Maria Goeppert Mayer Papers

Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
Copyright 2015
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
spcoll@ucsd.edu


Descriptive Summary

Languages: English
Contributing Institution: Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Title: Maria Goeppert Mayer Papers
Identifier/Call Number: MSS 0020
Physical Description: 7.5 Linear feet (15 archives boxes, 1 flat box and 1 map case folder)
Date (inclusive): 1906-1996 (bulk 1930-1972)
Abstract: Papers of Maria Goeppert Mayer, Nobel Prize winning physicist and professor at the University of California, 1960-1964. The collection includes correspondence, biographical information, reprints, manuscript drafts, notebooks, teaching materials, subject files, news clippings and photographs.

Scope and Content of Collection

Papers of Maria Goeppert Mayer, Nobel Prize winning physicist and professor at the University of California, 1960-1964. The collection includes correspondence, biographical information, reprints, manuscript drafts, notebooks, teaching materials, subject files, news clippings and photographs.
Accessions Processed in 1988: Mayer's papers contain a relative abundance of correspondence and her research notebooks. There are scant manuscript materials related to her numerous publications.
Arranged in seven series: 1) CORRESPONDENCE, 2) REPRINTS, WRITINGS, AND LECTURES, 3) RESEARCH NOTEBOOKS AND CLASS LECTURES, 4) TEACHING MATERIALS, 5) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 6) NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS and 7) SUBJECT MATERIALS.
Accession Processed in 1997
Arranged in two series: 8) PHOTOGRAPHS and 9) AWARDS, CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS.
Accession Processed in 2015
Arranged in four series: 10) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 11) CORRESPONDENCE, 12) WRITINGS BY MAYER and 13) PHOTOGRAPHS.

Biography

Maria Goeppert Mayer was born on June 28, 1906 in Kattowitz, Germany, to Friedrich and Maria (nee Wolff) Goeppert. In 1910 she moved with her parents to Gottingen where her father taught pediatrics at the University. She enrolled at the University at Gottingen in the spring of 1924 with the expectation of pursuing a career in mathematics, but soon became attracted to physics and the developing field of quantum mechanics. In 1930 Mayer took her doctorate in theoretical physics under the direction of Nobel prize winners Max Born, James Franck, and Adolf Windaus.
While completing her studies at Gottingen she met and married Joseph Edward Mayer, an American post-doctoral fellow working in physical chemistry under James Franck. Together they moved to Baltimore, Maryland where Joseph taught at the Johns Hopkins University. In 1939 they went to Columbia University. There Maria worked under the direction of Harold Urey at the S.A.M. (Strategic Alloy Metals) Laboratory which researched the separation of isotopes of uranium. She co-authored a text entitled STATISTICAL MECHANICS (1940) with her husband. After the war she took a professorship of physics at the Institute for Nuclear Studies, University of Chicago. During this period Mayer began a long correspondence with Edward Teller.
In 1948, Mayer began work on nuclear shell structure and the meaning of the "magic numbers"- those nuclei that have a special number of protons. She postulated these numbers to be the shell numbers of a shell model, a "nuclear counterpart to the closed shells of electrons" at the atomic level. In 1950 she met and began a collaboration with Johannes Hans Daniel Jensen which led to the publication of the book entitled ELEMENTARY THEORY OF NUCLEAR SHELL THEORY (1955). In 1963, Maria Mayer was awarded the Nobel Prize jointly with Hans Jensen for their work on the Shell Model.
Maria Goeppert Mayer came to the University of California, San Diego, in 1960 as a professor of physics. At San Diego she taught while conducting research in nuclear physics under grants administered by Keith Brueckner. During this period Mayer publically encouraged young women to pursue careers in the sciences. She was a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the Akademie der Wissenschafter in Heidelberg, and the Philosophical Society. After a protracted illness, she died on February 20, 1972.

Publication Rights

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

Preferred Citation

Maria Goeppert Mayer Papers, MSS 20. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Acquisition Information

Acquired 1972-2014.

Restrictions

Mayer's Nobel medal in Box 15 is restricted. Permission to view this item is required in advance from the director of Special Collections & Archives.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Nuclear shell theory
Thermodynamics
Photographic prints -- 20th century
Physicists -- Biography
Physics -- Study and teaching
Nuclear physics -- Study and teaching
Superconductivity
Quantum theory
University of California, San Diego -- History -- Archives
University of California, San Diego. Department of Physics
Bohr, Niels, 1885-1962 -- Correspondence
University of California, San Diego -- Faculty -- Archives
Teller, Edward, 1908-2003 -- Correspondence
Mayer, Maria Goeppert, 1906-1972 -- Archives
Jensen, Johannes, 1934- -- Correspondence
Born, Max, 1882-1970 -- Correspondence
Revelle, Roger, 1909-1991 -- Correspondence

 

Accessions Processed in 1988

 

CORRESPONDENCE

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 1) CORRESPONDENCE: Maria Mayer's papers contain a relative abundance of correspondence, much in German, with family members, professional colleagues, and admirers. Within the subseries, folders are arranged in chronological order.
Arranged in four subseries: A) General Correspondence, B) Edward Teller Correspondence, C) Undated Correspondence and D) Family Correspondence.
A) General Correspondence: Incoming and outgoing correspondence in English and German, arranged chronologically, primarily with scientific colleagues and organizations. The German correspondence may include notes in English on the contents of the letter. Also contained in the correspondence are letters from Mayer's dissertation advisor, Max Born, who emigrated to England before World War II. Most of his letters are of a personal nature, discussing the impending war with Germany, life in besieged England, and the affairs of mutual friends and colleagues.
B) Edward Teller Correspondence: The Teller letters were probably written in the period 1939-1971 by Dr. Edward Teller, physicist, and "Father of the H-Bomb." Most of the letters are on plain paper, handwritten, and signed "Edward". A few are typed on letterhead from the University of Chicago, University of California, Berkeley, and a Santa Fe Post Office Box (Los Alamos). One letter was written in German, while the remaining letters are in English, and for the most part appear to have been written from hotel rooms or during transit on planes or trains.
The letters were written against a background of national and international events: the outbreak of World War II in Europe in 1939; the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the entry of the United States into the War; the dropping of atom bombs on Japan in 1945; the political situation in the post war United States; the re-election of President Truman in 1948; the Klaus Fuchs exposure in 1950; the Soviet take-over of Hungary; the United States entry into the Korean War in 1950; and the investigation of J. Robert Oppenheimer, Director of the Manhattan Project.
From this historical background, it is possible to assign tentative year dates to many of the letters. In a very few cases, a month has been added when a family event, for example a birth or death, has been mentioned. When the letters were received from the donor there was no apparent organization. They have now been organized into 17 folders by date. The general nature of these letters is purely personal. Although there are occasional references to particular physics problems in which Teller or Mayer was engaged, there are no detailed discussions of a scientific nature.
There are innumerable references to mutual friends and physicists, their locations and activities. Occasionally, Teller mentions his wife Mici and his children Paul, Susan, and Wendy. Teller speaks about his family in Hungary. He discusses the condition of postwar Germany and of what might be done to get surviving scientists out and to the United States. He speaks of his great love for the Hungarian language and for Hungarian poetry and of his regret that Maria does not know that language. He takes note of place as well as time, speaking of walking by the Danube River, the beauty of New Mexico, and the climate of California. The great strength of the letters is the completely open way in which Teller writes about his hopes, fears, disappointments, and rages, his dissatisfaction with himself, his work habits, and his frequently stormy relations with fellow scientists. This is particularly true of the period 1946 when he was trying to choose between remaining at Los Alamos, returning to the University of Chicago, or accepting an offer from the University of California. It is also true of a later period, 1950, when the issue of the loyalty oath in California caused him to refuse a position as professor at the University. He expressed himself vigorously on this issue. Finally, there are no apparent direct references to his testimony before the Atomic Energy Committee in their enquiry into J. Robert Oppenheimer.
C) Undated Correspondence: Incoming correspondence in English and German from friends and colleagues, arranged alphabetically by surname.
D) Family Correspondence: Incoming and outgoing correspondence in German between Maria Mayer and family members, particularly her mother, Maria Wolff.
 

General Correspondence

Box 1, Folder 1-29

1933 - 1962

Box 2, Folder 1-13

1963 - 1973

 

Edward Teller Correspondence

Box 3, Folder 1-17

1939 - 1971 and undated

General

Includes correspondence from Los Alamos, Livermore, and the Berkeley Radiation Laboratory.
 

Undated Correspondence

Box 3, Folder 18-19

A - Z undated

 

Family Correspondence (in German)

 

Maria Wolff (Mayer's mother)

Box 3, Folder 20-23

1929 - 1931

Box 4, Folder 1-7

1932 - 1936

Box 4, Folder 8

Catherine Mayer (Joseph Mayer's mother) to Maria Wolff 1930 - 1932

Box 4, Folder 9

Hannah Fehler 1937 - 1968

Box 4, Folder 10

Kathe Fehler 1937 - 1951

Box 4, Folder 11

Wilhelm Fehler 1945 - 1962

Box 4, Folder 12

Heinrich Goeppert 1926 - 1933

Box 4, Folder 13

Otto Goeppert 1937 - 1941

Box 4, Folder 14

Vera Goeppert 1950 - 1971

Box 4, Folder 15

Miscellaneous Goeppert family members undated

Box 4, Folder 16

Margarete Marquardt 1949 - 1964

Box 4, Folder 17

Niels Marquardt 1970 - 1971

 

REPRINTS, WRITINGS AND LECTURES

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 2) REPRINTS, WRITINGS, AND LECTURES. Arranged in three series: A) Reprints, B) Writings and Lectures and C) Writings by Other Authors.
A) Reprints: Reprints in English and German of physics papers written by Maria Mayer from 1925-1965, arranged chronologically.
B) Writings and Lectures: Notes, drafts, reviews, illustrations and correspondence for scientific papers by Mayer; notes and drafts for public talks, including her 1963 Nobel lecture, "The Shell Model;" a biography of Hans Jensen; an obituary for Max Born; a review of Physics in My Generation by Max Born; and a list of physics topics found in Mayer's copy of Dynamische Gittertheorie der Kristalle. Arranged chronologically.
C) Writings by Other Authors: Reprints of "Polarization of High Energy Protons Scattered by Nuclei," 1954 and "Uber die Anwendung der statistischen methode auf die probleme des Atombaues," undated, by Enrico Fermi; and an undated list of publications by Hans Suess.
 

Reprints

Box 5, Folder 1-5

1925 - 1965

 

Writings and Lectures

Box 5, Folder 6

DYNAMISCHE GITTERTHEORIE DER KRISTALLE, with Max Born

General note

ca. 1931. Item has been removed and added to Rare Book Collection. A list laid into the front of the book is retained in this folder.
Box 5, Folder 7

Elementary Theory of Nuclear Shell Structure - Reviews and Illustrations 1955

Box 5, Folder 8

Magic Numbers in Nuclear Structure, UCSD Faculty Lectures

General note

Handwritten draft. September 23, 1960
Box 5, Folder 9

Shell Model 1963-1964

General

Drafts, notes, and correspondence for Nobel Lecture given December 12, 1963.
Box 5, Folder 10

Fine Arts Society Lecture 1964

Box 5, Folder 11

Changing Status of Women as Seen by a Scientist April 16, 1965

General note

Address to the National Women's Conference, Tokyo, Japan
Box 5, Folder 12

Hans Jensen Biography written for the ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA 1965

Box 5, Folder 13

Speech to the New Citizens

General note

January 7, 1966
Box 5, Folder 14

Obituary for Max Born

General note

January 1970
Box 5, Folder 15

Book Review for the AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICS - Physics in My Generation

General note

By Max Born. Reviewed September 1970
Box 5, Folder 16

On the Abundance and Origin of Elements

General note

With Edward Teller. Undated
 

Writings by Other Authors

Box 5, Folder 17

Fermi, Enrico

General note

"Polarization of High Energy Protons Scattered by Nuclei," 1954. Also includes "Uber die Anwendung der statistischen methode auf die probleme des Atombaues," undated.
Box 5, Folder 18

Suess, Hans E. "Contributions to Science"

General note

Undated
 

RESEARCH NOTEBOOKS AND CLASS LECTURES

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 3) RESEARCH NOTEBOOKS AND CLASS LECTURES. Arranged in two subseries: A) Notebooks and B) Research Subjects.
A) Notebooks: Ten notebooks with scientific calculations, notes and graphs; and one notebook of poetry written in German. Most of the notebooks are untitled and undated, but include section headings by topic. The notebooks were numbered and removed from three-ring binders during processing.
B) Research Subjects: Calculations, notes, figures, and graphs for physics topics, arranged alphabetically by folder title.
 

Notebooks

Box 6, Folder 1-3

Notebook One

Box 6, Folder 4

Notebook Two - Miscellaneous experimental

Box 6, Folder 5-6

Notebook Three

Box 6, Folder 7-8

Notebook Four

Box 7, Folder 1-2

Notebook Five

Box 7, Folder 3

Notebook Six - Thermodynamics

Box 7, Folder 4

Notebook Seven - Chaneleer Laboratories undated

Box 7, Folder 5

Notebook Eight

Box 7, Folder 6

Notebook Nine - Quantum Mechanics III 1955 Fall

Box 7, Folder 7

Notebook Ten - Class Lecture

Box 7, Folder 8

Notebook Eleven - Poetry

 

Research Subjects

Box 7, Folder 9

Irrotational Flow

Box 8, Folder 1

Neptunium Hexafluoride

Box 8, Folder 2

Opacity

Box 8, Folder 3

Quantum Theory

Box 8, Folder 4

Rand Radio Signal

Box 8, Folder 5

Superconductivity

Box 8, Folder 6

Transuranic Elements

 

TEACHING MATERIALS

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 4) TEACHING MATERIALS. Arranged in two subseries: A) University of Chicago and B) UC San Diego.
A) University of Chicago and B) UC San Diego: Lecture notes, course outlines, problem sets and examination questions for physics courses taught by Mayer and by Keith Brueckner. The UC San Diego subseries also includes questions for the Department of Physics candidacy examination and correspondence and notes regarding the proposed undergraduate physics and chemistry curriculum.
 

University of Chicago, 1947-1956

Box 8, Folder 7

Atomic Physics 231 1947

Box 8, Folder 8

Physics 241/242 1947 - 1949

General note

Course outlines and examinations
Box 8, Folder 9

Physics 251 (Thermodynamics) 1949 - 1951

Box 8, Folder 10

Physics 252 (Statistical Mechanics)

General note

ca. 1949
Box 8, Folder 11

Miscellaneous course outlines

 

UC San Diego, 1960-1970

Box 8, Folder 12-13

Nuclear Physics 213

Box 8, Folder 14

213A - Theoretical Nuclear Physics

General note

Taught by Keith Brueckner
Box 8, Folder 15

213B - Theoretical Nuclear Physics

General note

Taught by Keith Brueckner
Box 8, Folder 16

Advanced Nuclear Physics 222

Box 8, Folder 17

Candidacy examination for the Department of Physics

Box 8, Folder 18

Development of undergraduate curriculum for Physics and Chemistry

Box 9, Folder 1

Miscellaneous outlines and examinations

General note

undated
 

BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 5) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS: Biographical materials are alphabetized by subject and include a subseries of photographs in chronological order. Biographical documents include autobiographies; biographical notes; birth, marriage and death certificates; obituaries; a charcoal portrait of Maria and Joseph Mayer; a genealogical chart; and a report to the UC Regents on UC San Diego professors Harold Urey and Maria Goeppert Mayer. Photographs depict Maria Mayer, her family, and colleagues; scientific conferences; UC San Diego graduate students; and the 1963 Nobel Prize ceremony.
Box 9, Folder 2

Autobiographies

Box 9, Folder 3

Biographical Information

General note

Correspondence with biographical reference publishers
Box 9, Folder 4

Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificates / Medical History 1906-1972

Oversize MC-037, Folder 15

Charcoal Portrait of Maria and Joe Mayer 1966

Box 9, Folder 6

Genealogical Chart

Box 9, Folder 7

Naturalization Documents

General note

U.S. Immigrant Identification Card, February 25, 1930. Naturalization Paper, March 13, 1933
Box 9, Folder 8

Obituaries

Box 9, Folder 9

Photographs - Portraits

Box 9, Folder 10-11

Photographs

General note

ca. 1920 - 1930
Box 9, Folder 12

Photographs - Heidelberg

General note

February 7, 1951
Box 9, Folder 13

Photographs - Bothe-Festspiele 1951

Box 9, Folder 14

Photographs - International Conference on Nuclear Structure

General note

September 8-14, 1957 - Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovoth, Israel
Box 9, Folder 15

Photographs - Nobel Prize Ceremony 1963

Box 9, Folder 16

Photographs - Graduate students at UCSD 1960 - 1964

Box 9, Folder 17

Photographs - Women in Science Day

General note

February 24, 1964
Box 9, Folder 18

Photographs - Gordon Research Conference

General note

August 23-27,1965, Kimball Union Academy. Meriden, New Hampshire
Box 9, Folder 19

Photographs - At the University of Portland with the Reverend Joseph L. Poivers

General note

June 12, 1968
Box 9, Folder 20

Photographs - Lindau 19 1968

Oversize MC-037, Folder 15

Photographs - Instituts Internationaux de Physique et de Chimie

General note

May 5-10, 1969
Box 9, Folder 22

Photographs - International Conference on Statistical Mechanics 1968

Box 9, Folder 23

Photographs - Miscellaneous undated

Box 9, Folder 24

Moon, the atom ... and the urge to know

General note

A special report to the Regents of the University of California, ca. 1968
Box 9, Folder 25

Vitae

 

NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 6) NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS: Newspaper clippings from 1933-1972, primarily regarding Maria Goeppert Mayer and her scientific career. Arranged chronologically.
Box 9, Folder 26-32

About Maria Goeppert Mayer 1933 - 1972

Box 9, Folder 33

Miscellaneous clippings not about Maria Mayer

Oversize MC-037, Folder 15

Cover of San Diego Evening Tribune announcing "S.D. mother wins Nobel Physics Prize" 1963 November 5

 

SUBJECT MATERIALS

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 7) SUBJECT MATERIALS: Information on scientific organizations and conferences; a research proposal to the Atomic Energy Commission; Mayer's passports, honorary degrees, and employment information; correspondence, news clippings and reprints regarding the 1963 Nobel Prize; and writings by other researchers, including Mayer's father, Friederich Goeppert. Arranged alphabetically by folder title.
Box 9, Folder 34

American Academy of Arts and Science / American Philosophical Society

General note

Statement on U.S. policy in Vietnam
Box 10, Folder 1

Brueckner contract with the Atomic Energy Commission 1960 - 1971

Box 10, Folder 2

Calling cards/nameplate and telegrams 1963

Box 10, Folder 3

Certificates

General note

Daughters of the American Revolution; ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA; University of California Regents
Box 10, Folder 4

Dag Hammarskjold Foundation

Box 10, Folder 5

Financial materials (primarily in German) 1941-1964

Oversize MC-037, Folder 15

GOTTINGER TAGEBLATT 1936 April 29

Box 10, Folder 7

Gottingen University. List of friends and visitors from the U.S. undated

Oversize MC-037, Folder 15

HAMBURGER TAGEBLATT 1935 September 16

Box 10, Folder 9

Heidelberg Conference - Agenda, etc. 1951

Box 10, Folder 10

Honorary Degrees - Citations and programs

General note

Russell Sage College, 1960; Mount Holyoke College, 1961; Ripon College, 1970.
Box 10, Folder 11

Kanpur Indo - American Program materials

Box 10, Folder 12

National Academy of Science Centennial

General note

Participation/academic costume information
Box 10, Folder 13

National Citizens Organizing Committee for Johnson-Humphrey

General note

Roster of members
Box 10, Folder 14

New Year's Eve Parties 1952 - 1959

General note

Invitation lists and menus
Box 10, Folder 15-21

Nobel Foundation

General

Nobel Prize lecture with German translation and publication correspondence; invitations to events in Stockholm; letters of congratulations; newspaper clippings; miscellaneous materials.
Box 10, Folder 22

Nursery School Report for Marianne Mayer

Box 10, Folder 23

Poetry and Prose

Box 11, Folder 1

Programs

General note

National Academy of Sciences, 1956; LOS ANGELES TIMES, 1962; Women of the Year Awards; American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1963; American Academy of Achievement, 1971; Die Tagungen der Nobelpriestager in Lindau, 1971
Box 11, Folder 2

Reprints of works by Maria Mayer's father, Friederich Goeppert 1920-1925

Box 11, Folder 3

Scientific notes and papers

Box 11, Folder 4

Tanganjika Territory, Poland, inheritance documents

Box 11, Folder 5

Travel Materials -- passports, itineraries, bills

Box 11, Folder 6

University of California - Miscellaneous materials

Box 11, Folder 7

Women's Week in Japan ephemera 1965

Box 11, Folder 8

Other individual's writings - Max Born

Box 11, Folder 9

Other individual's writings - Johannes Jensen

Box 11, Folder 10

Other individual's writings - Eugene Wigner

Box 11, Folder 11

Originals of Preservation Photocopies

 

Accession Processed in 1997

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

Box 12, Folder 1, Oversize FB18801

Alfred Nobel Dinner, Los Angeles 1964

Box 12, Folder 2, Oversize FB18802

Photographs taken at the time of notification of Nobel Prize Award

Box 12, Folder 3, Oversize FB18901

Women's Week in Japan

General note

Photograph album of Mayer's trip to Japan, April 1965.
 

AWARDS, CERTIFICATES AND DIPLOMAS

Box 12, Folder 4, Oversize FB18803

Awards, certificates and diplomas 1930 - 1969

Box 12, Folder 5, Oversize FB18804

Pillars of American Freedom Award 1964

Box 12, Folder 6

Who's Who in the World 1971 - 1972

 

Accession Processed in 2015

 

BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 10) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS: Biographical information and awards for Maria Goeppert Mayer and her husband, chemist Joseph Edward Mayer; photographs, correspondence, and news clippings on the dedication of her birthplace in Katowice, Poland; news clippings and a report regarding the Nobel Prize; and diplomas for Maria Mayer's honorary doctor of science degrees and the Nobel Prize.
Box 13, Folder 1

Awards and honors 1962-1965

Box 13, Folder 2

Biographical information - Maria Goeppert Mayer and Joseph Edward Mayer 1959-1972

Box 13, Folder 3

Birthplace of Maria Goeppert Mayer 1995-1996

General

Photographs and correspondence.
Box 13, Folder 4

Hall, Mary Harrington. "Maria Mayer--The Marie Curie of the Atom." McCall's 1964 July

Box 13, Folder 5

Honorary Doctor of Science diplomas 1960-1970

Box 13, Folder 6

James Flack Norris Award - Joseph Edward Mayer 1969

Oversize FB-188-06

Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year Award 1962

General

Silver cup.
Box 13, Folder 7

Mayer, Joseph E. "My Wife's Secret: The Atomic Bomb!" undated

Box 13, Folder 8

Nobel Prize - News clippings and President's Report to the Regents 1963

Oversize FB-188-05

Nobel Prize diploma 1963 December 10

Box 15

Nobel medal in presentation case 1963

Restrictions

Restrictions Apply
 

CORRESPONDENCE

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 11) CORRESPONDENCE: Correspondence regarding Mayer's 1963 Nobel Prize and letters of congratulations on the award; requests for autographs, photographs, and biographical information; and one folder of general correspondence. Arranged alphabetically by folder title and chronologically within folders.
Box 13, Folder 9

General correspondence 1956-1957

Box 13, Folder 10-13

Nobel Prize 1963-1964

General

Letters of congratulations and correspondence with the Nobel Foundation and the Royal Swedish Academy of Science.
Box 13, Folder 14

Requests for autographs, photographs, and biographical information 1963-1971

 

WRITINGS BY MAYER

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 12) WRITINGS BY MAYER. Arranged in two series: A) Essays and Talks, and B) Notebooks.
A) Essays and Talks: Mayer's opening address for the 1965 National Women's Conference in Tokyo; an untitled talk on women in science; and an essay on physicist Bernd Matthias.
B) Notebooks: Lecture notes and problem sets for classes Mayer taught in thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and quantum mechanics from 1935-1950. Arranged alphabetically by title.
 

Essays and Talks

Box 13, Folder 15

Essay on Bernd Matthias 1969

Box 13, Folder 16

To the Women of Japan. Opening ceremony address, National Women's Conference, Tokyo, Japan 1965 April 10

Box 13, Folder 17

Untitled talk on women in science undated

 

Notebooks

Box 13, Folder 18

Group Theory and Quantum Mechanics 1935-1936

Box 13, Folder 19

Mechanics II 1949 Winter

Box 14, Folder 1

Quantum Mechanics and Atomic Structure 1947 Spring

Box 14, Folder 2-3

Statistical Mechanics 1942-1950

Box 14, Folder 4

Thermodynamics undated

 

PHOTOGRAPHS

Scope and Contents of Series

Series 13) PHOTOGRAPHS: Photographs of Maria Mayer with Japanese students taken around 1953; portraits of Mayer from 1963; photographs of physicists Bernd Matthias and Hans Suess; President Lyndon Baines Johnson with Mayer and the Republicans for Johnson; and a Physics Today cover featuring Maria and Joseph Mayer.
Box 14, Folder 5

Bernd, Matthias undated

Box 14, Folder 6

Johnson, Lyndon Baines, Maria Goeppert Mayer, and the Republicans for Johnson 1964

Box 14, Folder 7

Mayer, Maria Goeppert 1963

Box 14, Folder 8

Mayer, Maria Goeppert and Joseph Edward. Physics Today undated

Box 14, Folder 9

Mayer, Maria Goeppert with Japanese students ca. 1953

Box 14, Folder 10

Periodic Table undated

Box 14, Folder 11

Suess, Hans 1982 and undated

Box 14, Folder 12

Unidentified child 1908