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Adelbert T. Tweedie Papers
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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.
Overview and metadata sections
Adelbert T. Tweedie was an American research chemist. He was best known for his work in developing materials for use in the United States' space program. Tweedie earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan (1953) and his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Illinois (1956). After receiving his Ph.D., he worked as a Research Chemist at Dow Chemical Company's Physical Research Laboratory in Midland, Michigan (1956-1958).
Tweedie first started researching chemicals for space flight applications in 1958, when he was hired by Aerojet-General Corporation. Serving as a Research Scientist (1958-1962), he was involved in Aerojet-General's efforts to develop high-energy solid rocket propellants. In 1962, Tweedie moved to Union Carbide Corporation, where he served as Technical Supervisor of the firm's Rocket Propulsion Project (1962-1964). At Union Carbide, he was involved in the firm's efforts to design solid propellant rockets.
In 1964, Tweedie was hired by General Electric Company's Missile and Space Division, where he enjoyed a notable career that lasted nearly twenty-five years. Over the course of his career with this General Electric division, he served as Manager of Chemical Materials Development (1964-1968), Manager of Materials Development and Applications (1968-1976), Manager of Materials Engineering (1976-1986), and Chief Scientist (1986-1988). During Tweedie's tenure, due to corporate reorganizations, General Electric's Missile and Space Division was subsequently renamed the Space Division in 1969 and the Space Systems Division in 1982.
At General Electric, Tweedie oversaw the development of a number of materials that were used for space flight applications, including flexible encapsulating resins, SMRD 100 low outgassing vibration damping compounds, and ultraviolet resistant coatings. In 1967, he was a member of a General Electric team investigating the causes of the fatal Apollo 1 Launchpad Fire, which identified flammable materials present in the space capsule. He also served as a member of the General Electric Space Division Technological Hazards Review Board.
Tweedie retired from General Electric Company in 1988. After leaving General Electric, he served as Chief Scientist at Devon Associates.
Adelbert T. Tweedie was an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Chemical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He was the recipient of General Electric's GE-MSD Paige Award for the Development of Flexible Encapsulating Resins (1964) and the Marquis Who's Who Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award (2018).
Sources
"Adelbert T. Tweedie, Ph.D., Presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who's Who," Adelbert Tweedie, Ph.D., Presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who's Who (24-7pressrelease.com).
Adelbert T. Tweedie Papers, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Adelbert T. Tweedie Papers contain the professional and personal papers of American research chemist Adelbert T. Tweedie. The materials in this collection mainly concern various projects Tweedie worked on at General Electric Company's Missile and Space Division and the division's successors. The collection is arranged into the following two series:
- General Electric Company Proposals
- Miscellaneous Files
The Adelbert T. Tweedie Papers were donated to the Science History Institute by Adelbert T. Tweedie in 2019.
The Adelbert T. Tweedie Papers were processed by Kenton G. Jaehnig in May 2022.
Organization
- General Electric Company. Missile and Space Division
- General Electric Company. Space Division
- General Electric Company. Space Systems Division
- United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- United States. Air Force
Subject
- Publisher
- Science History Institute Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid created and encoded into EAD by Kenton G. Jaehnig.
- Finding Aid Date
- 2022
- Access Restrictions
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There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.
- Use Restrictions
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The Science History Institute holds copyright to the Adelbert T. Tweedie Papers. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Collection Inventory
Arranged chronologically by date, this series contains twenty-seven General Electric Company proposals that were collected and maintained by Adelbert T. Tweedie. The proposals preserved in this series are for projects Tweedie worked on at General Electric Company's Missile and Space Division and the division's successors between 1966 and 1986.
A majority of the proposals in this series were prepared for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Air Force. A handful of proposals for other federal government agencies, including the United States Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW), the National Science Foundation, and the Energy Research and Development Administration are also preserved here.
A large majority of the proposals in this series concern materials developed for space flight applications. A handful of proposals for materials developed for other purposes, including medical applications, energy storage, and energy generation are preserved here as well.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains Adelbert T. Tweedie's Miscellaneous Files. The files in this series contain a limited amount of information regarding Tweedie's professional career, the work and accomplishments of General Electric Company's Missile and Space Division and the division's successors, and Tweedie's opinions on the state of research and development at Union Carbide Corporation during his tenure there. The contents of the Miscellaneous Files consist of two memos, two manuscripts, and a report.