Collection Guide
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University of California Division of War Research reports
SAC 0018
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Table of contents
Languages:
English
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Title: University of California Division of War Research reports
Creator:
University of California (1868-1952). Division of War Research
Identifier/Call Number: SAC 0018
Physical Description:
8.0 Linear feet
(8 records cartons)
Date (inclusive): 1941-1953
Abstract: The University of California Division of War Research reports consists of an incomplete set of unclassified UCDWR reports,
Navy Radio and Sound Laboratory (NRSL) and Naval Electronics Laboratory (NEL) files, memoranda, pamphlets, manuals, training
aids, and data notebooks.
Scope and Content of Collection
The University of California Division of War Research reports consists of an incomplete set of unclassified UCDWR reports,
Navy Radio and Sound Laboratory (NRSL) and Naval Electronics Laboratory (NEL) files, memoranda, pamphlets, manuals, training
aids, and data notebooks.
The
Completion report... covering operations of the University of California Division of War Research... from 26 April 1941 to
30 June 1946
was prepared at the end of the contract period, highlighting the laboratory's history and organization. Additionally, it
includes bibliographies detailing the technical reports produced and patents submitted during the project. The
Completion report is found in box 6 of the collection, in the RESEARCH REPORTS series.
Arranged in five series: 1) SOUND FIELD DATA NOTEBOOKS; 2) INSTRUCTION MANUALS AND GUIDES; 3) RESEARCH REPORTS; 4) NAVY RADIO
AND SOUND LABORATORY REPORTS; and 5) NAVY ELECTRONICS LABORATORY INTERNAL TECHNICAL MEMORANDA.
The University of California Division of War Research (UCDWR) was created in response to an escalation of hostilities in Europe.
In 1941, the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) proposed a research and development program that would investigate
methods for detecting submerged or partially submerged submarines. With the Navy's approval, two laboratories were set up.
The Atlantic coast laboratory was located at the U.S. Navy Underwater Sound Laboratory in New London, Connecticut, and was
operated under a contract with Columbia University. The Pacific coast laboratory was located at the U.S. Navy Radio and Sound
Laboratory in San Diego, California, with the University of California acting as the contract agency. This was the first collaborative
effort between the Navy and the University of California on wartime research.
The UCDWR concerned itself primarily with fundamental investigations of techniques and procedures for detecting and successfully
combating submarines. Until the contracts were actually written up between NDRC and the universities, the Office of Scientific
Research and Development (OSRD) assumed responsibility for the projects initiated by NDRC, and NDRC remained the directing
body for the scientific programs. Contract OEMsr-30 between OSRD and the University of California was executed on August 15,
1941. At first, other names, such as the University of California Division of National Defense Research, and the San Diego
Laboratory, were attached to the effort.
For many years UCDWR was located in the same building as the U.S. Navy Radio and Sound Laboratory (NRSL) at Point Loma. Problems
of overcrowding and overlapping laboratory programs occurred with the rapid growth in UCDWR and NRSL personnel. The Navy helped
to alleviate some of these problems by supplying buildings for UCDWR. Changes in laboratory organization and cooperation from
the Navy fostered a close working relationship among UCDWR and NRSL, including other naval commands, U.S. Fleet Sonar School,
local submarine squadron, and units of the Pacific fleet.
Though UCDWR was originally conceived as a temporary wartime operation, it was decided that its work could continue under
the direction of a more permanent organization. On March 1, 1945, the UCDWR program was transferred to the Navy Department
as contract NObs-2074 from OSRD, and the Bureau of Ships assumed responsibility for the direction of the contractor's work.
When the war ended abruptly on September 2, 1945, immediate action was taken to complete all the reports for final distribution,
which took many months to finish.
At the same time the Navy Radio and Sound Laboratory was absorbed by the Navy Electronics Laboratory (NEL) which eventually
inherited all the structures at the Point Loma facility. In late June 1946, UCDWR became the Marine Physical Laboratory. The
University of California assumed responsibility for Task 10 of contract NObs-2074. The Marine Physical Laboratory (MPL) was
officially opened on June 1, 1946, with Carl Eckart appointed as Director. It became part of Scripps Institution of Oceanography
in April 1948.
University of California Division of War Research records. SAC 18. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Acquired 1985
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
Further information on UCDWR can be found in SIO Subject Files (SAC 6) in folders with contract number "NObs-2074."
A small selection of photographs of UCDWR activities may be found in the SIO Photographs Collection, SMC 59.
In 1957, the UCDWR records were sent to federal record centers. This collection of photocopies of unclassified reports was
received by the Central University Library in 1976 and transferred to the SIO Archives in 1985. The data notebooks were found
in SIO archives in 1981. No further information is available about these accessions.
SIO archivist Deborah Day attempted to collect additional UCDWR organizational records and traced them from one naval repository
to another, but was unable to obtain the official working records of the group. She did obtain copies of photographs captured
by the project's photographer; the original photos and negatives had been submitted to the Navy.
In 1985, Day noted that Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) maintained a complete set of UCDWR reports, however
this has not been recently verified.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Naval research -- United States
Underwater acoustics -- Research
Anti-submarine warfare -- Research
University of California (1868-1952). Division of War Research -- Archives
United States. Navy. Electronics Laboratory -- Archives
United States. Navy. Radio and Sound Laboratory -- Archives