Guide to the Rudolf Kompfner Papers SC0194

University Archives staff

Department of Special Collections and University Archives

October 2010

Green Library

557 Escondido Mall

Stanford 94305-6064

Fax Number: (650) 723-8690

specialcollections@stanford.edu

URL: http://library.stanford.edu/spc

Note

This encoded finding aid is compliant with Stanford EAD Best Practice Guidelines, Version 1.0.

Contributing Institution: Department of Special Collections and University Archives

Title: Rudolf Kompfner papers

Identifier/Call Number: SC0194

Physical Description: 10 Linear Feet (21 boxes)

Date (inclusive): 1937-1981

Summary: The Kompfner papers span the years 1937 to 1977 and concentrate primarily on his research interests while at Bell Laboratories, Stanford University and Oxford University. The collection includes general correspondence files, diaries (1937-41), notebooks and notes (1937-77), articles and reports (1937-80), awards and drawings. Additional material received 1985 and 1987 includes correspondence, research files, notebooks, patent records, and publications.

Language of Material: The material is in English.

Custodial History

The Rudolf Kompfner papers, with the exception of his Bell Lab notebooks, were the gift of his wife, Peggy Kompfner to Stanford University in 1978; the materials were transferred from the Kompfner's Stanford University residence to the University Archives in that year with an addition later in the year.

In 1979, Bell Laboratories, at the request of Professor Calvin Quate, transferred 26 research notebooks regarding Kompfner's research to the Stanford University Archlves. The notebooks are on indefinite loan in accordance with the agreement dated 14 February 1979 and title to the notebooks, including literary rlghts, are retained by Bell Laboratories. No restrictions were placed on access to the notebooks, and they may be studied by researchers as part of the Rudolf Kompfner papers in the reading room of the University Archives.

Processing Information

The arrangement and description of the Rudolf Kompfner papers, including the following series description and inventory, was carried out as a special project funded by the Friends of Rudolf Kompfner in his honor. In addition to supporting the processing of the papers, this generous gift allowed the Univiversity Archives to experiment with several online data processing systems provided by Stanford University 's computer center and to produce our first online collection guide.

Preliminary processing was carried out by Kym Sommerville. Final arrangement, description and computer analysis was carried out by Barbara J. Begley.

Immediate Source of Acquisition note

Gift of Peggy Kompfner 1978, 1980-85; loan from Bell Laboratories, 1979.

Information about Access

This collection is open for research.

Ownership & Copyright

Requests for permission to publish materials from this collection should be discussed with the University Archivist. Legal ownership of Series IV (Bell Laboratory Notebooks) including the right to publish is retained by Bell Laboratories, New Jersey.

Cite As

Rudolf Kompfner Papers (SC0194). Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Biographical/Historical Sketch

Professor of Applied Physics at Stanford University and world renowned communications scientist, Rudolf Kompfner came to Stanford in 1973 after a distinguished career at Bell Telephone Laboratories, Oxford University, and with British government research.

Professor Kompfner was born in Vienna in 1909 and received the degree of engineer from the Technische Hochschule in 1933. He emigrated to England in 1934 where he worked as an architect. Kompfner already had a strong interest in experimental physics, however, and began a self-guided study of the field. He was already an accomplished research physicist when he received his Ph. D. from Oxford University, having worked at Birmingham University (1941-44) and Oxford's Clarendon Laboratory (1944-51). His invention of the traveling wave tube during this time is credited with making future satellite communications practicable. In 1950, he developed the backward wave oscillator which made microwave oscillators electronically tunable.

Ultimately the holder of over 50 patents, Kompfner continued his research at the Bell Laboratories from 1952 to 1973. His last years, 1973 to 1977, were spent in research and teaching at both Stanford University and Oxford University, focusing prlmarily on integrated optics.

Professor Kompfner received numerous awards, including the National Medal of Science in 1975 for his invention of the traveling wave tube and for major contributions to communications satellites and optical communications. He was a member of the National Academy of Science and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Description of the Collection

The Kompfner papers span the years 1937 to 1977 and concentrate primarily on his research interests while at Bell Laboratories, Stanford University and Oxford University. The collection includes general correspondence files, diaries (1937-41), notebooks and notes (1937-77), articles and reports (1937-80), awards and drawings. Additional material received 1985 and 1987 includes correspondence, research files, notebooks, patent records, and publications.

Of particular note are the 26 research notebooks compiled by Kompfner regarding his research at Bell Laboratories, 1952 to 1973 (series IV) and his 1937 diary documenting his selfdirected readings and experiments in physics while still a practicing architect (series II).

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in seven series and two additions: 1. General Files, 1941-1978; 2. Diaries, 1937-1941; 3. Notebooks and Notes, 1937-1977; 4. Bell Laboratory Notebooks, 1952-1973; 5. Articles, Reports and Speeches, 1937-1980; 6. Awards, 7. Drawings.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Reports.

Notebooks.

Science -- History.

Physics -- Research.

Traveling-wave tubes.

Awards.

Articles.

Backward-wave tubes.

Drawings.

Diaries.

General files Series I 1941-1978

Scope and Contents

This series is highlighted by Kompfner's correspondence with the British Admiralty, the Bell Telephone Laboratories and the English Electric Valve Company over the years 1944-1955. This correspondence mostly concerns Kompfner's research in physics. Associated with this correspondence are a number of unpublished handwritten and typed manuscripts written during the same time span. Also included are several patent applications bearing upon Kompfner's research interests in the late 30's and early 40's.

The series is arranged alphabetically by subject. The manuscripts are listed alphabetically by title under the category "Research Notes and Manuscripts."

Box 1, folder 1

Admiralty 1944-1950

Box 1, folder 2

Associated Universities Incorporated 1977-1978

Box 1, folder 3

Associated Universities Incorporated, financial statements 1977 Sep-Oct

Box 1, folder 4

Bell Telephone Laboratories 1946 Apr-1951 Dec

Box 1, folder 5

Benham, W. E., correspondence with 1941 Jul-1942 Dec

Box 1, folder 6

The Codrington Club, membership list 1977

Box 1, folder 7

English Electric Valve Co. 1950 Aug 25-Dec 15

Box 1, folder 8

English Electric Valve Co. 1951 Jan 2-1955 Aug 10

Box 1, folder 9

Fuchs, Wolfgang, correspondence with 1941 Feb-1942 Mar

Box 1, folder 10

Ginzton Laboratory, memo 1977 Nov 30

Box 1, folder 11

Helical line tube patent 1943-1946

Box 1, folder 12

Helical line tube patent, includes mss. 1947-1952

Box 1, folder 13

Liebmann, Gerard, correspondence with 1941 Feb-1942 Mar

Box 1, folder 14

Loaded space tube, include mss. 1949 Mar-Jun

Box 1, folder 15

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1951 May-Sep

Box 1, folder 16

National Academy of Engineering, Founders Award 1977

Box 1, folder 17

National Academy of Engineering, nomination form 1977

Box 1, folder 18

National Academy of Sciences, minutes of April 26, 1977 meeting 1977 Nov 21

Box 2, folder 1

Patent Application, "Device for the Conversion of an Image Formed by Lightrays into Electrical Impulses" 1936

Box 2, folder 2

Patent Application #14041, "Discharge Tubes Making Use of the Principle of Velocity Modulation" 1940 Sep-Nov

Box 2, folder 3

Patent Application #9360/41, "Generator of Electromagnetic Oscillations at Very High Frequencies" 1941 Jul-Oct

Box 2, folder 4

Patent Application, "A Graphical Analysis of the Planar Whole-Anode Magnetron" 1941

Box 2, folder 5

Personal correspondence, miscellaneous 1937-1945

Box 2, folder 6

Projects, miscellaneous progress reports, untitled mss. and notes 1945-1947, Undated

Box 2, folder 7

Research notes and mss. (by title), A-El. 1943-1951, undated

Box 2, folder 7

"Absorbtion of Radiation by a Gas," 3 pp. Undated

Box 2, folder 7

"Amplification of Plasmaoscillations by Means of D.C. Fields," 12 pp. 1951 Mar 13

Box 2, folder 7

"Design of a Collector for V.M. Detector," 24 typed pp. Undated

Box 2, folder 7

"Design of an Electron Gun for S-band Traveling Wave," 20 pp. Undated

Box 2, folder 7

"Electron Beams in Wave Guides and Transmission Lines," 48 pp. 1943 Aug

Box 2, folder 7

"Electron Multiplier as T.K. Cell," 4 typed pp. 1948 Jun 5

Box 2, folder 8

Research notes, mss. and correspondence: Electron microscopy 1939 Dec-1940 Feb

Box 2, folder 9

Research notes, mss. and correspondence: Image Converter 1939 Oct-Dec

Box 2, folder 10

Research notes and mss. (by title), Em-Z 1941-1950, undated

Box 2, folder 10

"Experiments with a Single Resonator Magnetron," 7 typed pp., 2 copies plus handwritten draft, 7 pp. 1942 Jul

Box 2, folder 10

"Kurti's Pumping Speed Meter," 2 pp. Undated

Box 2, folder 10

"Memorandum on Proposed System for Detecting Thermal Radiation Using Traveling Wave Tubes as R.F. Amplifiers," 3 pp. 1946 Aug

Box 2, folder 10

"A Method of Detecting an Audio-Frequency Signal in the Presence of Noise by Means of Capillary Waves," 1 p. Undated

Box 2, folder 10

"Methods of Using Valves at Very High Frequencies," 10 pp. 1941 Sep

Box 2, folder 10

"A New Radar System," 15 pp. 1949 Dec

Box 2, folder 10

"Noise Factor of Receiver," notes for Clarendon Lab talk, 4 pp. 1944 Jun

Box 2, folder 10

"Note on 'Cooling' of Electron Beams," 4 typed pp. 1950 Nov 21

Box 2, folder 10

"Search Receiver," 1 p. Undated

Box 2, folder 10

"Shot-Noise Compensation at Very High Frequencies," 9 typed pp. Undated

Box 2, folder 10

"Source of Noise at Cm-Wave Lengths," 7 pp. Undated

Box 2, folder 10

"A Suggestion for a Large-Size Vacuum Chamber," 9 pp. 1945 Sep

Box 2, folder 10

"Wave Detector Using the Kerr Effect," 3 typed pp. 1945 Jan

Box 2, folder 11

Satellites, misc. information re. Undated

Box 2, folder 12

Travel arrangements, misc. 1969 Jan-Mar

Box 2, folder 13

Traveling Wave Tubes, correspondence re. patent application and related litigation 1952 Jul-1953 Sep

Box 2, folder 14

Traveling Wave Tubes, Mss. and patent application 1948, undated

Diaries Series II 1937-1941

Scope and Contents

This series contains one personal diary with many photos from 1937, and several pocket journals dated 1941 and undated.

Box 3, folder 1

Diary 1937

Scope and Contents

Includes many photographs.

Box 3, folder 2

Three pocket journals 1941, undated

Notebooks and notes Series III 1937-1941

Scope and Contents

This series contains notebooks and loose notes on a miscellaneous assortment of topics. Unlike the notes under the heading "Research Notes and Manuscripts" in Series I, or his Bell Telephone Laboratories notebooks in Series IV, these notebooks were l ess systematically kept.

Box 3, folder 3

Notebook 1937 Sep-1940 Jan

Box 3, folder 4

Notebook 1941 Nov-1943 Jun

Box 3, folder 5

Notebook 1942 Aug-1943 Jun

Box 3, folder 6

Notebook 1943 Apr-1944 Apr

Box 3, folder 7

Notebook 1943 Jun-Dec

Box 3, folder 8

Notebook 1944 Feb-Aug

Box 4, folder 1

Misc. notes 1973-1974

Box 4, folder 2

Misc. notes 1975-1977

Box 4, folder 3

Pocket notebooks Undated

Box 4, folder 4

Notebook Undated

Box 4, folder 5

Music notebook Undated

Box 4, folder 5a

Reprint of Shockley's "Invention of the Transistor ... " Undated

Bell Laboratory notebooks Series IV 1952-1973

Scope and Contents

These notebooks detail Kompfner's research work at the Bell Telephone Laboratories from 1952 through 1973. The numbers were assigned to the notebooks by Bell Labs.

1952-1956 1952-1956

Box 5, folder 1

#23834 1952 Jan 21-Nov 14

Box 5, folder 2

#24545 1952 Nov 18-1953 Jun 27

Box 5, folder 3

#25075 1953 Jun 30-1954 Jan 24

Box 5, folder 4

#25584 1954 Jan 27-Dec 5

Box 5, folder 5

#264785 1954 Dec 8-1956 Mar 4

1956-1961 1956-1961

Box 6, folder 1

#27735 1956 Mar 5-1957 Apr 28

Box 6, folder 2

#29092 1957 Apr 29-Dec 16

Box 6, folder 3

#29826 1957 Dec 30-1959 Jan 17

Box 6, folder 4

#30196 1959 Jan 25-1960 Mar 22

Box 6, folder 5

#32458 1960 Mar 25-Dec 5

Box 6, folder 6

#33326 1960 Dec 18-1961 May 15

1961-1966 1961-1966

Box 7, folder 1

#32868 1961 May 17-1962 Apr 1

Box 7, folder 2

#36755 1962 Apr 17-1963 May 23

Box 7, folder 3

#38454 1963 May 26-1964 Mar 18

Box 7, folder 4

#40359 1964 Apr 21-Nov 9

Box 7, folder 5

#41167 1964 Nov 13-1965 Jun 10

Box 7, folder 6

#42086 1965 Jun 10-1966 Feb 2

Box 7, folder 7

#43243 1966 Feb 2-May 29

1966-1973 1966-1973

Box 8, folder 1

#43889 1966 May 31-Nov 4

Box 8, folder 2

#44401 1966 Nov 4-1967 Jul 13

Box 8, folder 3

#45779 1967 Jul 14-1968 Jul 23

Box 8, folder 4

#47582 1968 Jul 25-1969 Jul 2

Box 8, folder 5

#48941 1969 Jul 3-1970 Sep 9

Box 8, folder 6

#50921 1970 Oct 4-1971 Oct 7

Box 8, folder 7

#52151 1971 Oct 20-1973 May 9

Box 8, folder 8

#54233 1973 May 10-Jun 7

Articles, reports and speeches Series V 1937-1980

Scope and Contents

This series contains published articles and reports by Kompfner, published articles citing Kompfner and his work, articles autographed by Kompfner, but not written by him, and newsclippings. The series also includes classified reports written by Kompfner in the forties.

Articles and reports by Kompfner 1963-1976

Box 9, folder 1

The Invention of theTraveling Wave Tube, University of California, Berkeley 1963

Box 9, folder 2

Beitrage zur Erforschung and Nutzbarmachung von Weltraumphanomenen 1966

Box 9, folder 3

Electron Devices in Science and Technology 1967

Box 9, folder 4

Optics at Bell Laboratories 1972

Box 9, folder 5

Responses to 'Optics at Bell Laboratories' 1973

Box 9, folder 6

Recent Advances in Acoustical Microscopy 1974

Box 9, folder 7

High-Resolution Heterodyne Coincidence Detection of Optical Pulse Streams 1976

Box 9, folder 8

The Invention of Traveling Wave Tubes 1976

Box 9, folder 9

Mechanical Optrical Fibre Switch 1976

Classified reports 1942-1946

Box 9, folder 10

Experiment related to the Detection of Moving Targets by Doppler Effect 1945 Jul-Aug

Box 9, folder 10

Notes on the Transmission-Line Noise-Diode 1946 Feb

Box 9, folder 10

Report on an Investigation of the Distribution of Axial Fields Inside a Helix Excited by Oscillations at Wavelengths comparable with the Diameter of the Helix 1944 Aug

Box 9, folder 10

Report on a Tube Based on the Traveling Wave Principle 1944 Jul

Box 9, folder 10

Transit-Line Correction Factor for Cylindrical Noise Diodes 1945 Sep

Box 9, folder 10

Velocity Modulating Grids, excerpts and correspondence 1942 Apr

Articles citing Kompfner 1937-1973

Box 9, folder 11

Hauser, Susan G. New Communications Technology 1973

Box 9, folder 12

Pierce, J.F. The Beginnings of Satellite Communication 1968

Box 9, folder 13

Susskind, Charles, Conference on Electron Device Research: a Pattern to be Copied? 1967

Box 9, folder 14

Wright, H. Myles, Small Houses 1937

Autographed articles 1962-1975

Box 9, folder 15

Dix. C.H. The Present Generation of Traveling Wave Tubes 1962

Box 9, folder 16

Friis, Harold T. 30 Years with Microwaves 1968

Box 9, folder 17

Gabor, D. Laser Speckle and its Elimination 1970

Box 9, folder 18

Keller, Hans Prague Day 1975

Box 9, folder 19

Marsen, Richard Particle Dynamics on a Causal Basis 1964

Box 9, folder 20

Pfann, William G., The Semiconductor Revolution , in William G. Pfann -- Solid State Science and Technology Award Medalist , Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 121, #1 1974 Jan

Box 9, folder 21

Science and Engineering, Annual Review for the Industrial Affiliates of Stanford University, 14 pp. 1964 Sep

Newsclippings 1960-1980

Box 9, folder 22

News reports about Kompfner's research 1960-1980

Awards Series VI 1962-1978

Scope and Contents

This series contains awards, certificates and honorary degrees bestowed upon Kompfner between 1962 and 1978.

Box 10, folder 1

Rotary Club of Ashbury, New Jersey, Rotary Award 1962

Box 10, folder 2

Rotary Club of Middletown, New Jersey, Certificate of Merit 1963

Box 10, folder 3

Honorary Degree (institution not named) 1969

Box 10, folder 4

Associated Universities Certificate in honor of Kompfner 1978

Drawings Series VII Undated

Scope and Contents

This series consits of miscellaneous drawings connected with Kompfner's research.

Box 10, folder 5

"Transoceanic Communication by Means of Satellite" Undated

Box 10, folder 6

Research drawings, misc. Undated

Accession, 1984-090 ARCH-1984-090