Papers of Thomas J. Porro
Scope and Content
The Papers of Thomas J. Porro contain the professional papers of American chemist Thomas J. Porro. Its contents consist mainly of training materials, technical materials, reprints, and sales materials collected by Porro, which aided him in his work. Much of the materials in this collection concern Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Some materials produced by Porro’s longtime employer Perkin-Elmer Corporation, which concern analytical instruments manufactured by the firm, are also found in this collection.
The Papers of Thomas J. Porro are arranged into the following four series:
- Perkin-Elmer Materials
- Workshop Materials
- Reprints Collected by Thomas J. Porro
- Binders of Materials
Dates
- Creation: 1958-1992
- Creation: Majority of material found within Bulk 1970-1980
Creator
- Porro, Thomas J. (Person)
Language of Materials
A majority of the materials in this collection are in English. Also includes a small amount of materials in German.
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 Papers of Thomas J. Porro. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Background Note
Thomas J. Porro (1924-2007) was an American chemist and a longtime employee of American scientific instrument manufacturer Perkin-Elmer Corporation. Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on September 17, 1924, Porro joined the United States Army during World War II, serving in the Philippines and attaining the rank of First Lieutenant. After the war, he earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Columbia University (1949) and his M.S. in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1958).
Early in his professional career, Porro worked as a chemist at Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, New York. In 1958, he went to work for Perkin-Elmer Corporation in Norwalk, Connecticut, where he enjoyed a 35-year career. At Perkin-Elmer, Porro initially served as an applications chemist, then later held senior scientist positions. Over the course of his professional career, he made a number of contributions to the technologies of fluorescence and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). He was also a member of several scientific professional societies.
Thomas J. Porro passed away on November 7, 2007.
Sources
Papers of Thomas J. Porro, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
“Thomas J. Porro, 83; Was Pittsfield Native,” Berkshire Eagle, November 16, 2007.
Extent
3.7 Linear Feet (5 Hollinger Boxes and 1 Hollinger Box)
Abstract
Training materials, technical materials, reprints, and sales materials collected by American chemist Thomas J. Porro. Much of the materials in this collection concern Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Also contains some materials produced by Porro’s longtime employer Perkin-Elmer Corporation, which concern analytical instruments manufactured by the firm.
Acquisition Information
The Papers of Thomas J. Porro were donated to the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) by Thomas J. Porro in 2005.
Processing Information
The Papers of Thomas J. Porro were processed by Andrew Mangravite in November 2009.
Subject
- Perkin-Elmer Corporation (Organization)
- Title
- Papers of Thomas J. Porro
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid created by Andrew Mangravite and encoded into EAD by Sarah Newhouse and Kenton G. Jaehnig.
- Date
- 2009-11
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2026-01: Finding aid revised by Kenton G. Jaehnig.
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