![]() |
Columbia University Archives |
Table of Contents
Using the Collection
Note: some material may be restricted or offsite Container ListView All |
Summary InformationAt a Glance
ArrangementArrangementThis collection has been arranged into seven series.
DescriptionSummaryThe collection consists of speeches, reports, publications, research notes, and correspondence. The bulk of the collection relates to Wu's involvement in the American Physical Society as well as her research activities. The correspondence is chiefly professional, relating to C. S. Wu's physics research, professional commitments, appointments, meetings, conferences, and publications. Correspondence also includes letters from individuals around the world praising Wu for her accomplishments, asking advice, arranging speaking engagements, discussing administrative matters, and trading research notes, as well as information on publications and other topics. In addition, the collection contains information on Wu's involvement in the development of an affirmative action program at Columbia University in the 1970's.
Using the CollectionRare Book and Manuscript Library Restrictions on AccessYou will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account. ![]() This collection is located off-site. 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. Portions of the collection are restricted. Please see the finding aid for further information. Terms Governing Use and ReproductionSingle photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron. Preferred CitationIdentification of specific item; Date (if known); C.S. (Chien-Shiung) Wu Papers; Box and Folder; University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University in the City of New York. Related MaterialCentral Files, 1890-2006, , University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Department of Physics Records, 1870-1983, University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Historical Photograph Collection, circa 1858-2007 (David G. Hitlin, Wolfgang Pauli, C.S. Wu), University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Historical Biographical Files, 1750s-2000s (C.S. Wu), University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Historical Subject Files Collection, 1750s-2000s, University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Office of the Provost Records, 1939-2006, University Archives, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. About the Finding Aid / Processing InformationColumbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library Revision Description2016-07-15 xml document instance created by Carolyn Smith 2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration. Subject HeadingsThe subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives. All links open new windows. Genre/Form
Subject
History / Biographical NoteBiographical NoteChien-Shiung Wu (Chinese: 吳健雄; pinyin: Wu Jianxiong; Wade–Giles: Wu Chien-hsiung) was born in 1912 in a small town near Shanghai, China to Wu Zhongyi, a 1911 revolution participant, and Fan Fu-Hua. Wu attended a private girls' school in China and eventually went to Soochow Girls School, where the curriculum was chiefly Western. She graduated in 1930 and went on to attend Nanjing University, where she studied physics and graduated in 1934. Wu immigrated to the United States in 1936 to seek post-doctoral programs in physics. She attended the University of California at Berkeley and received her Ph.D. in 1940. In 1942, she married Luke Yuan and they moved to the east coast. In 1947, they had a son, Vincent Yuan, who became a research scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Wu took a position teaching at Smith College, but left soon after for Princeton. The Division of War Research at Columbia University recruited Wu in 1944 for work at a secret facility in New York for the development of sensitive radiation detectors for the atomic bomb project. Her research included, among other topics, groundbreaking work on beta decay, the irregularity of K-meson decay in particle accelerators, and K-meson's violation of parity. She became a full professor in 1948, and in 1972 Columbia University named Wu the Michael I. Pupin Professor of Physics. Throughout her career Wu was awarded numerous prizes and honors for her work. She was the first female president of the American Physical Society as well as the first woman to receive the Comstock Award, the Research Corporation Award, and an honorary doctorate in science from Princeton University. She also received the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Prize in Physics and was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Wu died on February 16, 1997 in New York. |