Series II. Ernest F. Fullam Papers, 1942-1984, undated

Ernest F. Fullam (1911-2002) was an American electron microscopist, corporate executive, and a Charter Member of the Microscopy Society of America. Born in Parlin, New Jersey in 1911, Fullam earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Cornell University (1936). After earning his undergraduate degree, he did graduate work at Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University (1936-1939), studying advanced chemical microscopy, high-resolution photomicrography, and theoretical electron optics.

From 1937 to 1945, Fullam worked as Chief Microscopist at Interchemical Corporation in New York City. At Interchemical, he was involved with the Manhattan Project during World War II, studying barrier materials used in the gaseous diffusion plant at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. He also collaborated with Rockefeller Institute biologists Albert Claude and Keith Porter. In 1942, Fullam, Claude, and Porter created the first electron micrograph of a biological sample, a whole mount of a chicken embryo.

From 1945 to 1953, Fullam worked at General Electric Company’s Knoll Research Laboratory in Schenectady, New York. At General Electric, he developed a high-speed ultramicrotome, which employed compressed air to create thin sliced samples for analysis by electron microscopy. Also during this time, he used electron microscopy to discover deep casting cracks as a cause of failure in steam turbine blades.

In 1953, Ernest F. Fullam and his wife Barbara Fullam founded Ernest F. Fullam, Incorporated. Based in Schenectady, New York, the firm initially offered consulting services in electron microscopy. Shortly after its founding, the company started designing and building instruments for electron microscopy, including microprobes, freeze driers, and image intensifiers. It also became a supplier of microscopy lab accessories. Ernest F. Fullam retired from the firm in 1987.

Ernest F. Fullam was a Charter of Member of the of the Microscopy Society of America. He also authored several science journal articles and was a member of the American Association of Science and Sigma Xi.

Ernest F. Fullam passed away on February 3, 2002.

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains the professional papers of Ernest F. Fullam, which he donated to the Microscopy Society of America. The files in this series provide some documentation regarding Fullam’s scientific career, including his work on the ultramicrotome. A small amount of information regarding Ernest F. Fullam, Incorporated, including freeze driers and image intensifiers developed and manufactured by the firm.

Articles and reprints are the most common materials found in the Ernest F. Fullam Papers. Small amounts of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, correspondence, brochures, press releases, and photographs are preserved here as well.