box 2
Itek Corporation Board of Directors 1969
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Box 2
Itek Corporation General 1969
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Box 3
Itek Corporation General 1970
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Box 3
Itek Corporation Bord of Directors-1970-1971
(2 folders)
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Box 3
Itek Corporation General 1971-1975
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Box 3
Lion Oil Company (Division of Monsanto)
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Box 3
Monsanto Chemical Company Trips [1947-1950]
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Box 3
Monsanto Chemical Company, Anniston, Alabama [1947-1954]
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Box 3
Monsanto Chemical Company, Dayton, Ohio [1946-1957]
(3 folders)
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Box 4
Monsanto Chemical Company, Everett, Massachusetts [1947-1954]
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Box 4
Monsanto Chemical Company, Nitro, West Virginia [1950-1957]
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Box 4
Monsanto Chemical Company, St. Louis, Missouri [1947-1959]
(6 folders)
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Box 4
Monsanto Chemical Company, Springfield, Massachusetts [1947-1956]
(2 folders)
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Box 4
Monsanto Chemical Company, Texas City, Texas [1951-1957]
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Box 5
United Technology and United Aircraft, 1961-1962
(2 folders)
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Box 5
United Aircraft Corporation, 1963-1971
(3 folders)
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Series:
Series call number: HUGFP 94.14
President's Science Advisory Committee, ca. 1958-1971
(Physical extent: 5 boxes)
Scope and Content: Series description: This series documents Kistiakowsky's services as a member of the President's Science Advisory Committee (PSAC), 1957-1964, as chairman of PSAC, 1959-1961, as Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, 1959-1961, and as consultant-at-large, 1964-1971. Format of material is correspondence, reports, press releases, memoranda, agendas, and minutes.
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Box 1
PSAC [President's Science Advisory Committee]--Geneva Conference
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Box 1
President's Science Advisory Committee--1958-1959
(3 folders)
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Box 1
PSAC, 1959-1960--Miscellaneous Papers
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Box 1
Europe, May 30-June 13, 1959
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Box 1
PSAC, 1960-1962--Related Papers
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Box 1
Orientation Cruise--U.S.S. Independence--January 10, 1960
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Box 2
PSAC, 1961
(2 folders)
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Box 2
PSAC, 1961--All Correspondence
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Box 2
PSAC Development and Assistance Panel, 1961
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Box 2
PSAC Panel for Support of Science (Brooks), 1961
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Box 2
PSAC Panel on Environmental Health, 1961
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Box 2
PSAC, 1962--All Correspondence
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Box 3
PSAC, 1963--All Correspondence
(2 folders)
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Box 3
PSAC, 1964--All Correspondence
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Box 3
PSAC, 1965
(2 folders)
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Box 3
PSAC, 1965--All Correspondence
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Box 4
PSAC Reports, 1965
(2 folders)
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Box 4
PSAC Summer Study, 1965
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Box 4
PSAC, 1966--All Correspondence
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Box 4
PSAC Reports, 1966
(3 folders)
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Box 5
PSAC, 1967--All Correspondence
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Box 5
PSAC, All Correspondence, 1968-1969
(2 folders)
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Box 5
PSAC, Members and Consultants, 1970-1971
(2 folders)
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Series:
Series call number: HUGFP 94.16
National Academy of Sciences, ca. 1961-1981
(Physical extent: 10 boxes)
Scope and Content: Series description: This series documents Kistiakowsky's activities as a member and officer of the National Academy of Sciences, including his positions as chairman of the Committee on Science and Public Policy, 1962-1965, vice-president, 1965-1973, and chairman of the Report Review Committee, 1969-1973. Format of material includes correspondence, minutes, memoranda, reports, newspaper clippings, and financial records.
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Box 1
NAS--Report on Hazardous Materials
(2 folders)
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Box 1
NAS--Chemical Warfare--Press Clippings
(2 folders)
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Box 1
NAS--Office of the Foreign Secretary
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Box 1
NAS--Institute of Medicine
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Box 1
NAS--Division of Behavioral Sciences
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Box 1
NAS--Subcommittee on Somatic Effects
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Box 1
NAS--Weather Modification Review Study
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Box 1
NAS--Computer Science and Engineering Board
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Box 1
NAS--Environmental Sciences Board
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Box 1
NAS--Historical Evaluation of Industrialized Housing and Building Systems in the United States
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Box 2
NAS--Philip Handler [President]
(2 folders)
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Box 2
NAS--Council Agendas, Minutes
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Box 2
NAS--General Correspondence
(3 folders)
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Box 3
NAS--General Correspondence
(3 folders)
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Box 3
NAS Committee on Natural Resources
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Box 3
NAS--Section on Botany (Riker)
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Box 3
NAS--Academy of Engineering
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Box 3
NAS--Population Control (Long)
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Box 3
NAS--Frank Westheimer
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Box 4
NAS--Visitors--Shilov
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Box 4
NAS--Minutes of NRC Governing Board
(2 folders)
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Box 4
NAS--COSPUP [Committee on Science and Public Policy]
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Box 4
NAS--RRC [Report Review Committee] Daily Log
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Box 4
NAS--RRC [Report Review Committee] Membership Assignments
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Box 4
NAS [1961]-1963, 1967-1968
(4 folders)
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Box 4
Report Review Committee--Motor Vehicle Emissions
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Box 5
NAS--Handler--Div. Correspondence
(2 folders)
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Box 5
NAS--Vice-Presidency (Saunders MacLane)
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Box 5
Memoranda to RRC Members
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Box 5
Committee on Undersea Warfare--Shea & Co.
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Box 5
NAS-- Council-- General
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Box 5
NAS--Restructure of Academy
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Box 6
NRC [National Research Council]--General
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Box 6
RRC [Report Review Committee]--General
(2 folders)
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Box 6
Herbicides
(2 folders)
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Box 6
Defoliation Report--Correspondence
(2 folders)
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Box 7
NAS--Committee on Government Relations
(4 folders)
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Box 7
Committee on Science and Public Policy--Documentary Material
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Box 7
COSPUP--Civil Defense Study Group, 1963
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Box 7
COSPUP, 1963
(2 folders)
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Box 8
COSPUP, 1963-1965
(6 folders)
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Box 9
COSPUP, 1966-1968
(4 folders)
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Box 9
COSPUP--Chemistry Panel, 1963-1965
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Box 9
COSPUP--H. R. Committee on Science and Astronautics, 1964-1965
(3 folders)
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Box 10
COSPUP--Panel Research-- Federal Government--1963-1965
(3 folders)
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Box 10
COSPUP--Special Panels, 1964-1965
(2 folders)
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Box 10
COSPUP--USEM [Committee on Utilization of Scientific and Engineering Manpower], 1962-1964
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Series:
Series call number: HUGFP 94.18
Vietnam War, ca. 1963-1973
(Physical extent: 1 box)
Scope and Content: Series description: This series documents Kistiakowsky's reaction to U.S. involvement in Vietnam, including his decision to sever connections with the Department of Defense in 1968. Format of material includes correspondence, reports, memoranda, and newspaper clippings.
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Series:
Series call number: HUGFP 94.20
Council for a Livable World, ca. 1968-1982
(Physical extent: 2 boxes)
Scope and Content: Series description: This series documents Kistiakowsky's support for arms control with the Boston-based organization, Council for a Livable World. Format of material includes correspondence, minutes, memoranda, financial records, newspaper clippings, and press releases.
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Series:
Series call number: HUGFP 94.24
Letters of recommendation, ca. 1933-1982
(Physical extent: 3 boxes)
Scope and Content: Series description: This series documents Kistiakowsky's mentoring responsibilities. It contains letters of recommendation, inquiries about postdoctoral appointments, and exchanges of confidential information about applicants for positions in industry and academia.
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Series:
Series call number: HUGFP 94.26
Advisees, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows, ca. 1950-ca. 1980
(Physical extent: 4 boxes)
Scope and Content: Series description: This series documents Kistiakowsky's mentoring responsibilities. It contains correspondence with students and postdoctoral fellows, documentation of fellowships and employment applications, grade reports, progress reports on research, and letters of recommendation.
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Box 1
Advisees and Postdoctoral Applicants
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Box 1
Harvard University-Advisees
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Box 1
G.B.K.'s Degree Students
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Box 1
Prospective Postdocs
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Box 3
Fleming, George Charles
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Box 3
Huber, Richard Leslie
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Box 3
Klemme, Darrell Arthur
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Box 4
Williams, Gordon Harold
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Series:
Series call number: HUGFP 94.45
Speeches, publications, and meetings, ca. 1935-ca. 1982
(Physical extent: 5 boxes)
Scope and Content: Series description: This series documents Kistiakowsky's public speaking and publication. It contains material related to conferences and symposia, drafts and texts of speeches, records of testimony at congressional hearings, correspondence with officers of scientific societies and publishing houses, book reviews, and manuscripts.
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Box 1
G.B.K. Lectures, 1930s
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Box 1
Publications/Lectures, 1940s
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Box 1
G.B.K. Lectures, 1950s
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Box 1
Training Scientists Today--Chemical Engineering Progress (April, 1953)
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Box 1
Miscellaneous Speeches, 1959
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Box 1
Raw Speech Material
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Box 1
Westinghouse Science Talent Search (D.C., March 17, 1959)
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Box 1
Quantico (June 26, 1959)
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Box 1
National Science Writers' Association (September 16, 1959)
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Box 1
ARDC 6th Annual Symposium (D.C., October 1, 1959)
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Box 1
VOA Interview (in Russian), October 21, 1959
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Box 1
Harvard Law School Forum (Cambridge, December 11, 1959)
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Box 1
Commissioning of the George Washington Sub (December 30, 1959)
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Box 1
Oak Ridge, Tennessee (January 21, 1960)
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Box 1
American Physical Society (New York, January 29, 1960)
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Box 1
National Science Teachers Association (April 1, 1960)
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Box 1
Conference on Cultural Relations, US-USSR (April 29-30, 1960)
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Box 1
NSF Tenth Anniversary (D.C., May 12, 1960)
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Box 1
Pittsburgh Section, ACS (May 19, 1960)
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Box 2
Willard Gibbs Award, Chicago Section ACS (May 20, 1960)
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Box 2
Far East Tour (June, 1960)
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Box 2
Speeches, Fall 1960
(2 folders)
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Box 2
Completed Lectures and Travel, 1961
(2 folders)
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Box 3
Indonesian Trip, 1962
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Box 3
Completed Lectures and Travel, 1962-1963
(2 folders)
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Box 3
Completed Lectures and Trips, 1964-1965
(3 folders)
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Box 4
Completed Trips, 1966-1969
(4 folders)
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Box 4
Senate Hearings, Disarmament Affairs (3/11/69)
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Box 4
Congressional Conference, Military Budget and National Priorities (3/28/69)
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Box 4
Speeches, 1970s
(2 folders)
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Box 5
Publications, 1970s--Neutron Bomb
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Box 5
Colby Lecture (1972)
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Box 5
University of New Hampshire Lectures (May, 1972)
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Box 5
Schenectady, ACS (October, 1972)
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Box 5
Duke University, Durham, N.C. (1973)
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Box 5
Williamsburg, Brookings Institution (January, 1973)
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Box 5
Simon Fraser University (May, 1973)
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Box 5
Virginia Beach, Brookings Institution (September, 1973)
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Box 5
Valparaiso University (January, 1974)
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Box 5
AAAS (San Francisco, February, 1974)
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Box 5
Louisiana State University, New Orleans (February 22, 1974)
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Box 5
Yale University (March, 1974)
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Box 5
Williamsburg, Brookings Institution (May, 1974)
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Box 5
Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate (September, 1974)
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Box 5
Williamsburg, Brookings Institution (September, 1974)
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Box 5
IBM (October, 1974)
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Box 5
University of California, Santa Barbara (January, 1975)
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Box 5
State University of New Mexico, Las Cruces (February, 1975)
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Box 5
Massachusetts Institute of Chemists (May, 1975)
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Box 5
Oak Ridge (October 2-4, 1975)
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Box 5
Miscellaneous Speeches [1976]
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Box 5
Missoula, Montana (January, 1976)
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Box 5
Williams College (April, 1976)
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Box 5
Williamsburg, Brookings Institution (September, 1976)
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Box 5
Brown University (November, 1976)
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Box 5
Urbana Talk (April, 1977)
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Box 5
G.B.K.-Publications, 1980s
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Series:
Series call number: HUGFP 94.65
Course material, ca. 1935-1970
(Physical extent: 5 boxes)
Scope and Content: Series description: This series documents Kistiakowsky's teaching of chemistry at Harvard and Radcliffe. Material includes lectures and index cards with notes for lectures, syllabi, and grade reports. Here also may be found information on cumulative and qualifying examinations in physical chemistry, including the examinations themselves and documents from the committees that prepared the tests.
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