Harold Brown papers, 1941-1950

Creator:
Brown, Harold, 1927-2019
Extent:
3 linear feet (3 record cartons)
Language:
English .
Scope and content:

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.

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.

Access and use

Restrictions:

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.

This collection has no restrictions.

Terms of access:

Single photocopies 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.

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.

Location of this collection:
University Archives Home Page
6th Floor East Butler Library
535 West 114th Street
New York, NY 10027, USA
Before you visit:
Researchers interested in viewing materials in the RBML reading room must must book an appointment at least 7 days in advance. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to 5 items per day.
Contact:
uarchives@columbia.edu