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Microanalysis Society Records
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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
The Microanalysis Society (MAS) is an American non-profit professional association dedicated to the advancement of microanalytical principles, instrumentation and applications. Its mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge concerning the principles, instrumentation, and applications of microanalysis down to the atomic level. According to MAS, microanalysis broadly encompasses any analytical method for determination of materials properties at the micrometer and smaller size scale, or microgram or smaller mass scale. Common microanalysis methods used by MAS members include electron microprobe and microscope-based spectroscopies, x-ray fluorescence, and laser and ion mass spectrometries.
The origins of MAS date back to 1951, when French physicist and inventor Raimond Castaing published his thesis "Microanalysis by Means of Electron Probes". Shortly after the publication of Castaing's work, several laboratories started to develop instruments for electron x-ray analysis. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, a number of commercial electron probe instruments appeared on the market, which included those manufactured by CAMECA and Applied Research Laboratories, Incorporated. The appearance of these instruments spurred interest in the new field of microanalysis and led to the organization of several national conferences.
In October 1964, a conference on electron probe microanalysis sponsored by the Electrochemical Society was held in Washington, DC. The success of this conference led a group interested scientists, including future MAS founding member Kurt F.J. Heinrich, to meet shortly afterwards to discuss how national conferences on electron probe microanalysis could be continued. In May 1966, the First National Conference on Electron Probe Analysis was held in College Park, Maryland, where the possibility of forming a national microanalysis society was further discussed. The new organization, named the Electron Probe Analysis Society of America (EPASA), was formally established on December 10, 1966. EPASA was incorporated as a non-profit organization in the State of New York in 1968.
By the mid-1970s, the scientific scope of EPASA had broadened to include new microanalysis techniques and instruments, including secondary ion scattering spectroscopy and ion scattering spectroscopy. Microanalysis was also finding applications in a growing number of fields, including metallurgy, geology, and biology. In recognition of such developments, EPASA was renamed the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS) in 1974. During the 1980s, MAS' scope was further broadened by computational techniques and digital image acquisition and processing techniques. In more recent years, advances in optical techniques and scanned probe microscopies were incorporated into MAS-sponsored sessions. These developments led to the organization being renamed the Microanalysis Society (MAS) in 2011.
Currently headquartered in Reston, Virginia, the membership of the Microanalysis Society includes individual microanalysis professionals who work in academia, government agencies, and the private sector. Its membership also includes Sustaining Members consisting of individuals, companies, and corporations wishing to advance the interests and objectives of the society. MAS continues to hold annual meetings and organizes topical conferences and webinars. In conjunction with the Microscopy Society of America, MAS co-publishes the periodicals Microscopy and Analysis and Microscopy Today. MAS also sponsors fellowships and several awards, including the Peter Duncomb Award and Kurt F.J. Heinrich Award.
Sources
Microanalysis Society Records, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Microanalysis Society Website - https://the-mas.org.
The Microanalysis Society Records contain the organizational records of the Microanalysis Society. Most of the materials in these records were generated during the period in which the society was named the Electron Probe Analysis Society of America (1966-1973) and the Microbeam Analysis Society (1974-2010). The collection is arranged into the following seven series:
- Correspondence Files
- Administrative Files
- Meeting Files
- Kurt F.J. Heinrich Files
- Instrument Files
- Miscellaneous Printed Materials
- Oversized Drawing Reproductions
The Microanalysis Records were donated to the Science History Institute by John Fournelle, on behalf of the Microanalysis Society in September 2022.
The Microanalysis Society Records were processed by Kenton G. Jaehnig in May 2024.
People
Subject
- Analysis
- Electron microscopes
- Electron microscopy
- Electron probe microanalysis
- Professional associations
- Scanning electron microscopes
- Science -- Societies, etc
- Technical manuals
- Microchemistry
Occupation
- Publisher
- Science History Institute Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid created and encoded into EAD by Kenton G. Jaehnig.
- Finding Aid Date
- 2024
- 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 Microanalysis Society Records. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Collection Inventory
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains a handful of Microanalysis Society correspondence files, which were generated when the organization was known as Electron Probe Analysis Society of America (EPASA) and the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS) respectively. The files in this series contain correspondence generated by the following society officers: Roger B. Bolon, Charles E. Fiori, Joseph I. Goldstein, Kurt F.J. Heinrich, Paul Lublin, Robert Myklebust, and Harvey Yakowitz. A single file containing the Microbeam Analysis Society's correspondence with the New England Society for Electron Microscopy is also present here. The materials in this series provide limited documentation regarding several of the society's Annual Meetings and miscellaneous administrative matters.
The contents of the Correspondence Files consist mainly of letters. Small amounts of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, member lists, financial documents, and legal documents are preserved here as well.
This series contains the Microanalysis Society's Administrative Files. The files in this series were generated when the organization was known as the Electron Probe Analysis Society of America (EPASA) and the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS) respectively. The contents of the Administrative Files are arranged into the following three sub-series:
- Treasurer Records
- Financial Files
- Miscellaneous Administrative Files
Arranged chronologically by financial year, this sub-series contains the Microanalysis Society's Treasurer Records. Created when the organization was known as the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS), the files in this sub-series consist of records generated and maintained by MAS' Treasurer for the financial years 1979 thru 2001. The materials in these files mainly document MAS' financial matters and provide information regarding the organization's financial condition. Noticeable amounts of information regarding MAS' Annual Meetings and Executive Council meetings are also found here.
Financial documents (consisting of statements, ledgers, reconciliation sheets, balance sheets, budgets, and audits) and correspondence make up the largest components of the Treasurer Records. Smaller, but noticeable, amounts of member lists, legal documents, meeting agendas, meeting minutes, reports, and notes are also found in this sub-series. Small amounts of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, officer lists, proposals, and membership forms are preserved here as well.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains the Microanalysis Society's financial files. Created between 1968 and 1990, the files were generated when the organization was known as the Electron Probe Analysis Society of America (EPASA) and the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS) respectively. These files document the organization's financial matters and provide some information regarding its financial condition. Most of the materials in this sub-series predate the financial documents preserved in the Treasurer Records.
Financial statements make up the bulk of the materials found in this sub-series. A small amount correspondence, a few photocopied financial ledger pages, and a bound financial ledger are preserved here as well.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains the Microanalysis Society's Miscellaneous Administrative Files, which were generated when the organization was known as the Electron Probe Analysis Society of America (EPASA) and the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS) respectively. These files provide documentation of some of the organization's various administrative matters. Legal matters, membership matters, financial matters, and the activities of a handful of the organization's committees (including the Meeting Management Committee and President's Award Committee) are covered in this sub-series. A few files concerning the organization's dealings with the Metropolitan Probe Users Group (which later became an affiliate of MAS) and the Washington Probe Users Group are also found here.
The contents of the Miscellaneous Administrative Files consist of a variety of materials. Correspondence makes up the largest component of this sub-series. Smaller, but noticeable, amounts of legal documents, member lists, reports, and notes are also found in these files. Small amounts of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, meeting minutes, certificates, and meeting agendas are preserved here as well.
This series contains the Microanalysis Society's Meeting Files. The files in this series were generated when the organization was known as the Electron Probe Analysis Society of America (EPASA) and the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS) respectively. The contents of the Meeting Files are arranged into the following two sub-series:
- Annual Meeting Files
- Miscellaneous Meeting and Workshop Files
Arranged chronologically by year, this sub-series contains the Microanalysis Society's Annual Meeting Files, which were generated when the organization was known as the Electron Probe Analysis Society of America (EPASA) and the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS) respectively. The files in this sub-series provide documentation of several Annual Meetings held by the organization between 1969 and 2000. Many of the Annual Meetings represented in this sub-series were held jointly with the Electron Microscopy Society of American (EMSA). Two Annual Meetings held in conjunction with workshops on Analytical Electron Microscopy (AEM) are also represented here. Matters pertaining to the Annual Meetings covered by these files include planning, arrangements, finances, registration, and attendance.
The contents of the Annual Meeting Files consist of a variety of materials. Correspondence and financial documents make up the largest components of this sub-series. Smaller, but noticeable amounts of conference handouts, attendee lists, and programs are also present in these files. Small amounts of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, reports, registration lists, legal documents, and notes are preserved here as well.
Contains 2 5.25-inch floppy disks.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains the Microanalysis Society's Miscellaneous Meetings and Workshop Files. These files were created when the organization was known the Electron Probe Analysis Society of America (EPASA) and the Microbeam Analysis Society (MAS) respectively. Four of the files concern meetings held by EPSA and MAS, including those of EPSA/MAS' Executive Council and the Metropolitan Probe Users Group/Metropolitan Section. Three files concerning MAS' East Coast SIMS Workshops are also present in this sub-series. Three files concerning meetings held by other organizations are also preserved here.
The contents of the Miscellaneous Meeting Workshop Files consist of a variety of materials. Minutes, correspondence, and financial documents are the most common materials found in this sub-series. Small amounts of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, agendas, reports, and brochures are preserved here as well.
Kurt F.J. Heinrich (1921-2015) was an Austrian American analytical chemist and a founding member of the Microanalysis Society. He was also a noted authority on electron probe analysis. Born in Vienna, Austria in 1921, Heinrich immigrated to Argentina with his family before World War II and earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires in 1949. He immigrated to the United States in 1957 and went to work for E.I. DuPont de Nemours in Wilmington, Delaware (1957-1964). At DuPont, he conducted research in the analysis of alloys and oxides by x-ray fluorescence and electron probe microanalysis.
In 1964, Heinrich joined the staff of the National Bureau of Standards' Spectroanalysis Section. At the National Bureau of Standards, he conducted research on the theory and application of electron and ion probe microanalysis. In 1980, he was named the agency's Chief of Office on International Relations, where he served until his retirement in 1988.
Heinrich was a longtime active member of the Microanalysis Society. He was a member of the group of scientists that founded the organization (then called the Electron Probe Analysis Society of America) in 1966 and served a term as the organization's President (1969-1970). He authored and co-authored numerous articles and papers over the course of his scientific career. Heinrich also authored, co-authored, and edited several books, including Electron Beam X-Ray Microanalysis (1981).
This series contains the files of Kurt F.J. Heinrich, which were collected and maintained by the Microanalysis Society. The contents of the Kurt F.J. Heinrich Files are arranged into the following three sub-series:
- Notebooks and Notes
- Electron Beam X-Ray Microanalysis Reference Files
- Kurt F.J. Heinrich Publications
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains notebooks and notes kept by Kurt F.J. Heinrich. These materials provide a limited amount of documentation regarding scientific research conducted by Heinrich between the 1940s and 2002. This sub-series contains three notebooks kept by Heinrich between 1988 and 2012. A single of file of handwritten notes created by Heinrich, which are presumably from his student days at the University of Buenos Aires during the 1940s, is also preserved here.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains Kurt F.J. Heinrich's reference files for his book Electron Beam X-Ray Microanalysis, which was published in 1981. The files contain materials Heinrich used as reference sources while conducting research for this book.
Photocopied articles, article reprints, and photocopied book chapters are the most common items found in this sub-series. Smaller, but noticeable, amounts of publications and scientific papers are also found in these files. Small amounts of notes, original journal articles, and a copy of the Chinese edition of Electron Beam X-Ray Microanalysis are preserved here as well.
Arranged numerically by publication number (as listed in Kurt F.J. Heinrich's publication list in Box 6 Folder 13), this sub-series contains an incomplete set of publications authored and co-authored by Heinrich between 1945 and 2002. These materials provide published documentation of research conducted by Heinrich and his collaborators, including his work on electron probe microanalysis.
The contents of the Kurt F.J. Heinrich Publications consist of a variety of materials. Article reprints, photocopied articles, and government publications (published by the National Bureau of Standards) are the most common items found in this sub-series. Smaller, but noticeable, numbers of photocopied book chapters and scientific papers are also present in these files. Small amounts of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, bibliographies, article manuscripts, and a copy of Heinrich's Ph.D. thesis are preserved here as well.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains materials regarding electron microanalysis instruments that were collected by the Microanalysis Society. Nine of the files in this series concern instruments manufactured by CAMECA, including the SX 50 Electron Microprobe and peripheral equipment. Four files in this series regarding Applied Research Laboratories EMX Microprobes, which were built for IBM Research and the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Geology respectively, are also present in this series.
Manuals and drawing reproductions are the most common items found in the Instrument Files. Small amounts of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, blueprints, notes, and data sheets are preserved here as well.
Arranged alphabetically by publisher, this sub-series contains miscellaneous printed materials collected by the Microanalysis Society. It contents consist mainly of publications concerning various aspects of microanalysis published by other entities, including, but not limited to, Pennsylvania State University and several U.S. Government agencies. Two items published by the Microbeam Analysis Society are also preserved here.
Arranged alphabetically by subject, this series contains oversized drawing reproductions of microanalysis instruments, which were collected by the Microanalysis Society. Eight sets of drawing reproductions of the CAMECA Camebax SX 50 Electron Microprobe are preserved in this series. A single set of drawing reproductions of the Kevex Corporation Analyst 8000 Microanalysis System is also found here.