Stanford S. Penner Papers

Mandeville Special Collections Library

The UCSD Libraries

9500 Gilman Drive

University of California, San Diego

La Jolla, California 92093-0175

Phone: (858) 534-2533

Fax: (858) 534-5950

URL: http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/

Descriptive Summary

Creator: Penner, S. S.

Title: Stanford S. Penner Papers,

Date (inclusive): 1938 - 1998

Extent: 3.57 linear feet (7 archives boxes, 4 oversize folders, and 4 art bin items)

Abstract: Papers of Stanford Solomon Penner, professor of engineering physics and director of the Center for Energy and Combustion Research at the University of California, San Diego. Penner is known for his research in combustion and energy, applied spectroscopy, and thermophysics. The papers document Penner's research and many awards and honors, and include manuscripts, correspondence, published works, photographs, certificates, realia, clippings, and ephemera. The papers are arranged in three series: 1) MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS, 2) WRITINGS, and 3) CORRESPONDENCE.

Repository: University of California, San Diego. Geisel Library. Mandeville Special Collections Library.

La Jolla, California 92093-0175

Collection number: MSS 0457

Language of Material: Collection materials in English

Access

Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Information

Not Available

Preferred Citation

Stanford S. Penner Papers, MSS 0457. Mandeville Special Collections Library, UCSD.

Publication Rights

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

Biography

Born in Unna, Germany, on July 5, 1921, Stanford Solomon Penner (often known as "Sol") came to the United States in 1936, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1943. He attended Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he earned a B.S. in chemistry (1942), and the University of Wisconsin, where he earned an M.S. (1943) and a Ph.D. (1946) in physical chemistry. Penner's graduate work was interrupted for a time in 1944-45 when he went to work full time in rocket research at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory as part of the war effort.

From 1947 to 1964, S. S. Penner worked at the California Institute of Technology, first as a senior research assistant in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, then as a professor of jet propulsion. During a leave of absence from 1962 to 1964, Penner served as the director of the Research and Engineering Division of the Institute for Defense Analyses in Washington, D.C. In 1964 Penner began his association with the University of California, San Diego, where he was founding chair of the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Sciences (AMES). At UCSD, Penner was a professor of engineering physics until his retirement in 1991, as well as Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs (1968-69), director of the Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences (1968-71) and director of the Center for Energy and Combustion Research (1974-90). His major areas of research were combustion and energy, applied spectroscopy, and thermophysics.

Over the course of his career, S. S. Penner collaborated with such scientists as Farrington Daniels and Theodore Von Karman, received numerous awards and honors, founded and edited such journals as THE JOURNAL OF QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY AND RADIATIVE TRANSFER and ENERGY - THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, and wrote or edited hundreds of articles and more than twenty books.

Scope and Content of Collection

The papers of S. S. Penner contain manuscripts, correspondence, published works, photographs, certificates, realia, clippings, and ephemera. The papers cover the years 1938-1998 and occupy 3.57 linear feet. The collection is arranged in three series: 1) MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS, 2) WRITINGS, and 3) CORRESPONDENCE. The papers document Penner's research and many awards and honors; they include little correspondence and few early drafts of his writings.

SERIES 1: MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS

The MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS series is arranged in four subseries: A) Biographical Materials, B) Awards, C) Memorabilia, and D) Miscellaneous.

A) This subseries, arranged in alphabetical order, contains a chronology of Penner's life, clippings and press releases related to his activities and materials relating to his education. It also contains one folder of photographs and one folder of photocopies of photographs. Most of the photos are of Penner with his colleagues.

B) The materials in this subseries, which is arranged chronologically, contains certificates and plaques, as well as correspondence and clippings related to Penner's awards and honors;

C) The Memorabilia subseries, which is also arranged chronologically, contains presentation copies of books, a scrapbook containing dozens of letters and photographs presented to Penner on his 65th birthday, and other memorabilia.

D) Four folders, arranged alphabetically, make up the Miscellaneous subseries: Conferences and Meeting Materials; Ogden Corporation, on whose Board of Directors Penner served from 1985 to 1998; the Report of the Energy Center Review Committee for 1985; and a folder dedicated to materials on Theodore Von Karman, the noted scientist with whom Penner worked in the 1950s and 1960s (see Series 1 for photographs of Penner with Von Karman).

SERIES 2: WRITINGS

The WRITINGS of S.S. Penner are arranged in alphabetical order. A set of four bound volumes, presented "To Sol Penner from his colleagues in appreciation," contains Penner's collected publications from 1946 to 1968. Also present are two versions of Penner's Ph.D. thesis, one containing the text of his confidential National Defense Research Council project, and one with that section omitted. Penner sometimes stapled correspondence and other materials to his copies of his articles; where this is the case, the other materials have been kept with the writings.

SERIES 3: CORRESPONDENCE

The CORRESPONDENCE series has been arranged in chronological order. Penner sometimes stapled together letters from different correspondents on the same subject; the date on the earliest dated letter among each stapled group of letters is used for purposes of arrangement. Often included with the letters are clippings, copies of articles by authors other than Penner, and other enclosures.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

Penner, S. S., -- Archives

Von Karman, Theodore, 1881-1963

University of California, San Diego -- Faculty -- History

University of California, San Diego -- Administration -- History

University of California, San Diego. -- Dept. of Applied Mechanics and Engineering Sciences -- History

Engineers -- Biography

Chemical engineering -- United States -- History -- 20th Century

Technology -- United States -- History -- 20th Century

Aerospace engineering -- United States

Power resources

Collection Contents

MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS

Biographical Materials

box 1, folder 1

Clippings and press releases 1979 - 1998

box 1, folder 2

Marcos, Ferdinand and Imelda 1976

Note

Photograph, invitations, etc.

box 1, folder 3

Office of Scientific Research and Development

Note

No date. Certificates.

box 1, folder 4

Photocopies of photographs of Penner and others 1956 - 1963

box 1, folder 5

Photographs 1960 - 1982

Note

Includes photos of Penner, Penner with others, and photos taken during Penner's 1976 visit to China.

box 1, folder 6

S. S. Penner Biographical Data 1998

Note

Typescript. Includes list of publications.

box 1, folder 7

Saratoga Springs High School 1938

Note

Diploma, certificates.

box 1, folder 8

State of California. State Board of Registration for Civil and Professional Engineers 1948

Note

Certificate.

box 1, folder 9

Tribute to S. S. Penner 1986

Note

Bound scrapbook containing letters, photographs, etc.

box 1, folder 10

Union College 1938 - 1942

Note

Diploma, transcript, etc.

box 1, folder 11

University of Wisconsin 1942 - 1946

Note

Diplomas, transcript, certificates.

box 1, folder 12

War Manpower Commission. Committee on Scientific Research Personnel 1944

Note

Letters, diplomas.

box 1, folder 13

Who's Who 1998

Note

Includes undated material. Two proof sheets and one tear sheet from Who's Who biographies of Penner.

Awards and Honors

box 1, folder 14, oversize FB31706

General awards and honors 1942 - 1998

Note

(Some with no date). Includes correspondence. Some in oversize.

box 2, folder 1

Plaques and medals 1955 - 1977

box 2, folder 2

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) -- Board of Directors 1964 - 1966

box 2, folder 3, oversize FB31707

AIAA -- G. Edward Pendray Award 1976

Note

Includes correspondence, clippings, photograph, etc. Award in oversize.

box 2, folder 4, oversize FB31707

National Academy of Engineering 1977

Note

Award in oversize.

box 2, folder 5, oversize FB31707

Numa Manson Medal 1979

Note

Includes correspondence, photos. Award in oversize.

box 2, folder 6, oversize FB31707

Instituto Internazionale delle Comunicazioni -- International Columbus Prize 1981

Note

Includes acceptance remarks, correspondence, clippings. Award in oversize.

box 2, folder 7

International Energy Agency -- National Advisory Board 1981

Note

Correspondence, clippings.

box 2, folder 8

Rheinisch-Westfalischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen -- Honorary doctorate 1981

Note

Includes correspondence, clippings, etc.

box 2, folder 9, oversize FB31707

AIAA -- Energy Systems Award 1983

Note

Includes correspondence, clippings. Award in oversize.

box 3, folder 1

AIAA San Diego Section -- Outstanding Contribution to the AIAA at the National Level 1983

Note

Includes correspondence, program.

box 3, folder 2, oversize FB31707

AIAA -- Thermophysics Award 1983

Note

Includes press release, clippings, etc. Award in oversize.

box 3, folder 3

Doctors for Disaster Preparedness -- Edward Teller Award for the Defense of Freedom 1997

Note

Includes correspondence.

Memorabilia

box 3, folder 4, oversize FB31708

California Institute of Technology 1956 - 1957

Note

Album.

box 3, folder 5

Institute for Defense Analyses, Research and Engineering Support Division 1964

Note

Cartoons, greeting card, etc.

box 3, folder 6

JOURNAL OF QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY AND RADIATIVE TRANSFER 1986

Note

Presentation copy of first issue, published in 1961, with six pages of signatures.

box 3, folder 7

MODERN DEVELOPMENTS IN ENERGY, COMBUSTION AND SPECTROSCOPY; IN HONOR OF S. S. PENNER 1993

Note

Presentation copy. Includes biography and list of publications by Penner.

Miscellaneous

box 4, folder 1

Conference and meeting materials 1960 - 1998

Note

Includes correspondence, photographs, etc.

box 4, folder 2

Ogden Corporation 1985 - 1998

Note

Annual report, correspondence, photographs, etc.

box 4, folder 3

Report of the Energy Center Review Committee 1985

Note

Photocopy of typescript.

box 4, folder 4

Von Karman, Theodore 1956 - 1994

Note

Printed materials, clippings, etc.

WRITINGS

box 4, folder 5

AGARD Propulsion and Energetics Panel: 1952-1977 1978

box 4, folder 6

Are We About to Run Out of Usable, Low-Cost Energy Supplies? 1998

Note

Includes correspondence and sample issue of PRIME TIME NEWSLETTER.

box 4, folder 7

Collected Papers of S. S. Penner 1946 - 1954

Note

Bound volume.

box 5, folder 1

Collected Papers of S. S. Penner 1955 - 1959

Note

Bound volume.

box 5, folder 2

Collected Papers of S. S. Penner 1960 - 1963

Note

Bound volume.

box 6, folder 1

Collected Papers of S. S. Penner 1964 - 1968

Note

Bound volume.

box 6, folder 2

Combustion and Propulsion Research 1963

Note

In CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS, January 14, 1963.

box 6, folder 3

Comment on "Temperature Measurement and Relaxation Processes in Shock Tubes" by A.G. Gaydon 1966

box 6, folder 4

Comment on "Testimony on the California Nuclear Initiative by Harold C. Urey and Hannes Alfven" 1998

Note

Typescript.

box 6, folder 5

Comments on "Research Support for the Power Industry" by M. Granger Morgan and Susan F. Tierney 1998

Note

Includes typescript, correspondence, and copy of Morgan and Tierney's article.

box 6, folder 6

Effect of Silica Gel Upon the Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide 1943

Note

Bound carbon copy typescript of master's thesis.

box 6, folder 7

Equilibrium Radiation Properties of Gases 1973

Note

Published in the HANDBOOK OF HEAT TRANSFER.

box 6, folder 8

First Decade (1964-74) of the AMES Department at UCSD 1995

Note

Typescript.

box 6, folder 9

Kinetics of Gelation; Resistance of Zirconia Gels During Setting 1942

Note

Bound carbon copy typescript of senior thesis. Includes handwritten notes and graphs.

box 6, folder 10

Long-Term Energy Supplies for the World

Note

[1998]. Typescript.

box 6, folder 11

National Defense Research Council Project (Confidential); Calculations on the Formation and Decomposition... 1946

Note

Bound carbon copy typescript of Ph.D. thesis. See box 7, folder 6 for a copy including the confidential first section.

box 6, folder 12

Partial Solutions to Problems in THERMODYNAMICS by S. S. Penner.

Note

[1968?]. With S. S. McElmury. Includes photostat, handwritten notes, etc.

box 7, folder 1

Radiation Phenomena in Rockets

Note

[194?]. Photostat negative of declassified document.

box 7, folder 2

Relationship Between Energy Conservation, GNP and Energy Consumption 1977

Note

With J. M. Bernard. Published in the 119th Anniversary Number of THE INDIAN AND EASTERN ENGINEER.

box 7, folder 3

Report of the DOE Advanced Fuel-Cell Commercialization Working Group 1994

Note

Bound typescript with handwritten notes.

box 7, folder 4

Report of the DOE Advanced Fuel-Cell Commercialization Working Group 1994

Note

Bound typescript. Corrected copy with looseleaf corrections.

box 7, folder 5

Review of CONSERVATIVE ENVIRONMENTALISM -- REASSESSING THE MEANS, REDEFINING THE ENDS, by Dunn and Kinney 1997

Note

Photocopy from ENERGY, vol. 22, no. 6.

box 7, folder 6

Studies on the Burning of Double Base Powders; Calculations on the Formation and Decomposition of Nitric... 1946

Note

Typescript of Ph.D. thesis, including the confidential first section (see box 6, folder 11).

box 7, folder 7

Theoretical Aspects of Nitrogen Fixation by the Wisconsin Process

Note

No date. Typescript carbon copy with blueprint graphs.

box 7, folder 8

United States Energy Supplies for the 21st Century 1998

Note

Offprint from ENERGY vol. 23, no. 2. Includes correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE

box 7, folder 9

General correspondence 1962 - 1979

Note

(Some with no date). Includes photographs, clippings, etc. Notable correspondents include the American Physical Society, Evelle J. Younger, Senator Henry M. Jackson, Senator S.I. Hayakawa, the National Academy of Sciences, and Roger Hedgecock.

box 7, folder 10

General correspondence 1980 - 1998

Note

Includes copies of articles by authors other than Penner, and other enclosures. Notable correspondents include the National Research Council, Robert Maxwell, the American Chemical Society, and William H. Avery.

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