Descriptive Summary
Scope and Contents of the Collection
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: Charles A. Fowler Papers
Dates: 1890-1996
Bulk Dates: 1923-1977
Collection number: PC.0030
Creator:
Fowler, Charles A.
Extent:
5.4 Linear Feet
(5 record cartons, 1 document box)
Repository:
Claremont Colleges. Library. Special Collections, The Claremont
Colleges Library, Claremont, CA 91711.
Abstract: This collection contains course
materials, departmental correspondence, research notes, reports, photographs, and articles
belonging to Pomona College physics professor, Charles A. Fowler.
Physical Location: Please consult repository.
Language of Material: Languages represented in
collection: English.
Administrative Information
Access
Collection open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to reproduce or to publish must be submitted in writing to
the Archives.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Charles A. Fowler Papers (PC-0030). Pomona College Archives,
Special Collections, The Claremont Colleges Library, Claremont, California.
Provenance/Source of Acquisition
Transfer from David Tanenbaum and David Haley, Pomona College Physics Department,
2013.
Accruals
Additions to the collection are not anticipated.
Biography / Administrative History
Charles A. "Chick" Fowler, Jr. was 30-year member of the physics department faculty at
Pomona College and a specialist in research on magnetic domains.
Fowler was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 23, 1912 and earned his B.A in
mathematics in 1933 and his M.S. in physics in 1934 from the University of Utah, where he
was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. He went on to earn his Ph.D in physics in
1940 from the University of California, Berkeley where he also taught from 1939 to 1946.
Fowler joined the Pomona College faculty in 1947 as an associate professor in physics. In
1950, he received promotion to full professor and served as chair of the physics
department. In 1960, Fowler received the Wig Distinguished Professor Award for excellence
in teaching, followed by a National Science Foundation Faculty Fellowship grant during a
sabbatical year from 1967 to 1968. With this grant, Dr. Fowler studied the utilization of
Pomona College's IBM System/360 digital computer in an effort to understand its usage in
all phases of undergraduate physics education. Dr. Fowler retired from Pomona College in
1977.
Aside from his position at Pomona College, Fowler served as an editorial reviewer for the
American Journal of Physics; was a National Science Foundation senior postdoctoral fellow
at the University of Grenoble in France; was a member of the Committee of Physics
Faculties; and served as president of the California section of the American Association
of Physics Teachers. He was also a member of both the American Association of Physics
Teachers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Under the
sponsorship of the US Office of Naval Research, Fowler helped to develop a magnet-optic
method of analyzing the magnetic structure of materials. His research and the method
became standard in all magnetic laboratories and played a significant role in the
development of high-speed computers.
Dr. Charles Fowler passed away on May 24, 1999 at the age of 87.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Charles A. Fowler Papers feature materials related to long-time Pomona College physics
professor, Charles Fowler. With the bulk of the materials spanning from 1923 to 1977, the
Fowler Papers include course materials, lecture notes, notebooks, and exams from various
physics courses taught by Fowler; correspondence between Fowler and Pomona College faculty
members and outside researchers; photographs of faculty members and campus buildings; and
budget materials for the Pomona College Physics and Astronomy Department. The Fowler Papers
include assorted articles related to physics, mathematics, and science written by outside
researchers, authors, and scientists. Reports, research notes, correspondence, and other
materials related to Fowler's time working with the US Office of Naval Research are also
included
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library’s online public access catalog.
Subject Terms
Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.)
Pomona College (Claremont, Calif.) -- Faculty
Astronomy
College buildings
Fowler, Charles A.
Mathematics
Physics
Teaching
Teaching--Aids and devices
United States. Office of Naval Research
Genre and Form of Materials
Articles
Correspondence
Lectures
Photographs