The Papers of Robert E. Finnigan

Collection

Identifier: 2013-036

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

For a more detailed inventory, please view this record in our library catalog: https://othmerlib.sciencehistory.org/record=b1070684~S6

The collection is divided into materials generated by the Stanford Research Institute, which deal largely with the development of the quadrupole mass spectrometer, and materials from Finnigan Corporation, which are largely finance-related, including a complete set of the firm's Annual Reports.

Dates

Creation: 1953-1995
Creation: Majority of material found within 1962-1989

Creator

Nier, Alfred O. (Alfred Otto), 1911-1994 (Person)

Language of Materials

Text in English.

Biographical sketch

Robert E. Finnigan was born on May 27, 1927 in Buffalo, NY. He graduated from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1949 and while still on active duty was enrolled in the University of Illinois earning in Masters in Electrical Engineering in 1954 and his Ph.D. in 1957. He left the service in 1959 and took a position in the Research Control Group at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In 1962 he accepted a position as Senior Research Scientist at the Stanford Research Institute to pursue process control research. In 1963 he was hired as Director, Scientific Instruments Division by Electronic Associates Inc. He and Michael Uthe, Jr. built several quadrupole mass spectrometers for various clients, but frustrated by AEI's lack of interest in further instrumentation development, Finnigan and several of his colleagues left to form the Finnigan Corporation in 1967. In 1989 changing economic conditions led to the sale of firm. Finnigan retired from an active position but retained the title of Vice Chairman Emeritus.

Extent

1.38 Linear Feet (1 box)

Additional Description

Abstract

This is a small collection of materials collected by the donor Robert E. Finnigan, for their significance in telling the story of the development of Mass Spectroscopy and the part played in that development by the Finnigan Corporation Photographs and slides have been removed from the collection and deposited in CHF Image Archives. There are Finnigan instrumentation manuals and ads in the CHF Instrumentation Manual Collection.