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Beckman Historical Collection
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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.
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Dr. Arnold Orville Beckman, the founder of scientific and medical instrument manufacturer Beckman Coulter, Incorporated, was a prominent American scientist, inventor, industrialist, and philanthropist. Born in Cullom, Illinois on April 10, 1900, Beckman first became interested in chemistry at the age of nine, when he found a copy of J. Dorman Steele's textbook, Fourteen Weeks in Chemistry in his family's home. Encouraged by his father, he converted a tool shed into a laboratory and developed his interest in chemistry over the course of his childhood and adolescence. Beckman graduated as class valedictorian from University High School in Normal, Illinois in 1918 and served in the United States Marine Corps during the last months of World War I.
After his discharge from the Marine Corps in 1919, Beckman furthered his education by earning a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering (1922) and a master's degree in physical chemistry (1923) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He entered the California Institute of Technology as a doctoral student in 1923, but interrupted his studies after one year to work for Western Electric Company in New York City, where he became interested in electronics. Beckman resumed his graduate studies at Cal Tech in 1926. While still a graduate student, he obtained the first of fourteen patents awarded to him in his lifetime. His first patent was for a "signaling device", a buzzer attached to an automobile's speedometer, which was designed to help drivers regulate their speed. Beckman earned his Ph.D. in photochemistry from Cal Tech in 1928.
From 1928 to 1940, Beckman served as a chemistry professor at Cal Tech. He became fascinated with scientific instrumentation and increasingly focused his attention upon this area as his academic career progressed. In addition to his faculty duties, Beckman was retained as a consultant by a number of businesses, and served as an expert witness in a number of legal cases involving chemistry, which included the Church Horse Doping Case and the Cox and Weatherill Oil Swindle Case.
In 1934, while still a professor at Cal Tech, Beckman was retained as a consultant by National Postal Meter Company to develop a non-clogging ink for postal meters. Beckman developed a non-clogging ink, albeit one noted for its rancid odor. He also invented and patented two appliances to apply the ink: an inking reel and an inking device. To manufacture the ink and develop the inking appliances, National Postal Meter set up a subsidiary named National Inking Appliance Company, and named Beckman Vice-President and Manager. Setting up shop in a garage in Pasadena, California, Beckman soon found that there was not much of a market for these products and this venture was not particularly successful.
Around the same time, Beckman was approached by Glen Joseph, a chemist for the California Fruit Growers Exchange, who needed an electrochemical device to measure the acidity of lemon juice. In response to this need, Beckman invented and patented the first commercially successful pH meter. Later named the Model E, Beckman's new pH meter worked so well that he was soon asked to build more of them.
Seeing a line of business that was potentially more profitable than postal meter ink and inking appliances, Beckman shifted his firm's focus to the manufacture of pH meters. To reflect this change, National Inking Appliance Company was renamed National Technical Laboratories on April 8, 1935. Now independent of National Postal Meter Company, with Beckman serving as Vice-President and owning a 10% stake, the company sold eighty-seven Model E pH meters in its first year. By 1939, National Technical Laboratories had experienced significant growth, which led to Beckman being named President of the company. In 1940, Beckman resigned his professorship at Cal Tech to devote full-time attention to his firm. That same year, the company moved into its own building in South Pasadena, California.
National Technical Laboratories expanded its line of instruments during World War II and made a number of notable contributions to the American war effort. Under Beckman's leadership, the firm introduced the Helipot Potentiometer in 1940, which became a vital component in American military radar systems. Beckman also spearheaded the development of the DU Spectrophotometer. Introduced in 1941, the DU Spectrophotometer revolutionized biochemical analysis and found numerous applications during the war, including the development and production of penicillin. In 1942, National Technical Laboratories introduced the IR-1 Spectrophotometer, an infrared spectrophotometer that was used in the development of synthetic rubber. Under Beckman's direction, National Technical Laboratories further contributed to the war effort by building micro-microammeters and dosimeters, both of which were used by the Manhattan Project.
In addition to running National Technical Laboratories, Beckman founded two additional business concerns during World War II. In 1942, he established Arnold O. Beckman, Incorporated to manufacture the Pauling Oxygen Analyzer, an instrument for measuring oxygen levels in submarines and aircraft. This company also built dosimeters for the Manhattan Project. In 1943, Beckman formed Helipot Corporation, a spin-off of National Technical Laboratories, to manufacture Helipot Potentiometers. Both of these firms maintained a close association with National Technical Laboratories after the war.
In the post-war years, National Technical Laboratories continued to experience rapid growth, which prompted the firm to expand its plant space in South Pasadena. During this time period, the company also underwent significant structural changes. In 1948, after briefly considering a merger with Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Beckman gained majority control of the firm by purchasing the stake of recently deceased investor, John J. Murdock. On April 27, 1950, he renamed the company Beckman Instruments, Incorporated. Beckman Instruments became a publically traded company in 1952 when it issued its first stock offering on the New York Curb Exchange.
During the 1950s, under Dr. Beckman's undisputed leadership, Beckman Instruments, Incorporated grew exponentially and became a world leader in the manufacture of scientific instruments. Beckman Instruments acquired a number of other companies, including Berkeley Scientific Corporation (1952) and Spinco (1955). In 1953, the firm opened its first foreign subsidiary, Beckman GmbH, in Munich, West Germany. To help accommodate its rapid growth, Beckman Instruments moved its headquarters and principal operations to a new facility in Fullerton, California in 1954. Helipot Corporation and Arnold O. Beckman, Incorporated were formally integrated into Beckman Instruments in 1958.
In addition to expanding in size, Beckman Instruments, Incorporated continued to expand its product line during the 1950s. By purchasing Berkeley Scientific Corporation, Beckman Instruments entered the computer business and was for a time a leader in this field. Through its acquisition of Spinco, the firm entered the biomedical field and became a major manufacturer of centrifuges. In 1955, Beckman Instruments became one of the founders of California's Silicon Valley by establishing Shockley Semiconductor Laboratories. But this operation was not particularly successful and it was sold to Clevite Corporation in 1960.
The 1960s and 1970s saw significant changes at Beckman Instruments, Incorporated. Arnold O. Beckman retired as President in 1965, but he continued to serve the firm as Chairman of the Board. Under the leadership of new President William Ballhaus, the company repositioned itself in the marketplace as a manufacturer of biomedical instruments. This strategy proved successful and Beckman Instruments became a world leader in this field by the 1970s. Helped by sales of its biomedical instruments, including the revolutionary Glucose Analyzer (introduced in 1969), the company continued to expand both in the United States and overseas.
One of Beckman Instruments' international operations was negatively impacted by political and social unrest encountered by corporations doing business in developing countries during the 1970s. In 1979, two Beckman executives were kidnapped by terrorists near the firm's Aplar manufacturing plant in San Salvador, El Salvador. The hostages were safely returned after Beckman Instruments paid an undisclosed ransom to the kidnappers. This incident prompted the company to close down its Salvadoran operation before the end of the year.
In 1981, Arnold O. Beckman sold Beckman Instruments, Incorporated to pharmaceuticals manufacturer SmithKline Corporation. The two companies merged in 1982 to form SmithKline Beckman Corporation. During this short-lived corporate marriage, Beckman Instruments' process instruments and electronic components operations were sold to Emerson Electronics Company. Deciding that it needed to concentrate solely on its pharmaceuticals business, SmithKline spun off Beckman Instruments in 1988. In 1989, Beckman Instruments was reestablished as an independent, publically traded concern.
In 1997, Beckman Instruments, Incorporated purchased Coulter Corporation. Founded in 1958 by brothers Wallace and Joseph Coulter, Coulter Corporation was a well-known manufacturer of blood and cell analysis instruments. The two firms subsequently merged and the new company was named Beckman Coulter, Incorporated in 1998.
Beckman Coulter opened a new world headquarters in Brea, California in 2009. In 2013, the firm was acquired by Danaher Corporation and its common stock ceased trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Beckman Coulter, Incorporated is presently an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Danaher Corporation.
A firm believer in serving one's community, Arnold O. Beckman involved himself in a number of civic activities. He was particularly active in efforts to combat smog in Southern California. From 1948 to 1952, Beckman served as a scientific consultant to the Los Angeles County Air Pollution Control District, where he helped determine the cause of the area's smog. Working with James McCullough, he developed and patented an instrument for measuring gas concentrations in the atmosphere. In 1953, California Governor Goodwin Knight appointed Beckman as head of the Special Committee on Air Pollution. The end result of this committee's work was "The Beckman Bible", which outlined steps to reduce smog. Beckman was also an active member of the Los Angles Chamber of Commerce, serving as a term as the organization's president in 1956. During the 1960s and 1970s, he served as chairman of the Lincoln Club of Orange County.
In addition to being a successful scientist, inventor, and industrialist, Dr. Beckman was also a well-known philanthropist. He maintained a close relationship with the California Institute of Technology, serving on the university's Board of Trustees (including a stint as Chairman) and funding the construction of the Beckman Auditorium (1964) and the Mabel and Arnold Beckman Laboratories of Behavioral Biology (1974). In 1977, Beckman and his wife Mabel established the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, which makes grants to non-profit research institutions in support of scientific research in the life sciences and chemistry.
Through their foundation, Dr. and Mrs. Beckman provided funding for the following centers during the 1980s:
- Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, California
- Beckman Laser Institute at the University of California, Irvine
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine at Stanford University
- Beckman Institute at the California Institute of Technology
Also through their foundation, the Beckmans donated the following major gifts:
- The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for the History of Chemistry at the Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Science and Engineering, Irvine, California
- Pepperdine University School of Business & Management's MBA Program
Over the course of his life, Dr. Beckman received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to science, technology, and business, which include the following:
- Induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame - 1987
- National Medal of Technology - 1988
- National Medal of Science Award - 1989
- Chemical Heritage Foundation's Othmer Gold Medal - 2000
Dr. Arnold O. Beckman passed away on May 18, 2004.
Sources
Beckman Historical Collection, Chemical Heritage Foundation Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Thackray, and Minor Myers, Jr., Arnold Beckman, One Hundred Years of Excellence, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Chemical Heritage Foundation, 2000.
To view selected digitized materials from this collection, please see our online Digital Collections: https://digital.sciencehistory.org/collections/wh246s128
The Beckman Historical Collection contains the corporate records of the American scientific and medical instrument manufacturer Beckman Coulter, Incorporated and the personal papers of American scientist and industrialist Arnold O. Beckman. The collection is arranged into the following fourteen series:
- Arnold O. Beckman Files
- Business Activities Files
- Corporate and Division Histories
- Press Releases
- Financial Records
- In-House Publications
- Salvadoran Kidnappings and Negotiations
- Clippings and Advertisements
- Patent Files
- Photographic Materials
- Bulletins
- Audio-Visual Materials
- Oversized
- Instructions and Manuals
The Beckman Historical Collection was donated to the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) by Beckman Coulter, Incorporated and the Beckman Foundation in November 2011.
The Beckman Historical Collection was processed by Kenton G. Jaehnig in July 2014.
Organization
Subject
- Electronic apparatus and appliances
- Electronic apparatus and appliances industry
- Inventors--United States
- Medical instruments and apparatus
- Medical instruments and apparatus industry
- Philanthropists -- United States
- Scientific apparatus and instruments
- Scientific apparatus and instruments industry
- Scientists--United States
- Publisher
- Science History Institute Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid created and encoded into EAD by Kenton G. Jaehnig
- Finding Aid Date
- 2014
- Access Restrictions
-
The Beckman Historical Collection is open to researchers with the exception of the following materials:
In Series I, all materials in Sub-series 5 - Financial Records are closed to researchers until 2064.
In Series V, selected items in Sub-series 1 - Ledgers are closed to researchers until 2039.
- Use Restrictions
-
The Science History Institute does not hold copyright to materials in the Beckman Historical Collection. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Collection Inventory
This series contains the personal files of Arnold O. Beckman, the founder of Beckman Coulter, Incorporated. The contents of the Arnold O. Beckman Files are arranged into the following five sub-series:
- Correspondence
- Legal Files
- Research Files
- Notebooks
- Financial Records
12.6 Linear Feet9 Boxes (8 Record Boxes and 1 Hollinger Box)
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series consists of Arnold O. Beckman's personal correspondence files. These files primarily document Beckman's extracurricular activities during his presidency of Beckman Instruments, Incorporated, including, but not limited to his involvement with California Institute of Technology, civic organizations, science organizations, and corporate boards. To a lesser extent, the correspondence files also document some of his professional and business activities, including, but not limited to his faculty duties at Cal Tech, his various consultant jobs with various businesses during the 1930s, and his leadership of National Technical Laboratories. A handful of files containing Beckman's correspondence with individuals are also preserved here.
The contents of the Correspondence files consist mainly of letters. A small amount of accompanying materials, including, but not limited to, speeches, reports, minutes, photographs, clippings, and patents are found in these files as well.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains Arnold O. Beckman's personal legal files. Most of the files in this sub-series concern legal cases involving chemistry on which Beckman served as an expert witness, including, but not limited to the Church Horse Doping Case, and the Cox and Weatherill Oil Swindle Case. A small number of files documenting Beckman's personal legal affairs, including a couple of his early attempts at invention and business dealings (most notably his purchase of John J. Murdock's stake in National Technical Laboratories) are also preserved in this sub-series.
The contents of the Legal Files consist of legal documents, correspondence, scientific data, notes, clippings, financial documents, proceedings, minutes, reports, and printed materials.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains research files pertaining to Arnold O. Beckman himself. Most of the files in this sub-series regard Beckman's life and career. Also present in this sub-series are a handful of files documenting Beckman's early professional work, including consultant work he performed for several clients and some of his early attempts at invention. A noticeable number of files regarding subjects connected with Arnold O. Beckman, including, but not limited to, his family and the National Inventors Hall of Fame are also preserved here.
The contents of the Research Files consist mainly of clippings, correspondence, press releases, periodicals, and various printed materials. Photographic materials, scientific data, research notes, manuscripts, reprints, and oral history transcripts are found in these files as well.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains Arnold O. Beckman's personal notebooks. A large majority of its contents consist of appointment books kept by Beckman between 1948 and 1977, which provide limited documentation of Beckman's daily activities with National Technical Laboratories and Beckman Instruments, Incorporated, and his activities outside of the firm. The information written in the appointment books includes times and dates for appointments, meetings, and travel arrangements.
Also preserved in this sub-series is a notebook/ledger kept by Beckman between 1924 and 1935. Written in this notebook/ledger are a few ideas and designs for instruments that Beckman believed to be patentable, including his "signaling device", which was patented in 1928. A brief correspondence record from 1925 and Beckman's daily notes regarding work on his non-clogging postal meter ink, inking appliances, and pH meter are also entered in this notebook/ledger. Financial information regarding Beckman's consultant work (including work he performed for National Postal Meter Company), and Christmas card lists are written in the notebook/ledger as well.
Arranged chronologically by tax year, this sub-series contains Arnold and Mabel Beckman's personal financial records. The contents of the Financial Records consist mainly of ledger pages, tax returns, statements, correspondence, and receipts. Check stubs, notes, stock certificates, account books, and clippings are preserved in this sub-series as well.
This sub-series is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This file is closed to researchers until 2064.
This series contains materials documenting Beckman Coulter, Incorporated's business activities from its origins to 2010. The contents of the Business Activities Files are arranged into the following eight sub-series:
- Correspondence
- Board of Directors and Shareholders Minutes
- Product Files
- Subject Files
- Social Affairs Files
- Company Reports
- Notebooks
- Jerry Gallwas Electrophoresis Files
21.0 Linear Feet15 Boxes (15 Record Boxes)
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains business correspondence files, which document the business activities of several Beckman Coulter corporate predecessors between the 1930s and 1980s. Most of the files were created by Beckman Instruments, Incorporated. A few files created by National Technical Laboratories, National Inking Appliance Company, Arnold O. Beckman, Incorporated, and Helipot Corporation are also included in this sub-series.
Much of the correspondence in this sub-series is between the firm and its customers (including federal government agencies), licensees, distributors, vendors, and business partners. This sub-series also contains correspondence generated by several company divisions and personnel. Correspondence regarding a number of individual issues affecting the Beckman concern, including, but not limited to, legal matters, facilities, personnel, and publicity are also found here.
The contents of the files in the Correspondence sub-series consist mainly of letters. A significant amount of accompanying materials, including, but not limited to, photographic materials, reports, notes, and blueprints, are found in this sub-series as well.
Originally from McIntyre Memorial Collection, A89:8.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains board of directors minutes and shareholders minutes created by the following Beckman Coulter corporate predecessors: Arnold O. Beckman, Incorporated, Beckman Instruments, Incorporated, Helipot Corporation, and National Technical Laboratories. The minutes preserved in this sub-series constitute the official record of board of directors and shareholders meetings held by these business entities during the 1940s and 1950s. The materials also document business decisions made at the board of directors and shareholders levels of these organizations. A small amount of accompanying materials, including correspondence, financial statements, and reports, are also included in these files.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains Product Files created by several Beckman Coulter corporate predecessors, including Beckman Instruments, Incorporated, National Technical Laboratories, Arnold O. Beckman, Incorporated, and Helipot Corporation. These files document the development and manufacture of a cross section of the Beckman product line. They also shed light on the companies' efforts to provide technical support to their customers. Most of the files in this sub-series regard individual Beckman products, including pH meters, spectrophotometers, and oxygen analyzers. A few files regarding specific technical issues encountered during the development and manufacture of various Beckman products are also preserved in this sub-series.
The contents of the Product Files consist mainly of correspondence, reports, notes, drawings, and blueprints. Brochures, bulletins, manuals, technical papers, clippings, and a handful of photographs are preserved in these files as well. Most of the materials in the Product Files were created at the actual time of the development and manufacture of the products they document. A significant amount of accompanying historical research materials, created many years after the discontinuance of the products documented, are also found in these files.
Originally from McIntyre Memorial Collection, A89:8.
Originally from McIntyre Memorial Collection, A89:8.
Electronic copy available in Box 99D Object 29.
Originally from McIntyre Memorial Collection, A89:8.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains a handful of subject files pertaining to miscellaneous business activities of Beckman Coulter, Incorporated and its corporate predecessors National Technical Laboratories and Beckman Instruments, Incorporated. Some of the files in this sub-series contain miscellaneous printed materials published by these three organizations, including brochures, a slide show script, an instructional material catalog, forms, and advertisements. Also found in this sub-series are a report of Ed Cherniss' trip to China, brochures and an instruction manual for products manufactured by other firms, and photocopies of the magazine article series "Fifty Years of Commercial Instrumentation in Absorption Spectroscopy". Beckman Coulter, Incorporated's certification by the National Standards Authority of Ireland is preserved in this sub-series as well.
Originally from McIntyre Memorial Collection, A89:8.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains files regarding the following company social functions held by Beckman Instruments, Incorporated and its corporate successor Beckman Coulter, Incorporated: Anniversary Dinners, Beckman Employees Philatelic Society, Beckman Family Picnic Festival, Circle of Excellence - Global Awards Ceremonies, and Inventor Awards Dinners. The contents of these files consist primarily of programs and invitations. A few Beckman Employee Philatelic Society mailing envelopes are found in this sub-series as well.
Arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically by year, this sub-series contains company reports published by the Beckman concern. A majority of the reports were published by Beckman Instruments, Incorporated, but a number of reports published by SmithKline Beckman Corporation and Beckman Coulter, Incorporated are also preserved here. Distributed to investors, employees, and the federal government, the Company Reports provide official summaries of the firm's business activities and finances.
The contents of this sub-series consist of the following types of company reports published by the Beckman concern: Annual Reports, Employee Annual Reports, Form 10-K's (annual reports submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission), Prospectuses, Proxy Statements, Quarterly Reports, a Semi-Annual Report, and Shareholder Notices. A small amount of accompanying materials, including press releases, proxy cards, sample checks, and sample statements are found this sub-series as well.
This sub-series contains a handful of notebooks created by Arnold O. Beckman, Incorporated, Beckman Instruments, Incorporated, and National Technical Laboratories. These materials provide primary documentation regarding a few of the firms' business activities.
The content of the Notebooks sub-series include a daily diary kept by Arnold O. Beckman himself, and two lab notebooks and a field service report notebook created by Arnold O. Beckman, Incorporated. Two project listing notebooks created by National Technical Laboratories/Beckman Instruments, Incorporated are also preserved in this sub-series. Two lab notebooks kept by Beckman Instruments' research scientist James C. Sternberg, which document his research and development work on glucose analyzers, are also found here. A small amount of accompanying materials, including notes, drawings, graphs, blueprints, and correspondence are found in this sub-series as well.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains electrophoresis files belonging to Jerry Gallwas, a long-time Beckman employee who enjoyed a distinguished career with the firm. During the 1960s, Gallwas was a member of the team responsible for the founding and development of Beckman Instruments' clinical diagnostics business. Later in his career, he served as Beckman Coulter's Director of Project Management.
These files concern hemoglobin and protein electrophoresis tests conducted by Gallwas while serving as a medical technician in the United States Army. The contents of these files consist of electrophoresis separations (stained paper strips) and scans (line charts). The tests documented in these files were taken with an early Beckman Model R Paper Electrophoresis System.
This series contains materials pertaining to the corporate history of Beckman Coulter, Incorporated. A majority of the materials in this series were created by the Beckman concern, but a significant amount of materials produced independently of the firm are preserved in this series as well. The contents of the Corporate and Division Histories series are arranged into the following two sub-series:
- Oral Histories
- Subject Files
4.2 Linear Feet4 Boxes (2 Record Boxes and 2 Hollinger Boxes
Arranged alphabetically, this sub-series contains interviews given by eleven Beckman Instruments, Incorporated executives, including, but not limited to, company founder Arnold O. Beckman and president William Ballhaus. Taken as a whole, the materials found in this sub-series provide insight into the development of Beckman Instruments and the company's internal workings from the perspective of its executives. They also provide biographical information about the executives themselves. A large majority of the interviews were conducted under the auspices of the Claremont Graduate School Oral History Program. Two interviews of Ed Cherniss conducted by the Beckman Historical Collection and one interview of Louis T. Rosso conducted by California State University, Fullerton are also included in this sub-series.
The contents of the Oral Histories files consist mainly of unedited interview transcripts and edited interview manuscripts. A small amount of accompanying materials, including correspondence and notes, are found in these files as well.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 60-61 and Box 99D Objects 1-12.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 8-9.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 10-11.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 21-22.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 21-22.
Audio recordings available in available in Box 99C Objects 4-5, 23-24.
Audio recordings available in Box 99 Objects 4-5, 23-24.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 25-26.
Audio recordings available in Box 99 Objects 27-28.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 29-30.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 31-32.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 33-35.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 39-40.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 39-40.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 41-42.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 41-42.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 43-45.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 43-45.
Audio recording available in Box 99C Object 46.
Audio recording available in Box 99C Object 46.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 47-48.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 49-50.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 51-52.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 53-54.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 53-54.
Audio recordings available in Box 99C Objects 55-56.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains subject files regarding the corporate history of Beckman Coulter, Incorporated. Most of the files concern the history of the Beckman Coulter itself and a number of its corporate predecessors, divisions, departments, and subsidiaries. This sub-series also contains a few files documenting the Beckman Historical Collection, a corporate history program established by Beckman Instruments, Incorporated during the 1970s.
The contents of the Subject Files consist of a wide variety of materials. Narrative histories, chronologies, lists, correspondence, and notes are found in these files. Clippings, press releases, miscellaneous company publications (including brochures, bulletins, manuals, and publicity publications), speeches, legal documents, and a few photographs are preserved in the Subject Files as well.
Arranged chronologically, this series contains press releases distributed by Beckman Instruments, Incorporated to media organizations between 1955 and 1994. The materials in this series provide information regarding Beckman Instruments' development and business activities from the company's perspective. They also shed light on the firm's public relations efforts. Product introductions, product literature introductions, facility openings, employee news, and company social functions are among the news stories publicized in the Press Releases. Financial news, acquisition announcements, contract announcements, and corporate restructuring announcements are documented in the Press Releases as well.
The contents of this series consist mainly of the press releases themselves. A significant number of accompanying photographs, most of which are physically attached to the press releases, are also included in this series. A small number of accompanying brochures and bulletins for various Beckman products are preserved in this series as well.
Physical Description8.4 Linear Feet7 Boxes (5 Record Boxes and 2 Hollinger Boxes)
This series contains financial records created by several corporate predecessors of Beckman Coulter, Incorporated. The Financial Records provide a reasonably detailed financial history of the firms that eventually became part of Beckman Coulter. By studying the contents of these files, one can also learn much about the companies' growth and development. The contents of the Financial Records series are arranged into the following three sub-series:
- Ledgers
- Statements
- Miscellaneous
9.8 Linear Feet7 Boxes (6 Record Boxes and 1 Hollinger Box)
Arranged alphabetically by subject whenever possible, this sub-series contains a handful of financial ledgers created by the following corporate predecessors of Beckman Coulter, Incorporated: Beckman Instruments, Incorporated, National Technical Laboratories, Republic Flow Meters Company, and Steam Appliance Company. The items created by Beckman Instruments include two payroll ledgers and a ledger for the Corolido Apartments, a company-owned apartment complex located in Corona Del Mar, California. A personnel ledger and a payroll ledger created by National Technical Laboratories are also preserved in this sub-series.
Also found in this in this sub-series are four board of directors and stockholders minutes ledgers (which mainly contain financial information) created by Republic Flow Meters Company and Steam Appliance Company. These two firms are the predecessors of Rockwell Manufacturing Company's Republic Division, which was acquired from Rockwell by Beckman Instruments in 1967.
Selected items in this sub-series are closed to researchers until 2039.
This item is closed to researchers until 2039.
This item is closed to researchers until 2039.
This item is closed to researchers until 2039.
This item is closed to researchers until 2039.
This item is closed to researchers until 2039.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains financial statement files created by several corporate predecessors of Beckman Coulter, Incorporated. Most of the materials in this sub-series were created by National Technical Laboratories and its successor Beckman Instruments, Incorporated. A few files created by Arnold O. Beckman, Incorporated, Berkeley Scientific Corporation/Berkeley Division, Helipot Corporation, and National Sales Corporation are also preserved in this sub-series.
The contents of the files in this sub-series consist mainly of financial statements, which are also referred to as reports, profit and loss budgets, operating statements, and balance sheets. A significant amount of accompanying materials, including correspondence, ledger sheets, tax documents, and notes are found in these files as well.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains miscellaneous financial files created by several corporate predecessors of Beckman Coulter, Incorporated. Most of the files in this sub-series were created by National Technical Laboratories and its successor Beckman Instruments, Incorporated. A handful of files created by Arnold O. Beckman, Incorporated, Berkeley Division, Helipot Corporation, National Inking Appliance Company, and Republic Flow Meters Company are also preserved in this sub-series.
The contents of the Miscellaneous files consist of a wide variety of financial materials. Ledger pages, tax documents, and correspondence are the most common materials found in these files. The files' contents also include expense books, invoices, and purchase orders. Stock offering documents, a note agreement, a checkbook, and corporate data are preserved within the Miscellaneous files as well.
Arranged alphabetically by title, this series contains in-house publications printed by Beckman Coulter, Incorporated and several of its corporate predecessors. The materials in this series document Beckman Coulter's development and activities over the course of its history from the firm's perspective. They are also examples of the firm's efforts to communicate with its employees, dealers, and the general public.
Most of the materials in this series were published by Beckman Instruments, Incorporated and a number of its divisions. This series also contains a noticeable number of publications printed by Beckman Instrument's successor Beckman Coulter, Incorporated, and a small amount of material from its predecessor National Technical Laboratories. A smaller number of publications printed by the following Beckman Coulter predecessors: Coulter Corporation, Helipot Corporation, Liston-Becker Instruments Company, SmithKline Beckman Corporation, and Spinco are also included in this series.
The contents of the In-House Publications series consist mainly of company periodicals and newsletters. A handful of employee guidebooks and company fact books are preserved in this series as well.
Physical Description7.0 Linear Feet5 Boxes (5 Record Boxes)
Originally from McIntyre Memorial Collection, A89:8.
Issue Number 10 originally from McIntyre Memorial Collection, A89:8.
Issue Number 13 Copy 1 originally from McIntyre Memorial Collection, A89:8.