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Papers of Norbert M. Bikales

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:
025
Repository:
Science History Institute Archives
Extent:
4.1 linear feet (3 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Papers of Norbert M. Bikales, 1952-1997, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date:
1952-1997 (inclusive) and 1973-1997 (bulk)
Creator:
Bikales, Norbert M., Jenkins, A. D. (Aubrey Dennis), and Kratochvíl, Pavel
Form:
Archival materials
Abstract:
This collection contains administrative records collected and maintained by German-American polymer chemist Nobert M. Bikales. The files in this collection document Bikales' activities with the American Chemical Society Division of Polymer Chemistry (ACS POL) and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

Norbert M. Bikales (1929-) was a German-American polymer chemist. A German Jew, Bikales was born in Berlin, Germany on January 7, 1929. He was sent to France by his family in 1939 on a Kindertransport to escape persecution by the Nazis. During World War II, under the protection of the Oeuvre des Secours aux Enfants (OSE), Bikales was hidden in Nazi occupied France for a time, then escaped to Switzerland in 1943. After the war, he emigrated to the United States in 1946.

In the United States, Bikales went on to enjoy a distinguished career as a polymer chemist. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the City College of New York (1951), then went to work as a Research Chemist at American Cyanamid Company (1951-1962). At American Cyanamid, he invented or developed a number of polymer materials and chemical processes, which led to his being awarded twenty-six United States patents. While working at American Cyanamid, Bikales continued his education at Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, New York, earning his M.S. in Chemistry (1956) and Ph.D. in Chemistry (1961).

After earning his Ph.D., Bikales worked as Director of Technical Services at Gaylord Associates (1962-1965), then served as Consulting Chemist and President of N.M. Bikales & Company (1965-1976). In 1973, he joined the faculty of Rutgers University, where he served as Professor of Chemistry (1973-1979) and Director of Continuing Education in the Sciences (1973-1976). From 1976 to 1998, Bikales worked for the National Science Foundation, serving as this federal agency's Director of Polymers Program (1976-1995), Head of European Office in Paris, France (1995-1998), and Director of Instrumentation for Materials Research and National Facilities Programs (1998). After leaving federal government service, he worked as a scientific consultant.

Bikales was notably active in the affairs of several professional organizations, including the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). With the ACS, he was particularly active with the society's Division of Polymer Chemistry (ACS POL), serving as Chairman of the Nomenclature Committee (1970-1972) and a single term as Division Chairman (1983). With IUPAC, Bikales served as Secretary of the Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature (also called Commission IV.I) (1977-1987) and as Chairman of the Working Party on Recycling of Plastics (1993-1997).

Norbert M. Bikales was the recipient of several awards, including the Great Medal of the City of Paris (1985) and the National Science Foundation's Distinguished Service Award (1999). He was also an elected fellow of several professional organizations, including the American Physical Society (1991) and IUPAC (1998). Bikales was also the author of fifteen books and numerous scientific journal articles.

Sources

Norbert Bikales Photographs, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.

Papers of Nobert M. Bikales, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Papers of Norbert M. Bikales contain administrative records collected and maintained by German-American polymer chemist Norbert M. Bikales. The files in this collection provide documentation of Bikales' activities with the American Chemical Society Division of Polymer Chemistry (ACS POL) and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). The collection is arranged into the following two series:

  1. American Chemical Society Division of Polymer Chemistry Files
  2. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Files

The Papers of Norbert M. Bikales were donated to the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) by Norbert M. Bikales in July 2004.

The Papers of Norbert M. Bikales were processed by Andrew Mangravite in July 2017.

The Norbert Bikales Photographs are preserved at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

Organization
Subject

Publisher
Science History Institute Archives
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid created by Andrew Mangravite and encoded into EAD by Kenton G. Jaehnig.
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 Papers of Norbert M. Bikales. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Collection Inventory

Series Description

Norbert M. Bikales was an active member of the American Chemical Society Division of Polymer Chemistry (ACS POL). He was involved with this ACS division in various capacities, which included serving a single term as Division Chairman (1983).

Arranged in its original order, this series contains Bikales' ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry administrative files, which document his activities with the division, including his term as Division Chairman. The files in this series concern several divisional issues that Bikales was involved with, including a naming dispute with the ACS Division of Organic Coatings and Plastics Chemistry, intersociety relations, the establishment of a Historical Committee to chart the growth of polymer chemistry, and the creation and establishment of an accepted nomenclature for polymer chemistry.

The contents of these files consist mainly of correspondence. A variety of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, minutes, notes, reports, and newsletters are preserved here as well.

American Chemical Society Polymer Division - 1983 (This seems to have been an "action file" for Norbert M. Bikales.), 1981-1986 .
Box 1 Folder 1
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Awards - correspondence to and from awardees, 1983.
Box 1 Folder 2
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Board and General - correspondence and meeting agendas, 1981-1983.
Box 1 Folder 3a
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Councilors - Division Officers Caucus, 1982-1983.
Box 1 Folder 3b
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Director's Committee - correspondence, re: divisional problems, 1983.
Box 1 Folder 4
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Education/Industrial Sponsors - correspondence, 1981-1983.
Box 1 Folder 5
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Executive Committee - correspondence and minutes, 1981-1986.
Box 1 Folder 6
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - General Correspondence, 1979-1983.
Box 1 Folder 7
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - H. Mark Symposium (Kansas City, Missouri, August '83) - correspondence, 1982.
Box 1 Folder 8
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Interdisciplinary Meetings - correspondence, 1983-1984.
Box 1 Folder 9
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - International Activities - correspondence, re: "Chemistry in the New Eastern Europe" Forum, 1989-1990.
Box 1 Folder 10
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Intersociety Relations, correspondence, 1974-1989.
Box 1 Folder 11
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Membership - correspondence, 1981-1987.
Box 1 Folder 12
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Newsletters, 1973-1983, 1989-1992.
Box 1 Folder 13
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Nomenclature (Polymers) - correspondence, notes, and minutes, 1985-1992.
Box 1 Folder 14
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Division of Organic Coatings and Plastics Chemistry (ORPL) Name Change (Norbert M. Bikales as incoming Division Chairman helped bring this inter-divisional dispute to a satisfactory conclusion.) - correspondence, 1981-1982.
Box 1 Folder 15
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Preprints/Publications/Library Subscriptions, 1982-1983.
Box 1 Folder 16
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Program - correspondence and notes, 1983, 1990.
Box 1 Folder 17
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Public Relations - correspondence and meeting notes, 1982-1983.
Box 1 Folder 18
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Treasurer/Business Office - correspondence and reports, 1983.
Box 1 Folder 19
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Work File - correspondence, minutes, reports (Post-Norbert M. Bikales Chairmanship.), 1984-1985, 1991.
Box 1 Folder 20
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Education - includes reprints, reports, and course materials, 1989-1992.
Box 1 Folder 21
American Chemical Society Polymer Division - Historical - correspondence and publicity, re: Center for the History of Chemistry (CHOC) Polymer Project and American Chemical Society Historical Committee, 1981-1983.
Box 1 Folder 22

Series Description

Norbert M. Bikales was an active member of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). He served this organization as Secretary of the Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature and as Chairman of the Working Party on Recycling of Plastics. This series contains Norbert M. Bikales' International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry administrative files. The contents of these files are arranged into the following four sub-series:

  1. Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature Administrative Files
  2. Working Party on Recycling of Polymers Files
  3. Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature Meeting Minutes
  4. Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature Miscellaneous Files
Sub-series Description

Norbert M. Bikales was an active member of IUPAC's Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature (also called Commission IV.I). He served as Secretary of this commission from 1977 to 1987. The activities of this commission largely grew out of work previously done by the American Chemical Society Division of Polymer Chemistry.

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains Norbert M. Bikales' Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature administrative files. The files in this sub-series document Bikales' activities with this commission, including his tenure as Secretary. The contents of these files include, but are not limited to, correspondence, reprints, proposals, and a manuscript.

Classification - includes some reprints, 1966-1989.
Box 2 Folder 1
Definitions - includes correspondence, reprints, and American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) definitions, 1961-1992.
Box 2 Folder 2
Definitions - Reactions - correspondence and reprints, 1974-1989.
Box 2 Folder 3
Inorganic Nomenclature - correspondence and manuscript draft of document on "Nomenclature of Inorganic and Coordination Polymers", 1974, 1980.
Box 2 Folder 4
Irregular Polymers - correspondence and proposals (Folder 1 of 3.), 1988-1992.
Box 2 Folder 5
Irregular Polymers - correspondence and proposals (Folder 2 of 3.), 1988-1991.
Box 2 Folder 6
Irregular Polymers - correspondence and proposals (Folder 3 of 3.), 1985-1990.
Box 2 Folder 7
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry - correspondence (re: copolymer nomenclature), 1966, 1979-1986.
Box 2 Folder 8
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry - Nomenclature (General) - reprints and official documents, 1982-1991.
Box 2 Folder 9
Jenkins, Aubrey (Titular Member) - correspondence and official documents, 1979-1993.
Box 2 Folder 10
Kratochvil, Pavel (Titular Member) - correspondence and official documents, 1985-1989.
Box 2 Folder 11
Nomenclature - Recycling - includes reprints and definitions, 1993-1997.
Box 2 Folder 12
Polymer Nomenclature, Excluded from IV.1 (On plastics terminology.), 1983-1984.
Box 2 Folder 13
Reports IV.1 - historical reprints and International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry documents, 1952-1986.
Box 2 Folder 14
Reports IV.1 - correspondence and official International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry documents, 1986-1994.
Box 2 Folder 15
Rutgers University, Center for Plastics Recycling Research - general correspondence and policy statements, 1994.
Box 2 Folder 16
Stereochemical Nomenclature - correspondence, 1979-1989.
Box 2 Folder 17
Sub-series Description

Norbert M. Bikales was an active member of IUPAC's Working Party on the Recycling of Polymers. He served as Chairman of this group from 1993 to 1997.

Arranged in its original order, this sub-series consists of Norbert M. Bikales' Working Party on Recycling of Polymers administrative files. These files in this sub-series document Bikales' activities as Chairman of this group. The contents of these files consist of correspondence, minutes, agendas, meeting materials, and ballots.

Working Party Meeting - Lisbon, Portugal, August 1993 - includes correspondence and minutes, 1993.
Box 2 Folder 18
Working Party Meeting - Arlington, Virginia, 1994 - includes correspondence, agenda, and minutes, 1994.
Box 2 Folder 19
Working Party Meeting - Guildford, United Kingdom, 1995 - includes correspondence, agenda, and minutes, 1995.
Box 2 Folder 20
Working Party Meeting - Prague, Czech Republic, August 1997 - includes correspondence, and meeting materials, 1997.
Box 2 Folder 21
Working Party - Recycling - correspondence, re: a vote on Working Party findings, 1997.
Box 2 Folder 22
Working Party - Recycling (General correspondence and ballots.), 1994-1997.
Box 2 Folder 23
Sub-series Description

Arranged chronologically by year, this sub-series contains the minutes of annual meetings held by IUPAC's Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature (Commission IV.I) held between 1977 and 1987. The meetings represented in these files were held during Norbert M. Bikales' tenure as Secretary of the commission.

Meeting Minutes - Warsaw, Poland, 1977.
Box 3 Folder 1
Meeting Minutes - Moscow, Russia, 1978.
Box 3 Folder 2
Meeting Minutes - Davos, Switzerland, 1979.
Box 3 Folder 3
Meeting Minutes - Naples, Italy, 1980.
Box 3 Folder 4
Meeting Minutes - Leuven, Belgium, 1981.
Box 3 Folder 5
Meeting Minutes - Amherst, Massachusetts, U.S.A., 1982.
Box 3 Folder 6
Meeting Minutes - Lyngby, Denmark, 1983.
Box 3 Folder 7
Meeting Minutes - Prague, Czechoslovakia (Meeting chaired by Norbert M. Bikales.), 1984.
Box 3 Folder 8
Meeting Minutes - Lyon, France, 1985.
Box 3 Folder 9
Meeting Minutes - Hohr-Grenzhausen (Koblenz), Germany, 1986.
Box 3 Folder 10
Meeting Minutes - Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., 1987.
Box 3 Folder 11
Sub-series Description

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains miscellaneous administrative files generated by IUPAC's Commission on Macromolecular Nomenclature (Commission IV.I) that were collected and maintained by Norbert M. Bikales. The contents of the files consist of correspondence, minutes, printed materials, official documents, comments, and reports.

Abbreviations - correspondence, reprints, and official documents, 1958-1985.
Box 3 Folder 12
Compendium (Nomenclature) - correspondence and texts, 1985-1989.
Box 3 Folder 13
Membership (of Commission) - correspondence, 1974-1987.
Box 3 Folder 14
Minutes (of Commission) - minutes only, 1971-1992.
Box 3 Folder 15
Reading File: 12 June 1980-6 August 1982 - correspondence, comments, reports (Folder 1 of 2.), 1980-1982.
Box 3 Folder 16
Reading File: 12 June 1980-6 August 1982 (Folder 2 of 2.), 1980-1982.
Box 3 Folder 17
Reading File: 1985-1987 - correspondence, minutes, publications, 1985-1987.
Box 3 Folder 18

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