The correspondence, manuscripts, published papers, course lecture notes and special wartime (World War II) and postwar working documents of Horace N. Gilbert (1901-1990) form the collection known as the Horace N. Gilbert Papers in the Archives of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Gilbert was professor of business economics at Caltech from 1924 until his retirement in 1969. During World War II he worked for the US Air Force in materiel production. In the postwar period he aided the rebuilding of European industry by serving as economic advisor to the American High Commission for Germany.

When Horace Nathaniel Gilbert, Professor of Business Economics, was first brought to the California Institute of Technology in 1924 by Robert A. Millikan, his mission, as outlined by Millikan, was "...to give a course which would help the graduates of Caltech who were going into industry to know something about it." (Horace N. Gilbert, Oral History with Mary Terrall, Archives, California Institute of Technology, February 1978, p. 9.) That course, Economics 100, taught by Gilbert for many years, was one of the most popular offered by the institute. Open to graduate students, the course aimed at bridging the gap between engineering and business, and it relied heavily on the case method of instruction.

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Copyright may not have been assigned to the California Institute of Technology Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Caltech Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the California Institute of Technology Archives as the owner of the physical items and, unless explicitly stated otherwise, is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

The collection is open for research. Researchers must apply in writing for access.