Philip E. Rakita Autograph Collection
Scope and Content
The Philip E. Rakita Autograph Collection contains miscellaneous autographed items signed by eminent individuals involved in science, which includes, but are not limited to, chemists, physicists, and corporate executives. Among the autographs preserved in this collection are the signatures of seventeen Nobel Laureates. The Philip E. Rakita Autograph Collection is arranged into the following three series:
- Autographed Items
- Autographed Books
- Oversized Autographed Items
Dates
- Creation: 1906-2021
- Creation: Majority of material found within Bulk 1998-2006
Creator
- Rakita, Philip E., 1944- (Person)
Language of Materials
A majority of the materials in this collection are in English. Also includes small amounts of materials in German and French.
Access Restrictions
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.
Copyright Information
The Science History Institute holds copyright to the Philip E. Rakita Autograph Collection. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Background Note
Philip E. Rakita is an American chemist, corporate executive, and autograph collector. Rakita earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University (1966) and his Ph.D. in Organometallic Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1970). After earning his Ph.D., he served as a Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Minnesota, and as a Senior Fulbright Visiting Professor at Moscow State University.
Rakita started working in the private sector in 1977, initially holding executive positions at Ferro Corporation (1977-1981) and Elf Atochem (1981-2000). In 1997, he co-founded Armour Associates, Limited, a chemical industry consulting firm, where he currently serves as Managing Director. He has also held executive positions at Ozark Fluorine Specialties (2000-2003) and Syrgis Performance Products LLC (2005-2007).
In addition to his professional activities, Philip E. Rakita is a member of the American Chemical Society and served on the Science History Institute’s Heritage Council. He also served on the Fulbright Association’s Board of Directors (2014-2018). Rakita is also an autograph collector who focuses on the signatures of eminent individuals involved in science.
Extent
3.5 Linear Feet (1 Hollinger Box, 1 Oversized Box, and 1 Oversized Framed Diploma)
Abstract
Collection of miscellaneous autographed items signed by eminent individuals involved in science which were collected by Philip E. Rakita.
Acquisition Information
The Philip E. Rakita Autograph Collection was donated to the Science History Institute by Philip E. Rakita in two accessions: December 2021 and February 2022.
Processing Information
The Philip E. Rakita Autograph Collection was processed by Kenton G. Jaehnig in September 2025.
Subject
- Agre, Peter (Peter C.), 1949- (Person)
- Bader, Alfred, 1924-2018 (Person)
- Boccone, Andrew (Person)
- Born, Max, 1882-1970 (Person)
- Bragg, William Henry, 1862-1942 (Person)
- Bragg, William Lawrence, Sir, 1890-1971 (Person)
- Broglie, Louis de, 1892-1987 (Person)
- Calarco, Vincent (Person)
- Corey, E. J. (Person)
- Cotton, F. Albert (Frank Albert), 1930-2007 (Person)
- Crookes, William, 1832-1919 (Person)
- DeSimone, Joseph M. (1964-05-16) (Person)
- Emeléus, H. J. (Harry Julius) (Person)
- Good, Mary L. (Mary Lowe), 1931-2019 (Person)
- Gray, Harry B. (1935-11-14) (Person)
- Grubbs, Robert H. (Person)
- Isenhour, Thomas L. (1939) (Person)
- Kubas, Gregory J., 1945- (Person)
- Laue, Max von, 1879-1960 (Person)
- MacDiarmid, Alan G. (1927-2007) (Person)
- Marks, Tobin J. (1944-11-25) (Person)
- Michelson, Albert A. (Albert Abraham), 1852-1931 (Person)
- Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953 (Person)
- Nye, Bill (William Sanford) (1955-11-27) (Person)
- Olah, George A. (George Andrew), 1927-2017 (Person)
- Pariser, Rudolph, 1923- (Person)
- Pauling, Linus, 1901-1994 (Person)
- Planck, Max, 1858-1947 (Person)
- Prensky, Mitch (Person)
- Rice, Oscar Knefler, 1903-1978 (Person)
- Rutherford, Ernest, 1871-1937 (Person)
- Seyferth, Dietmar, 1929-2020 (Person)
- Smithies, Oliver (1925-06-23-2017-01-10) (Person)
- Sommerfeld, Arnold, 1868-1951 (Person)
- Strem, Michael (Person)
- Teller, Edward, 1908-2003 (Person)
- Thomson, J. J. (Joseph John), 1856-1940 (Person)
- Watson, James D. (James Dewey), 1928-2025 (Person)
- Whitesides, G. M. (Person)
- Wilkinson, Geoffrey, 1921-1996 (Person)
- Wolke, Robert L. (Robert Leslie) (1928-04-02-2021-08-29) (Person)
- Davison, A. (Alan), -2015 (Person)
Genre / Form
Occupation
Topical
- Title
- Philip E. Rakita Autograph Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid created and encoded into EAD by Kenton G. Jaehnig.
- Date
- 2025-09-19
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Science History Institute Archives Repository
315 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia PA 19106 United States
215.873.8265
215.873.5265 (Fax)
reference@sciencehistory.org