Wil Lepkowski Papers

Collection

Identifier: 2018-014

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Wil Lepkowski Papers contain the professional papers of American science journalist Wil Lepkowski. The papers mainly document Wil Lepkowski’s involvement in covering the Bhopal disaster and its aftermath into the 2000s. The Wil Lepkowski Papers are arranged into the following seven series:

Correspondence
Subject Files
Printed Materials
Reports
Legal Files
Photographic Materials
Oversized Materials

Dates

Creation: 1966-2011
Creation: Majority of material found within Bulk 1984-2005

Creator

Lepkowski, Wil (Person)

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 Wil Lepkowski Papers. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Background Note

Wil Lepkowski (September 3, 1934-July 16, 2019) was a science journalist and senior correspondent at Chemical & Engineering News (C&E News). He wrote on topics relating to science and technology such as chemical safety, international science, technology policies, and the 1984 Bhopal disaster.

Lepkowski received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry at the University of Massachusetts and a Master of Science in biochemistry at Ohio State University. He then went on to be a fellow in the advanced writing program at Columbia University. He started his career in journalism in 1960 at the Providence Journal and then became a medical science writer at John Hopkins University. Lepkowski later worked for Business Week and was a senior correspondent at Chemical & Engineering News at the American Chemical Society.

On the night of December 2, 1984, the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) plant in Bhopal, India leaked the pesticide Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas. Over 600,000 people were exposed to MIC, killing between 3,800-16,000 people. While it is estimated that 3,000 people died instantly, the number of deaths and injuries from the exposure to MIC is estimated to be up to 20,000. The Bhopal disaster is considered to be one of the world's worst industrial accidents.

Lepkowski covered the Bhopal accident and its aftermath over the course of the rest of his career. In 2005, he became a fellow at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Sources

“Obituary of Wilbert Charles Lepkowski.” Adams Green Funeral Home, July 2019. https://adamsgreen.com/tribute/details/10765/Wilbert-Lepkowski/obituary.html.

Wil Lepkowski Papers, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“Wil Lepkowski.” Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes (CSPO). Arizona State University. Accessed August 30, 2022. https://cspo.org/people/lepkowski-wil/.

“Wil Lepkowski.” Hmolpedia, 2020. https://www.eoht.info/page/Wil%20Lepkowski.

Extent

12.2 Linear Feet (9 Banker Boxes and 1 Half Hollinger.)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Papers of Wil Lepkowski (1934-2019) consist of correspondence, subject files, printed materials, legal files, reports, and photographic materials from American science journalist Wil Lepkowski. The focus of this collection is Lepkowski’s reporting on the 1984 Bhopal disaster for Chemical & Engineering News.

Acquisition Information

The Wil Lepkowski Papers were donated to the Science History Institute by Wil Lepkowski on January 24, 2018.

Related Materials

There are no other known archival collections created by Wil Lepkowski preserved at the date of processing.

Processing Information

The Wil Lepkowski Papers were processed by Jahna Auerbach in August 2022. The original order of the collection was kept when possible, but a majority of the collection was given an artificial order due to the presence of unfiled and mislabeled materials.