University of Chicago Radiocarbon Lab records, 1943-1959, undated

Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
University of Chicago. Radiocarbon Laboratory
Abstract:
The University of Chicago Radiocarbon Lab records document the daily operations of the University of Chicago Radiocarbon Lab. The records contain correspondence and related subject files, lab notebooks, sample records and other material documenting the activities of the University of Chicago Radiocarbon Lab.
Extent:
6.25 linear feet (5 boxes)
Language:
The collection is in English .
Preferred citation:

[identification of item], [date if possible]. University of Chicago Radiocarbon Laboratory records (UA 018). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.

Background

Scope and content:

The University of Chicago Radiocarbon Lab records document the daily operations of the University of Chicago Radiocarbon Lab. The records contain correspondence and related subject files, lab notebooks, sample records and other material documenting the activities of the University of Chicago Radiocarbon Lab.

Biographical / historical:

The University of Chicago Radiocarbon Lab was the first lab devoted to radiocarbon dating in the world. It was founded by Willard F. Libby (1908-1980), a noted chemist who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1960 for his role in developing the science of radiocarbon dating. The lab operated in the university's Institute for Nuclear Studies.

Libby earned his Ph.D. in chemistry from UC Berkeley. He began his career as an Assistant Professor there in 1931. During WWII, Libby was actively involved in the Manhattan Project. He played a key role in developing a gaseaous diffusion method to separate the uranium isotopes, which was used in the process for uranium enrichment.

After the war, Libby joined the chemistry department at the University of Chicago in order to maintain his association with Haorld Urey, a Nobel laureate in chemistry, whom he had collaborated with during the Manhattan Project. Libby remained at the University of Chicago until 1954, when he was appointed commissioner of the United States Atomic Energy Commission (A.E.C.) by President Eisenhower.

In 1959, Libby joined the faculty of the chemistry department at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he founded the first radiocarbon lab in the UC system. Libby retired from UCLA in 1976, leaving behind a distinguished career. In addition to the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, he received numerous honors including the American Chemical Society Award for Nuclear Applications in Chemistry, the Albert Einstein Medal and the Day Medal of the Geological Society of America. He was also elected to the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society.

Acquisition information:
This collection was transferred by former UCR Anthropology professor and director of the UCR Radiocarbon Lab, Dr. Erv Taylor, in 2016.
Processing information:

Processed by Andrea Hoff, University Archivist, 2022.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into four series as described below. Series 3 consists of several sub-series, which are described at the series level.

  • Series 1. Correspondence and Subject Files, 1943-1959, undated
  • Series 2. Miscellaneous Materials, 1962, undated
  • Series 3. Lab Notebooks, 1946-1954, undated
  • Series 4. Sample Records, 1947-1954, undated
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred citation:

[identification of item], [date if possible]. University of Chicago Radiocarbon Laboratory records (UA 018). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Riverside - Special Collections and University Archives
P.O. Box 5900
Riverside, CA 92517-5900, US
Contact:
(951) 827-3233
specialcollections@ucr.edu
Website