Descriptive Summary
Processing History
Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Acquisition Information
Collection Arrangement
Scope and Contents
Historical Background
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: University of Chicago Radiocarbon Lab records
Date (inclusive): 1943-1959 & undated
Collection Number: UA 018
Creator:
Libby, Willard F.
Creator:
University of Chicago. Institute for Nuclear Studies
Creator:
University of Chicago. Radiocarbon Laboratory
Extent:
6.25 linear feet
(5 boxes)
Repository:
Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
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.
Languages: English
.
Processing History
Processed by Andrea Hoff, University Archivist, 2022.
Access
This collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
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.
Acquisition Information
This collection was transferred by former UCR Anthropology professor and director of the UCR Radiocarbon Lab, Dr. Erv Taylor,
in 2016.
Collection 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
Scope and Contents
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.
Historical Background
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.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Radiocarbon dating
Universities and colleges
Universities and colleges -- Faculty
Genres and Forms of Materials
Correspondence
Laboratory notebooks
Research notes