Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Physicist, University of Michigan professor, dean of the graduate school; correspondence, writings, speeches, organizational files, audio-visual materials.

Although the Ralph A. Sawyer collection includes materials relating to all phases of his career, beginning with his studies at the University of Chicago in 1918-1919, the strength of the files are for those activities outside of the University of Michigan, notably his work with the U.S. Navy laboratories, Joint Task Force One, the American Institute of Physics, and the Optical Society of America. Files dealing with his University of Michigan activities are less complete as these materials will be found with the records of those units which Sawyer headed.

Professor of physics at the University of Michigan; personal and collected material.

This is a small collection of personal and collected material relating to the life and career of physics professor Walter F. Colby and his wife Martha Guernsey Colby. Included is correspondence, notes, reprints, and other materials relating to atomic research; also papers concerning research by David Dennison, Edwin C. Kemble, and Victor Guillemin; and photographs.

Professor of physics at the University of Michigan (1947-1988); director of the cyclotron laboratory, 1962-1977; inventor of method and apparatus for measuring the velocity of a projectile and of an automatic timing and sequence-indicating system used in swimming. Series in the collection relate to cyclotron laboratory and research; department of physics activities, including history; professional organizations; swimming judging and timing system; University of Michigan committee assignments; and photographs.

The William C. Parkinson Papers consist of 5.25 linear feet of documents relating to the professional career of physics professor William C. Parkinson, spanning years 1950 through 1990 with the bulk of the material dating from 1950 to 1980. The papers were received in two major accession in July 1991 and May 2012.

The first accession was broken into five series: Cyclotron, Physics Department, Professional Organizations, Swimming Judging and Timing System, and University Committees. There is also a folder entitled "Biographical/Historical Information" at the beginning of the collection which includes a 1974 vita and a publication on the cyclotron laboratory of which Parkinson was director.

The 2012 Accession included additions to the Cyclotron and Physics Department series and two new series: Consulting and Visual Materials.