15274726Harold Brown papers15274726Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Butler Library, 6th FloorColumbia University, Mail Code 1127535 W. 114th St.New York, NY 10027Business Number: (212) 854-5153Fax Number: (212) 854-1365rbml@libraries.cul.columbia.eduURL:

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This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-01-20 20:28:32 -0500.Description is written in: English, Latin script. Rare Book and Manuscript Library Harold Brown papers Brown, Harold, 1927-2019 15274726 UA#0333 English /repositories/2/resources/6447 3 linear feet 3 record cartons 1941-1950 Conditions Governing Access

This collection is located offsite. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.

 Conditions Governing Access

This collection has no restrictions.

 Accruals

No additions are expected.

 Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was transferred to the University Archives by Harold Brown's daughter, Ellen Dunning Brown, in January 2021.

 Arrangement

This collection is arranged in one series: Series I: Harold Brown papers, 1941-1950.

 Biographical / Historical

Harold Brown (September 19, 1927–January 4, 2019) was an American nuclear physicist who served as United States Secretary of Defense from 1977 to 1981, under President Jimmy Carter. Previously, in the John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson administrations, he held the posts of Director of Defense Research and Engineering (1961–1965) and United States Secretary of the Air Force (1965–1969). He also served as President of the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) from 1969 to 1977.

Harold Brown entered Columbia at the age of 15 in 1943, when the College had adopted a trimester schedule as part of a war-time, accelerated program. He graduted in July 1945 with honors in Mathematics and Physics at the age of 17. He continued at Columbia where he earned an MA in 1946 and a PhD in 1949. After graduation, Brown received the University Medal of Excellence in 1963, the Graduate Faculties Alumni Association Award for Excellence in 1986, and the Columbia College Alexander Hamilton Medal in 1990.

 Preferred Citation

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Harold Brown papers; Box and Folder; University Archives, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Libraries.

 Processing Information

This collection was processed by Joanna Rios, April 2021.

 Content Description

This collection contains Harold Brown's course work in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and the core curriculum. Materials include syllabi, readings, notebooks, exams, problem sets, and essays from both his undergraduate and graduate studies at Columbia University in the 1940s. A copy of his dissertation (Beta-spectra of gaseous A41 and O15) is also included in this set of materials.

 Conditions Governing Use

Reproductions may be made for research purposes. Permission to publish material from the collection must be requested from the Curator of Manuscripts/University Archivist, Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML). The RBML approves permission to publish that which it physically owns; the responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.

 Nuclear physics Columbia University -- Alumni and alumnae Class work/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310391Chemistry & Chemical Engineering/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310392Chemistry II/repositories/2/archival_objects/13103931944 March-April11Chemistry 4/repositories/2/archival_objects/13103941943 February-April12Chemistry 4 lab reports/repositories/2/archival_objects/13103951943 February-April13Scope and Contents

(H.R. Crist's "A Laboratory Course in General Chemistry," completed lab reports for Mr. Glickman)

Chemical Engineering 6/repositories/2/archival_objects/13103961944 May-June14Scope and Contents

(Assignments, review sheets, class notes)

Chemical Engineering 6 lab reports/repositories/2/archival_objects/13103971944 May-June15Scope and Contents

(Microstructure of various metals and alloys, galvanic protection, salt spray test)

Colloquium on Important Books/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310398Notes from Homer to Tacitus/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310399194417Scope and Contents

(Includes paper on the character of Socrates' opponents in the Platonic dialogues. Taught by Dr. Chiappe and Dr. Householder.)

Contemporary Civilization/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310400Contemporary Civilization A1 and A2 course materials/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104011943-194516Scope and Contents

(Assignment sheets, review questions, exams, notes. Also includes materials from Philosophy 161 and Hygiene A1-A2.)

Notes from Medieval Society to the French Revolution/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310402194418Electrical Engineering/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310403Physics EE1 Electricity and magnetism/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104041943-194419Physics EE3/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104051944 August-October110Mathematics/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310406Math 5/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104071943 July-October111Scope and Contents

(Prof. Murray. Exams and graded problem sets)

Math 6A/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104081943 November-December112Scope and Contents

(Accelerated sequence of Math 6A and 7 for Navy students; quizzes, assignments, problem sets)

Math 7/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104091944 January-February113Scope and Contents

(Lecture notes, assignments, quizzes, problem sets)

Math 22R/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104101943 February-April114Scope and Contents

(Prof. Smith. Exam blue books and lecture notes)

Math 163/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104111940s115Scope and Contents

(The Real Number System)

Math 164/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104121940s116Scope and Contents

(Notes and course bibliography)

Physics/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310413Physics I and II/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104141943 July-October117Physics 4/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104151944118Scope and Contents

(Dr. Melvin Avramy)

Physics 7/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104161944119Physics 8/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104171944120Physics 11/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104181944121Physics 109 Light/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104191940s122Scope and Contents

(Prof. Hermon Waldo Farwell)

Physics 113 Thermodynamics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104201944 October123Physics 118 Alternating-current circuits and electronics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104211945 August-September124Physics 125 Introduction to theoretical physics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104221944 October-December125Scope and Contents

(Prof. Willis E. Lamb)

Physics 135 Atomic physics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104231940s126Physics 204 Analytical dynamics, elasticity and hydrodynamics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104241945127Scope and Contents

(Prof. Willis E. Lamb)

Physics 215 Electromagnetic theory/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104251940s128Scope and Contents

(Problems in Electromagnetic Theory)

Physics 216 Electromagnetic theory/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104262 folders1946-1947129-30Scope and Contents

(Prof. Willis E. Lamb's dittoed course notes)

Physics 218 Physical optics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104271948 February21Scope and Contents

(Problems in Geometrical Optics)

Physics 224 Partial differential questions of physics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104281940s22Physics 236 Statistical mechanics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104291940s23Physics 237 Quantum mechanics/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310430194524Physics 237-238 Quantum mechanics lecture notes/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104311945-194625Scope and Contents

(Notes by A. Nordsieck)

Physics 240 Applied quantum mechanics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104321940s26Physics 248R/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310433194727Physics 249/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104341940s28Physics 257 Nuclear physics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104353 folders194929-11Scope and Contents

3 folders

Physics 258 Nuclear physics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104361945-1946212Scope and Contents

(Prof. John R. Dunning)

Physics 270/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104371940s213Physics 271 Field theories of nuclear forces/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104381940s214Physics 301/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104391940s215Physics lab reports/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104401943 June-July216Physics notes/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104411948-1949217Physics notes/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104421948-1950218Scope and Contents

(Includes 1950 letter to Prof. Philip Morrison (Cornell) sharing Brown's and Prof. C.S. Wu's calculations.)

Physics notes/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104431940s219"Notes for a Physics Colloquium on the Scattering of Fast Neutrons"/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104441940s220Physics tests and quizzes/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104451944-1950221Scope and Contents

(Questions only. Physics 4, 1944; Physics 514, 1950, Physics, 517, 1950)

Notebooks/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310446Electromagnetic theory/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104471940s222Nuclear physics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104481940s223Quantum mechanics/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104491940s224Notes on the Atomic Energy Commission meeting, Chicago/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104501948225Publications/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310451Beta-Spectra of Gaseous A41 and 015 by Harold Brown and Victor Perez-Mendez/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104521949226Scope and Contents

(Dissertation to be published.)

Offprints/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104531948-1950227Source books/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310454Contemporary Civilization Source Book Part One/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310455Sections I-II/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310456194131Sections III-IV/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310457194132Sections VI-VII/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310458194133Scope and Contents

(Section V is missing)

Sections VIII-IX/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310459194134Sections X-XI/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310460194135Manual for the Study of Contemporary Civilization Part One/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310461Scope and Contents

(The Development of Western Institutions and Ideas)

Sections I-IV/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310462194236Sections VI-VIII/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104631942-194337Scope and Contents

(Section V is missing)

Sections IX-XII/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310464194238Contemporary Civilization Source Book Part Two/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310465Sections I-II/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310466194239Sections III-IV/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104671942-1943310Scope and Contents

(Section IV Revised 1943)

Sections V-VI/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104681942311Sections VII-VIII/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104691942-1943312Scope and Contents

(Section VIII Revised 1943)

Sections IX-X/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104701943313Sections XI-XII/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104711943314Scope and Contents

(Section XII Supplementary in 2 volumes)

Manual for the Study of Contemporary Civilization Part Two/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310472Sections I-III/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104731943315Sections IV-VIII/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104741943316Sections IX-X/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104751943317Basic Readings in American Government/repositories/2/archival_objects/1310476Sections 1-2/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104771942318Scope and Contents

(The Legal Foundations)

Sections 3-4/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104781942319Scope and Contents

(The Lawmaking Process, Executive Leadership)

Sections 5-6/repositories/2/archival_objects/13104791942320Scope and Contents

(Administrative and Financial Problems, American Foreign Relations)