Samuel Robinson Williams Papers
Scope and Contents
Handwritten and typewritten drafts of manuscripts, reprints, bound volumes, printers' proofs, publishers' prospecti, correspondence, research notes, photographs, drawings, plans, and reports relating to Williams' teaching and research in physics, as well as a small amount of personal papers documenting his private life. His extensive correspondents are listed in the appendix, and included Arthur Stanley Pease and Stanley King (Presidents of Amherst College), Walter Crabtree Jr., Ray T. Bayless (American Society for Metals), M.F. Behar (Ed., Instruments), and David Landau (Nitralloy Corporation and Société des Amis d'Andre-Marie Ampere).
Dates
- 1877-1956
- Majority of material found within 1904-1955
Creator
- Williams, Samuel Robinson, 1879-1955 (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
There is no restriction on access to the Samuel Robinson Williams Papers for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.
Conditions Governing Use
Requests for permission to publish material from the Samuel Robinson Williams Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Biographical / Historical
- 1879 March 2
- Born Marengo, Iowa to John Dockray and Alma (Davis) Williams
- 1897
- Graduated Marengo High School
- 1901
- Grinnell College Ph. B
- 1903
- University of Nebraska M.A.
- 1904-1905
- University of Berlin. Studied under Warburg and Planck. Also Research Physicist, Imperial Bureau of Weights and Measures of Germany, Optical Department
- 1906
- Columbia University Ph.D. Research assistant to E.F. Nichols
- 1906-1907
- Barnard College, Lecturer in Physics
- 1908-1924
- Oberlin College, Professor of Physics
- 1918
- Signal Corps, Science and Research Division, Physicist
- 1922-1923
- California Institute of Technology, Research Associate (Leave of absence, Oberlin College)
- 1924-1947
- Amherst College, Professor of Physics
- 1934
- Honorary M.A. Amherst College
- 1942
- Honorary Doctor of Science, Oberlin College
- 1947-1955
- Professor Emeritus, Amherst College
- 1949-1950
- General Motors Research Laboratories, Consultant in Magnetism
- 1951-1952
- Duke University, Researcher for Navy in Low Temperature Physics
- 1955 February 19
- Died, Hartford Hospital, Hartford Connecticut
Extent
2.25 Linear feet (1 records storage box, 2 archives boxes, 1 half archives box)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Physicist, professor. Includes drafts of manuscripts, reprints, bound volumes, printers' proofs, publishers' prospecti, correspondence, research notes, photographs, drawings, plans, and reports relating to his teaching and research in physics, as well as a small amount of personal papers documenting his private life. His extensive correspondents are listed in the appendix.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into six series:
- Series 1: Published Writings, 1904-1956
- Series 2: Unpublished Writings, 1942-1954
- Series 3: General Correspondence, 1915-1955, undated
- Series 4: House-Building Records, Lincoln Avenue, Amherst
- Series 5: Signal Corps Records, Science and Research Division
- Series 6: Miscellaneous Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers of Samuel Robinson Williams (1879-1955), Professor of Physics at Oberlin College 1908-1924 and at Amherst College 1924-1947, were given to the Amherst College Archives by his wife Mabel Morris Bennett Williams between 1955 and 1963, and by his granddaughters Lois D.W. Arnold and Hannah R.W. Boulton in 1975.
Processing Information
- Finding Aid:
- 1980 March
- Prepared by:
- Linda Seidman
- Prepared for web:
- 2003 June
- By:
- Graham Leach-Krouse '05, Student Encoding Assistant
- Photographs Subject Source: Library Of Congress Genre/Form Terms
- Physics -- Study and teaching Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Williams, Samuel Robinson, 1879-1955
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Linda Seidman
- Date
- 2003
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Sponsor
- Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Repository Details
Part of the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Repository
Amherst College Archives & Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
61 Quadrangle Drive
Amherst MA 01002-5000
(413) 542-2299
archives@amherst.edu