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Paul A. Wilks, Jr. Papers

Notifications

Held at: Science History Institute Archives [Contact Us]315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Science History Institute Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
012
Repository:
Science History Institute Archives
Extent:
4.5 linear feet (6 record boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Paul A. Wilks, Jr. Papers, 1945-2002, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date:
1945-2002 (inclusive)
Creator:
Wilks, Paul A., Jr., 1923-2008
Form:
Archival materials
Abstract:
Publications, reprints, correspondence, reports, event programs, conference agendas, news releases, and manuals belonging to Paul A. Wilks, Jr.

Paul A. Wilks, Jr. was an engineer of scientific apparatuses and instruments for infrared spectroscopy. Wilks was born on June 16, 1923 in Springfield, Massachusetts. After graduating from Springfield Technical High School, Wilks went to Harvard University, where he majored in engineering. He graduated from Harvard University in 1944 with a bachelor's degree and began working for Perkin-Elmer, Incorporated that same year. Wilks became the marketing director of Perkin-Elmer in 1952.

Wilks left Perkin-Elmer in 1957 and, along with Charles W. Warren, co-founded the Connecticut Instrument Company, which manufactured accessories for the infrared industry. Wilks and Warren sold their company to R. Bowling Barnes in 1962. Wilks worked at Barnes Engineering Company from 1962 to 1963 serving as commercial products manager. In 1963, Wilks founded the Wilks Scientific Corporation, which manufactured a variety of spectroscopy products. The company was sold to the Foxboro Company in 1977, and Wilks managed the Wilks Division of the company until 1979. After leaving Foxboro, Wilks founded the General Analysis Corporation to market products that monitored workspace environments. The company was unable to create a market in this area and changed its focus towards producing products for other industries, such as the beverage industry.

Wilks decided to retire in 1993 and General Analysis was eventually sold to OI Corporation. While still in retirement, Wilks started another company in the 1990s, Wilks Enterprise, Incorporated. This company continues Wilks' efforts to produce applicable products based on infrared spectroscopy and other technologies. He died in Lebanon, New Hampshire on October 11, 2008.

Sources

Paul A Wilks, Jr. Papers, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Paul A. Wilks, Jr. Papers contain the papers of spectroscopy engineer Paul A. Wilks, Jr. The collection is arranged into the following six series:

  1. Perkin-Elmer Corporation
  2. Perkin-Elmer Corporation to CIC (Connecticut Instrument Corporation)
  3. Wilks Scientific Corporation
  4. General Analysis Corporation (and Flying Stable, Incorporated)
  5. Conferences, Symposia, and Reprints
  6. Publications

The Paul A. Wilks, Jr. Papers were donated to the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) by Paul A. Wilks, Jr. in 2002.

The Paul A. Wilks, Jr. Papers were processed by Andrew Mangravite in 2017 and encoded into EAD by Samantha Brigher in 2020.

There are no other known archival collections created by Paul A. Wilks, Jr. at the date of processing.

Organization
Subject

Publisher
Science History Institute Archives
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid created by Andrew Mangravite and encoded into EAD by Samantha Brigher.
Finding Aid Date
2017
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.

Use Restrictions

The Science History Institute holds copyright to the Paul A. Wilks, Jr. Papers. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Collection Inventory

Series Description

This series contains the Perkin-Elmer Corporation Files. Arranged chronologically by date from 1945 to 1983, this series consists of thirty-three files. These files primarily concern publications collected during Wilks' time working at the Perkin-Elmer Corporation.

Infrared Spectrometer-Model 12A - Instruction Manual, 1945.
Box 1 Folder 1
"Introduction to Infrared Spectrometry", Volume 1, 1952.
Box 1 Folder 2
"Introduction to Infrared Spectrometry", Volume 1, 1952.
Box 1 Folder 3
Model 21 Infrared Spectrophotometer - Operating and Maintenance Instructions, 1955.
Box 1 Folder 4
"Report and Recommendations of the Infrared Committee, April 1, 1955"/"Summary of Infracord Program and Recommendations for Future Action", 1955.
Box 1 Folder 5
Model 137 Perkin-Elmer Infracord Spectrophotometer - Operating Instructions, Volume 1, 1957.
Box 1 Folder 6
Instrument News, Volume 15, Number 1, 1963.
Box 1 Folder 7
Instrument News, Volume 15, Number 4, 1965.
Box 1 Folder 8
Instrument News, Volume 17, Number 1, 1966.
Box 1 Folder 9
Instrument News, Volume 17, Number 2, 1966.
Box 1 Folder 10
Instrument News, Volume 17, Number 4, 1967.
Box 1 Folder 11
Instrument News, Volume 18, Number 1, 1967.
Box 1 Folder 12
Instrument News, Volume 18, Number 2, 1967.
Box 1 Folder 13
Instrument News, Volume 19, Number 1, 1968.
Box 1 Folder 14
Instrument News, Volume 19, Number 2, 1968.
Box 1 Folder 15
Instrument News, Volume 19, Number 3, 1969.
Box 1 Folder 16
Instrument News, Volume 19, Number 4, 1969.
Box 1 Folder 17
Instrument News, Volume 20, Number 1, 1969.
Box 1 Folder 18
Instrument News, Volume 20, Number 2, 1969.
Box 1 Folder 19
Instrument News, Volume 20, Number 4, 1970.
Box 1 Folder 20
Instrument News, Volume 21, Number 1, 1970.
Box 1 Folder 21
Instrument News, Volume 21, Number 3, 1971.
Box 1 Folder 22
Instrument News, Volume 22, Number 1, 1972.
Box 1 Folder 23
Instrument News, Volume 23, Number 1, 1973.
Box 1 Folder 24
Instrument News, Volume 24, Number 1, 1974.
Box 1 Folder 25
Instrument News, Volume 24, Number 2, 1974.
Box 1 Folder 26
Instrument News, Volume 25, Number 1, 1975.
Box 1 Folder 27
Instrument News, Volume 27, Number 1, 1977.
Box 1 Folder 28
Instrument News, Volume 28, Number 1, 1979.
Box 1 Folder 29
Instrument News, Volume 30, Number 1, 1980.
Box 1 Folder 30
Instrument News, Volume 31, Number 1, 1981.
Box 1 Folder 31
Instrument News, Volume 32, 1982.
Box 1 Folder 32
Instrument News, Volume 33, 1983.
Box 1 Folder 33

Series Description

This series contains the Perkin-Elmer Corporation to CIC (Connecticut Instrument Corporation) Files. Arranged somewhat chronologically by date, from 1956 to 1961, this series consists of three files. These files primarily concern Wilks' time as Co-Founder and Assistant CEO of CIC.

P-E Model 137 "Infracord" - PAW sales and marketing memos, 1956-1957.
Box 2 Folder 1
CIC Newsletter, 1959-1962.
Box 2 Folder 2
CIC - PAW notebook - re: application of attenuated total reflection to infrared analysis, 1961.
Box 2 Folder 3

Series Description

This series contains the Wilks Scientific Corporation Files. Arranged somewhat chronologically by date, from 1963 to 1985, this series consists of twelve files. These files primarily concern news releases, bulletins, reports, and notes during Wilks' time as Founder and CEO of Wilks Scientific Corporation.

PAW notebook - re: development of practical devices based on "frustrated internal reflection" (FTIR), 1963.
Box 3 Folder 1
Wilks Scientific Corporation - bulletins and trade ads, 1963-1976.
Box 3 Folder 2
Wilks Scientific Corporation - MIRAN introduction (incl. "IR Analysis for Bench Chemists" by PAW), 1971.
Box 3 Folder 3
Wilks Scientific Corporation - news releases, Numbers 1-25 (by Five Company), 1972-1973.
Box 3 Folder 4
Wilks Scientific Corporation - news releases, Numbers 26-68 (by Five Company), 1973-1974.
Box 3 Folder 5
Wilks Scientific Corporation - news releases, Numbers 1-30 (by WSC), 1975-1976.
Box 3 Folder 6
Foxboro Corporation - Annual Report 1977 (the year they purchased WSC), 1977.
Box 3 Folder 7
Wilks Scientific Corporation - news releases, Numbers 31-69 (actually, only to Number 38; missing Number 33), 1976.
Box 3 Folder 8
General Note

See Box 3 Folder 9 for the remaining issue

Wilks Scientific Corporation - news releases - Fiscal 1977 (this folder contains WSC news releases, Numbers 39-61, but is an incomplete run), 1976-1977.
Box 3 Folder 9
Wilks Scientific Corporation - news releases, Numbers 62-71, 1977.
Box 3 Folder 10
Wilks Scientific Corporation - manuals (Variable Path 20-Meter Gas Cell and MIRAN-80 Computing Infrared Analyzer), 1976, 1979.
Box 3 Folder 11
Wilks Scientific Corporation/Foxboro - "Infrared Spectroscopy Accessories", 1973-1985.
Box 3 Folder 12

Series Description

This series contains the General Analysis Corporation (and Flying Stable, Incorporated) Files. Arranged somewhat chronologically from 1980 to 1993, this series consists of thirteen files. These files primarily contain correspondence, manuals, publications, and ads collected during Wilks' time as Founder and CEO of the General Analysis Corporation.

General Analysis Corporation - PAW Correspondence, 1979-1980.
Box 4 Folder 1
General Analysis Corporation - PAW Correspondence, 1981.
Box 4 Folder 2
General Analysis Corporation - PAW Correspondence, 1982.
Box 4 Folder 3
General Analysis Corporation - PAW Correspondence, 1983 January-June.
Box 4 Folder 4
General Analysis Corporation - PAW Correspondence, 1983 July-December.
Box 4 Folder 5
General Analysis Corporation - PAW Correspondence, 1984 January-June.
Box 4 Folder 6
General Analysis Corporation - PAW Correspondence, 1984 July-December.
Box 4 Folder 7
General Analysis Corporation - PAW Correspondence, 1985 January-June.
Box 4 Folder 8
General Analysis Corporation - PAW Correspondence, 1985 July-December.
Box 4 Folder 9
General Analysis Corporation - PAW Correspondence/LAN-I Liquid Analyzer-Instruction Manual, 1983.
Box 4 Folder 10
General Analysis Corporation - LAN-I Liquid Analyzer - trade ad, undated.
Box 4 Folder 11
General Analysis Corporation - Beverage Analysis News, Volumes 1-6, 1987-1993.
Box 4 Folder 12
General Analysis Corporation - mock-ups of two GAC magazine ads, undated.
Box 4 Folder 13

Series Description

This series contains the Conferences, Symposia, and Reprints Files. Arranged chronologically by date, from 1967 to 1998, this series consists of ten files. These files primarily concern symposia and conference proceedings, programs, and reprints of articles collected by Wilks.

Low, M. D. J. "Subtler Infrared Spectroscopy", International Science and Technology, 1967 February.
Box 5 Folder 1
ASTM - "Standard Practices for Internal Reflection Spectroscopy", E 573-81, 1981.
Box 5 Folder 2
IFT Florida Section - "Proceedings of the 24th Annual Short Course for the Food Industry - High Tech in Citrus Processing and Quality Control" (incl. PAW "Brix Measurement"), 1984.
Box 5 Folder 3
ISA - Proceedings of the Process Automation Symposium: "Technological Developments for Today and Tomorrow", Giant's Stadium Club, East Rutherford, NJ (incl. PAW "Infrared Systems - Uses and Limitations"), 1985 April.
Box 5 Folder 4
ISA - Analysis Instrumentation, Volume 22; "Proceedings of the 32nd Annual ISA Analysis Instrumentation Symposium" (incl. Wilks, Paul A. "Cylindrical Internal Reflection Extends Infrared Analysis to Aqueous Systems in the Laboratory and on the Process Stream"), 1986.
Box 5 Folder 5
Proceedings of Bev-Plants '88 - First International Conference on the Concept, Design, Engineering and Operation of Advanced Beverage Plants (incl. PAW on On-Line Brix/Diet and Carbonation Monitoring), 1988 May.
Box 5 Folder 6
ANATECH '92 Special Issue - Process Control and Quality, Volume 3, Numbers 1-4; Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Analytical Techniques for Industrial Process Control (incl. PAW. "High Performance Infrared Filtometers for Continuous Liquid and Gas Analysis"), 1992 December, undated.
Box 5 Folder 7
ACS - programs and abstracts, ACS 26th Great Lakes Regional Meeting, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI (incl. PAW "Infrared Process Monitors for Liquid Stream Analysis"), 1993 May.
Box 5 Folder 8
Perkin-Elmer FT-IR Update, "Introducing the Paragon 1000", Pittsburgh Conference, 1994.
Box 5 Folder 9
EPA 21st Annual EPA Conference on Analysis of Pollutants in the Environment, Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel, Norfolk, VA (incl. PAW "Alternate Methods for Infrared Analysis of Total Oil and Grease (TOG) in Effluent Water and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) in Water and Soil"), 1998 May.
Box 5 Folder 10

Series Description

This series contains the Publications Files. Arranged somewhat chronologically by date, from 1954 to 2002, this series consists of forty-seven files. These files primarily concern the publications of articles and books written by Wilks.

Wilks, Paul A. "Continuous Infrared Ethylene Analysis", Oil and Gas Journal, Volume 53, Number 25, 1954 October 25.
Box 6 Folder 1
Wilks, Paul A. "Control Processes Continually with the Infrared Analyzer", Automatic Control, 1955.
Box 6 Folder 2
Wilks, Paul A. "Optical and Electronic Building Blocks", Abstract, Symposium on Molecular Structure and Spectroscopy, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 1961 June.
Box 6 Folder 3
Wilks, Paul A. "Important Industrial Growth", MARK, 1964 October 17.
Box 6 Folder 4
Wilks, Paul A. "IR Analysis for the Bench Chemist", American Laboratory, 1971 March.
Box 6 Folder 5
Wilks, Paul A. "Standardbred Horse Auction: A Guide", Hub Rail, 1979.
Box 6 Folder 6
Wilks, Paul A. "Internal Reflection Spectroscopy", American Laboratory, 1980 June.
Box 6 Folder 7
Wilks, Paul A. "IR Becoming Practical for Liquid Stream Composition Analysis", Control Engineering, Volume 27, Number 7, 1980 July.
Box 6 Folder 8
Wilks, Paul A. Happiness Is Being in the Winner's Circle! A Guide for the Harness Horse Owner (Smithtown, NY: Exposition Press), 1981.
Box 6 Folder 9
Wilks, Paul A. "Sampling Method Makes On-Stream IR Analysis Work", Industrial Research and Development, 1982 September.
Box 6 Folder 10
Rein, A., and Paul A. Wilks. "Cylindrical Internal Reflection Cell", American Laboratory, 1982 October.
Box 6 Folder 11
Wilks, Paul A. "Case for Trotters", Hub Rail, 1983 April-May.
Box 6 Folder 12
Wilks, Paul A. "Laboratory Note: Putting On-Stream Analyzers to Work", American Laboratory, 1983 November.
Box 6 Folder 13
Wilks, Paul A. "Internal Reflection Spectroscopy", in The Best of American Laboratory (Fairfield, CT: International Scientific Publications, Incorporated), 1983.
Box 6 Folder 14
Wong, J. S., A. J. Rein, D. Wilks, and Paul A. Wilks. "Infrared Spectroscopy of Aqueous Antibiotic Solutions", Applied Spectroscopy, Volume 38, Number 1, 1984 January-February.
Box 6 Folder 15
Wilks, Paul A. "Aqueous Solution Analysis by Internal Reflection Infrared Spectroscopy", European Spectroscopy News, Number 55, 1984 August-September.
Box 6 Folder 16
Wilks, Paul A. "Infrared in the Real World: FT-IR Versus Filter IR in Process Monitoring", Spectroscopy, Volume 1, Number 4, 1986 April.
Box 6 Folder 17
Wilks, Paul A. "Infrared in the Real World: Quantitative Analysis - On-Line Versus Quality Control Laboratory", Spectroscopy, Volume 1, Number 7, 1986 July.
Box 6 Folder 18
Wilks, Paul A. "Infrared in the Real-World: Direct Transmission of Infrared Spectra is Now Possible", Spectroscopy, Volume 1, Number 9, 1986 September.
Box 6 Folder 19
Wilks, Paul A. "Infrared in the Real World: Fairfield County, Connecticut - Silicon Valley of Spectroscopy", Spectroscopy, Volume 1, Number 10, 1986 October.
Box 6 Folder 20
Wilks, Paul A. "Determining BRIX/Acid Ratios with a Two Component Infrared Analyzer", American Laboratory, 1986 December.
Box 6 Folder 21
Wilks, Paul A. "Real World Spectroscopy: IBM Instrument Division Closes", Spectroscopy, Volume 2, Number 4, 1987 April.
Box 6 Folder 22
McDonald, R. S., and Paul A. Wilks. "JCAMP-DX: Standard Form for Exchange of Infrared Spectra in Computer Readable Form", Applied Spectroscopy, Volume 42, Number 1, 1988.
Box 6 Folder 22b
Wilks, Paul A. "In-Line Determination of Carbon Dioxide in Beer by Infrared Analysis", MBAA Technical Quarterly, Volume 25, Number 4, 113-116, 1988.
Box 6 Folder 22c
Wilks, Paul A. "On-Line Monitors - Vital Tool for Operations Managers", Beverage World, 1989 July.
Box 6 Folder 23
Wilks, Paul A. "On-Line Monitors Make SPC a Snap", Beverage World, 1990 March.
Box 6 Folder 24
Wilks, Paul A. "Infrared in the Real World: On Moving from the Process Stream to the Control Laboratory", Spectroscopy, Volume 5, Number 9, 1990 November-December.
Box 6 Folder 25
Wilks, Paul A. "Quantitative Quandary: Mixing Methods in the Lab Can Lead to Unforeseen Problems", Beverage World, 1991 March.
Box 6 Folder 26
Wilks, Paul A. "Real-World Spectroscopy: Long Path Gas Cell: Infrared Accessory with a Big Future", Spectroscopy, Volume 6, Number 3, 1991 March-April.
Box 6 Folder 27
Wilks, Paul A. "Real-World Spectroscopy: Infrared Nomenclature", Spectroscopy, Volume 6, Number 7, 1991 September.
Box 6 Folder 28
Wilks, Paul A. "Infrared Analyzers for Ambient Air and Process Stream Monitoring", American Laboratory, 1991 October.
Box 6 Folder 29
Wilks, Paul A. "Real-World Spectroscopy: In Quantitative Analysis, 'Signal-to-Noise' is the Name of the Game", Spectroscopy, Volume 6, Number 9, 1991 November-December.
Box 6 Folder 30
Wilks, Paul A. "Evolution of Commercial IR Spectrometers and the People Who Made It Happen", Analytical Chemistry, Volume 64 (incl. print-outs of a PowerPoint presentation by PAW), 1992.
Box 6 Folder 31
Wilks, Paul A. "IR Filtometers for Today's Analytical Requirements", American Laboratory, 1994 December.
Box 6 Folder 32
Wilks, Paul A. "Infrared in the Real World: Don't Overlook the Near/Mid-Infrared Spectral Region", Spectroscopy, Volume 10, Number 2, 1995 February.
Box 6 Folder 33
Wilks, Paul A. "First 50 Years of Commercial Infrared - and Beyond", American Laboratory, 1995 February.
Box 6 Folder 34
Anon. "Wilks Enterprise Fifth in 46-Year PITTCON Tradition", Pittsburgh Conference TODAY (Announcement of start-up of PAW's fifth company, Wilks Enterprise), 1995 March 8.
Box 6 Folder 35
Wilks, Paul A. "Real-World Spectroscopy: Filter Analyzers v. Process FT-IR Spectrometers, Continued", Spectroscopy, Volume 10, Number 9, 1995 November-December.
Box 6 Folder 36
Wilks, Paul A. "Portable Infrared Analyzers for Repetitive Analysis", American Laboratory, 1996 February.
Box 6 Folder 37
Wilks, Paul A. "Oil and Water Don't Mix Thanks to IR Monitoring", Photonics Spectra, 1996 August.
Box 6 Folder 38
Wilks, Paul A. "Sampling Solutions: Replacing Freon 113 as an IR Solvent - How the Attempted Solution of One Environmental Problem is Creating Another", Spectroscopy, Volume 12, Number 1, 1997 January.
Box 6 Folder 39
Wilks, Paul A. "Alternate Methods for Infrared Analysis of Total Oil and Grease in Water", Pollution Equipment News, 1998 February.
Box 6 Folder 40
Wilks, Paul A. "PittCon from a Long-Time Exhibitor's Standpoint", Spectroscopy, Volume 13, Number 11, 1998 November.
Box 6 Folder 41
Wilks, Paul A. "ATR - Where it Came From, Where it's Going", The Spectrum, Volume 29, Issue 1, 2001 February.
Box 6 Folder 42
Wilks, Paul A. "Infrared in the Real World: Evolution of IR Sensors", Spectroscopy, Volume 16, Number 3, 2001 March.
Box 6 Folder 43
Wilks, Paul A. "How the Infrared Spectrometer Reached the Bench Chemist", Spectroscopy, Volume 18, Number 12, 2001 December.
Box 6 Folder 44
Wilks, Paul A. "Personal View of the Development of the FTS-14 Spectrometer", The Spectrum, Volume 29, Issue 1, 2002 February.
Box 6 Folder 45
Spectroscopy 2000 Corporate Capabilities Issue, Volume 14, Number 12, 1999 December.
Box 6 Folder 46
Spectroscopy 2002 Corporate Capabilities Issue, Volume 16, Number 12, 2001 December.
Box 6 Folder 47

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