Call Number:

C0045

Repository:

Princeton University Library: Manuscripts Division

Extent:

• 135 boxes
• 6 items

Language:

English

Preferred Citation:

Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Henry Norris Russell Papers, Box and Folder Number; Special Collections, Princeton University Library.

Date:

1894-1956 (bulk) and 1894-1980 (inclusive)

Creator:

Russell, Henry Norris, 1877-1957

Form:

Correspondence -- 20th century, Faculty papers., Photoprints., and Scrapbooks -- United States -- 19th century

Abstract:

Consists of personal papers of American astronomer Henry Norris Russell (Princeton Class of 1897), including notes kept by Russell as a student at Princeton (1894-1898), lecture notes when a professor at Princeton, and working notes on scientific and military problems.

1877 Henry Norris Russell is born in Oyster Bay, New York (October 25). 1897 A.B., Princeton University, insigne cum laude. Honors in mathematics. 1900 Ph.D., Princeton University, Department of Astronomy. Dissertation entitled, "The General Perturbations of the Major Axis of Eros by the Action of Mars." 1902-1903 Research student, King's College, Cambridge, England. 1903-1905 Instructor in astronomy, Princeton University. 1908-1911 Assistant professor, Princeton University. 1908 Married Lucy may Cole (November 24). 1911-1947 Professor of astronomy, Princeton University. 1912-1947 Director of Princeton University Observatory. 1918-1919 Consulting and experimental engineer, Bureau of Aircraft Production, Army Aviation Service. 1921-1942 Research associate, Mt. Wilson Observatory, Carnegie Institute of Washington. 1947 Research associate, Lick Observatory. 1947-1952 Research associate, Harvard University. 1957 Died in Princeton, New Jersey (February 18).

The collection consists of personal papers of Russell (Princeton Class of 1897), including notes kept by Russell as a student at Princeton (1894-1898) and at Cambridge (1902-1903), as well as lecture notes when he was a professor at Princeton and his working notes on scientific and military problems. In addition, there are manuscripts, typescripst, proofsheets, and galleys of the textbook Astronomy by Russell, Dugan and Stewart, other research papers, book reviews, published lectures, and radio broadcasts. His voluminous international correspondence with colleagues and friends, mostly astronomers and physicists, include such correspondents as Walter S. Adams, E. E. Barnard, Edwin Grant Conklin, Harold W. Dodds, Luther Pfahler Eisenhart, William F. Meggers, Edward C. Pickering, Frank Schlesinger, Harlow Shapley, and Otto Struve.

This collection also contains various documents, such as Russell's honorary degrees, awards, and certificates, as well as memorabilia and printed material. There are many technical photographs of eclipses and the different spectra, and photographs of Russell, McCosh, Meggers, Shapley, Young, and others at Princeton and in their work-related locales.