Mechanical Engineering Department Records 1910-1976
Archives 31

Summary Information

Repository
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Title
Mechanical Engineering Department Records
ID
Archives 31
Date [inclusive]
1910-1976
Extent
approximate 6650 items,  6 linear feet,  6 containers
Abstract
General correspondence, curriculum and research, and engineering, science, and management war training.

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Organizational Sketch:

Mechanical engineering courses have been a part of the curriculum since the founding of Washington State University in 1892. Growing steadily, the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering was incorporated into the College of Mechanic Arts and Engineering in 1917. After the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department separated, Howard H. Langdon chaired the Mechanical Engineering Department from 1933 through 1944. A native of Sumner, Washington, Professor Langdon received his B.S. from Washington State University in 1919 and his M.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1933. He was a member of Washington State University's engineering faculty from 1923 until his resignation in 1944.

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Arrangement

The records of the Department of Mechanical Engineering are arranged in three series. A large part of the collection is correspondence and papers generated or received by Howard H. Langdon during his tenure as head of the department. Throughout the collection, the processor has attempted to maintain the original order of the materials within each folder.

Series one consists of general departmental correspondence, 1920-1944, divided into two subseries. The first subseries includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence from 1929 through 1943 relating to departmental activities, and is arranged alphabetically. Included in this subseries are inquiries pertaining to product analysis, research, and development of techniques and materials. This subseries also contains correspondence about departmental purchases, as well as communications from the public, manufacturers, and other educational institutions concerning published materials. Some of the correspondence in this subseries concerns prospective students, graduate placement, and departmental employment. The second subseries is correspondence from 1920 through 1944 arranged alphabetically by topic. Major topics include faculty hiring, industrial and professional associations minutes and materials, departmental financial data, departmental and university memoranda, and student information and letters. Also included in the second subseries are substantial portions of the professional correspondence of Howard H. Langdon as well as correspondence with manufacturers, such as General Electric.

The second series, curriculum and research, 1910-1976, is arranged alphabetically by topic. In addition to research and class materials, this series contains data derived from analyses of patented auto lubricants and records of concrete research and development.

The third series, Engineering, Science, and Management War Training, 1940-1944, reflects the University's participation in a federal engineer-training program for women, and is also arranged alphabetically by topic. Correspondence from prospective students, government publications, directives, memoranda, and minutes comprise the bulk of this series.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections  © 2012

http://www.libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

The Collection is open for research use.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Mechanical Engineering Department were transferred to the University Archives, Washington State University in March (UA 77-14) and July (UA 77-29) of 1977 by the Department.

Processing Information

The collection was processed by Pat Graham Pidcock.

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Names and Subjects

Corporate Name(s)

Creator(s) :
  • Washington State University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering--Archives
  • State College of Washington. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.
Subject(s) :
  • Washington State University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering--Records and correspondence

Personal Name(s)

Creator(s) :
  • Langdon, Howard H.--Archives

Subject(s)

  • Mechanical engineering--Study and teaching--Archival resources
  • Washington (State)
  • Colleges and Universities
  • Business, Industry, and Labor

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Detailed Description of Collection

1 General Correspondence  

box folder

A-M  1929-1943  1240 items

1 1-34

N-Y  1929-1943  300 items

2 35-45

Alumni  1939-1942  25 items

2 46

American Society of Mechanical Engineers  1926-1941  135 items

2 47-50

American Society for Testing Materials  1929-1936  40 items

2 51-52

Applications for Faculty Positions  1932-1937  110 items

2 53-57

Army-Navy  1942  4 items

2 58

Bacharach Industrial Company  n.d.  1 item

2 59

Beta Theta Pi  1936-1939  15 items

2 60

Bills  1939-1941  25 items

2 61

Books  1939-1941  65 items

2 62-63

Budget  1932-1941  100 items

2 64-65

Bulletins  1933-1939  15 items

2 66

Bursar  1941-1942  10 items

2 67

Carl F. Miller and Company  1938-1939  5 items

2 68

Catalog Changes  1939-1942  15 items

2 69-70

Department Head  1939-1941  80 items

2 71-72

Department Staff Recommendations  1931-1934  35 items

2 73

Departmental Communications  1935-1939  5 items

2 74

Dynamometer  1929-1939  45 items

2 75

Fitchburg Steam Company  1920-1921  4 items

2 76

Friend, Dr. Bernard  1933  2 items

2 77

General Department and Student Files  1924-1941  370 items

3 78-89

General Electric Company  1934-1942  40 items

3 90-92

Goverment Bulletins  1934-1940  18 items

3 93

Goverment Materials Loans  1936-1942  40 items

3 94

Graduate Placement  1939  5 items

3 95

Holland, Pres. E.O.  1940-1942  20 items

3 96

Industry  1930-1932  7 items

3 97

Labor  1940  2 items

3 98

Langdon, Howard  1925-1942  320 items

3 99-107

Larrabee Furnace Company  1938-1939  35 items

3 108-109

Leaves of Absence  1939-1942  65 items

3 110-111

Library  1939-1941  55 items

3 112-113

Liquid Air Machine  1941  5 items

3 114

Machine Shop and Welding  1938-1942  45 items

3 115

Massachusetts Institute of Technology  1933-1936  25 items

3 116

Moore Stem Turbine Company  1921  1 item

3 117

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics  1940-1942  40 items

3 118

National Electric Light Association  1924-1929  4 items

3 119

National Youth Administration  1939-1942  25 items

3 120-121

Phi Kappa Phi  1937-1939  25 items

3 122

Photo Equipment  1938-1944  10 items

3 123-124

Precinct Division  1938  10 items

3 125

Prospective Students  1939-1942  150 items

3 126-129

Purchase Orders  1939-1942  90 items

3 130-131

Purchasing  1939-1941  10 items

4 132

Radio Talks  1937-1941  35 items

4 133-134

Rice and Sargent Company  1920  3 items

4 135

Scholarships  1941  10 items

4 136

Society of Automotive Engineers  1939-1942  15 items

4 137

Staff Applications and Recommendations  1939-1941  30 items

4 138

Staff Letters  1938-1942  25 items

4 139

State License Examination Directory  1931-1937  10 items

4 140

Student Activities Committee  1939-1940  75 items

4 141

Student Applications and Recommendations  1939-1941  15 items

4 142

Student Inspection Trip  1936-1941  25 items

4 143

Student Lists  1939-1941  25 items

4 144-145

Summer Session  1941-1942  10 items

4 146

Terry Steam Turbine Company  1921  1 item

4 147

Valves  1929  4 items

4 148

Vilter Manufacturing Company  1921  1 item

4 149

War Department Survey  1927-1939  15 items

4 150

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2 Curriculum And Research  

box folder

Audit Information Exchange  1976  1 item

4 151

Coal Testing  1910-1912  25 items

4 152

Concrete  n.d.  15 items

4 153

Concrete  1929-1936  55 items

4 154-155

Concrete and Aggregate  1936-1937  10 items

4 156

Concrete Research  1928-1936  50 items

4 157

Department Schedules  1931-1932  10 items

4 158

Departmental Functioning  1974-1976  13 items

4 159

Dynometer  1933-1940  30 items

4 160

Examinations  1964-1972  12 items

4 161

Experimental Stoker  1938-1939  10 items

4 162

Lubrication  1929-1941  75 items

4 163-165

Lubrication- Chevrolet Road Tests  1926-1930  95 items

4 166-170

Materials Testing Laboratory  1939-1941  10 items

4 171

Mechanical Engineering  1921-1942  250 items

4 172-184

Orifice Thin Plate  1930-1934  10 items

4 185

Research Materials  1937-1941  25 items

5 186

Schedules  1937-1941  15 items

5 187

Senior Thesis  1932  1 item

5 188

Student Finances  1972-1976  7 items

5 189

Tau Beta Pi  1970-1974  2 items

5 190

Turbine Blueprints  1921  15 items

5 191

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3 Engineering, Science, And Management War Training  

box folder

Books- Engineer Defense Training  1941  10 items

5 192

Correspondence  1942-1944  270 items

5 193-202

Course Development  1940-1941  10 items

5 203

Defense Publications  1942-1943  2 items

5 204

Department Labor Standards  1941  75 items

5 205-206

Directives, Memoranda, and Minutes  1940-1943  55 items

5 207-212

Financial Data  1941-1943  25 items

5 213

Forms  1943-1944  2 items

5 214

Inactive File  1942  3 items

5 215

Industrial Training  1941-1942  10 items

5 216

Literature  1943-1944  10 items

5 217

Material for Speeches  1940-1941  15 items

5 218

Original and Supplementary Materials  1940  10 items

5 219

Personal Notes- H.H. Langdon  1940-1944  65 items

5 220-222

Preliminary Proposals  1943-1944  75 items

6 223-228

Publications and Bulletins  1940-1943  120 items

6 229-232

Publicity  1942-1943  65 items

6 233-235

Reports  1940  10 items

6 236

Regional Advisors Meeting  1940-1944  50 items

6 237-247

Speeches  1942  25 items

6 248

Supervising Training Outlines  n.d.  10 items

6 249

Training of Women  1941-1942  50 items

6 250

War Manpower Commission  1943-1944  3 items

6 251

Washington Copies  1941-1944  125 items

6 252

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