John Archibald Wheeler Collection

Collection

Identifier: 2018-019

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The John Archibald Wheeler Collection contains materials regarding American theoretical physicist John Archibald Wheeler, which were collected by his daughter Letitia Ufford. The collection contains a copy of the bound volume Family Gathering: Letters to J.A. Wheeler, 1977, the original of which was presented to Wheeler in the celebration of his birthday at the International Conference on Gravitational Physics and Relativity held in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada in July 1977. The collection also includes a small amount of correspondence regarding the disposition of several copies of the volume.

Dates

Creation: 1977-1979

Creator

Ufford, Letitia Wheeler, 1936- (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 John Archibald Wheeler Collection. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Background Note

John Archibald Wheeler (1911-2008) was an American theoretical physicist. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, on July 9, 1911, Wheeler earned his Ph.D. in Physics from Johns Hopkins University in 1933. He served as Professor of Physics at Princeton University from 1938 to 1976 before moving to the University of Texas at Austin where he served as the Director of the Center for Theoretical Physics from 1976-1986. After leaving the University of Texas at Austin, Wheeler returned to Princeton as an emeritus professor.

Wheeler was a pioneer in particle physics and nuclear physics. He started collaborating with Neils Bohr in 1939 on some of the earliest work in nuclear fission and participated in the development of the atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project during World War II. After the war, Wheeler continued to work for the United States Government, interrupting his research to help develop the hydrogen bomb, promote the building of fallout shelters, and support the Vietnam War and missile defense. His later work in the areas of general relativity and gravitational collapse was groundbreaking, and he is widely credited with popularizing the term "black hole" in 1967. In recognition of his work, Wheeler was the recipient of the Atomic Energy Commission's Enrico Fermi Award (1968) and the Wolf Prize in Physics (1997).

John Archibald Wheeler passed away on April 13, 2008.

Sources

John Archibald Wheeler Collection, 1977-1979, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

John Wheeler Papers, 1897-1987, University of Texas at Austin, Briscoe Center for American History, Austin, Texas - https://txarchives.org/utcah/finding_aids/01026.xml.

John Archibald Wheeler Papers, 1880-2008, American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - https://as.amphilsoc.org/repositories/2/resources/1844.

Extent

0.20 Linear Feet (1 Half Hollinger Box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Copy of the bound volume Family Gathering: Letters to J.A. Wheeler, 1977, the original of which was presented to American theoretical physicist John Archibald Wheeler on his birthday in July 1977, and accompanying correspondence. The materials in this collection were collected by his daughter Letitia Ufford.

Acquisition Information

The John Archibald Wheeler Collection was originally donated to the American Philosophical Society by Letitia Ufford in 2018. The collection was subsequently donated to the Science History Institute by Letitia Ufford via the American Philosophical Society in July 2018.

Related Materials

Four oral histories of John Archibald Wheeler are preserved at the American Institute of Physics' Niels Bohr Library & Archives in College Park, Maryland.

The John A. Wheeler Response to Early 1930s Ph.D Survey, 1980 is preserved at the American Institute of Physics' Niels Bohr Library & Archives in College Park, Maryland.

The John A. Wheeler Letter, 1985, is preserved at the American Institute of Physics' Niels Bohr Library & Archives in College Park, Maryland.

The John Wheeler Papers, 1937-1987 are preserved at the University of Texas at Austin's Briscoe Center for American History in Austin, Texas.

The John Archibald Wheeler Papers, 1930s-1999 are preserved at Abilene Christian University's Brown Library in Abilene, Texas.

The John Archibald Wheeler Papers, 1880-2008, are preserved at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.