Reference Request
Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution Archives
Record Unit 259
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Assistant Director (Management)
Records, 1956-1967
Collection Overview
General Information About This Collection | |
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Repository: | Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu. |
Creator: | Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Assistant Director (Management) |
Title: | Records |
Dates: | 1956-1967 |
Quantity: | 12.5 cu. ft. (25 document boxes) |
Collection: | Record Unit 259 |
Language of Materials: | English |
Summary: | This record unit consists primarily of records maintained by Assistant Director Carlton W. Tillinghast, 1961-1969, with smaller amounts created by his predecessor, Kenneth H. Drummond, 1959-1961, and the Executive Officer, Vaughan Harmon. Also included are correspondence and memoranda addressed to SAO Director, Fred Lawrence Whipple. This material was usually referred to the Assistant Director for action. Records include general correspondence, 1957-1964, concerning SAO administration and scientific projects including Project Celescope; the Harvard Radio Meteor Project; SAO-International Year of the Quiet Sun Comet Project; the Meteorite Photography and Recovery Project (Prairie Network); and the Satellite Tracking Program. Of special interest is correspondence regarding the closing of SAO's Table Mountain, California, station in 1961. The record unit also includes administrative files, 1956-1966; Satellite Tracking Program records, 1957-1964, including administrative and tracking station files; and a buildings file, 1957-1966. |
Historical Note
Prior to 1959 the duties of this office were performed by the executive officer, Vaughan Harmon. For an administrative history of the office of the assistant director (Management), see Record Unit 256.
Descriptive Entry
This record unit consists primarily of records maintained by Assistant Director Carlton W. Tillinghast, 1961-1969, with smaller amounts created by his predecessor Kenneth H. Drummond, 1959-1961, and the executive officer, Vaughan Harmon. Also included is correspondence and memoranda addressed to Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) Director Fred L. Whipple. This material was usually referred to the assistant director for action. Records include general correspondence, 1957-1964, concerning SAO administration and scientific projects including Project Celescope; the Harvard Radio Meteor Project; SAO-International Year of the Quiet Sun Comet Project; the Prairie Network; and the Satellite Tracking Program. Of special interest is correspondence regarding the closing of SAO's Table Mountain, California, station in 1961. The record unit also includes administrative files, 1956-1966; Satellite Tracking Program records, 1957-1964, including administrative and tracking station files; and a buildings file, 1957-1966.
Around 1964, a numerical-subject records management system was instituted at SAO. Records were assigned a number code based on subject classification and filed numerically. Often records prior to 1964 were refiled using the numerical-subject system. Retrieval of records using the system is difficult. For a detailed explanation of the SAO numerical-subject filing system, see appendix 1 (off-line, in Archives).
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.
Name
- Tillinghast, Carlton W.
- Drummond, Kenneth H.
- Harmon, Vaughan
- Whipple, Fred L. (Fred Lawrence), 1906-2004
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Project Celescope
- Radio Meteor Project (Harvard College Observatory)
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. International Year of the Quiet Sun Comet Project
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Meteorite Photography and Recovery Project (Prairie Network)
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Satellite Tracking Program
- Table Mountain Station (California)
Subject
Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 259, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Assistant Director (Management), Records
Container List
Series 1
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1957-1964. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.This series consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence and administrative files maintained by Assistant Directors Kenneth H. Drummond, 1959-1961, and Carlton W. Tillinghast, 1961-1969. Records prior to 1959 were created mostly by the executive officer, Vaughan Harmon. Correspondents include astronomers and scientists, SAO and Smithsonian staff, scientific societies, corporations, and government agencies. The records primarily concern SAO administration and scientific projects, including the Celescope Project; Harvard Radio Meteor Project; SAO-International Year of the Quiet Sun Comet Project; Prairie Network; and the Satellite Tracking Program. Of special interest is correspondence regarding the closing of the Table Mountain (California) station in 1961.
Box 1
Folder 1 A, general, 1962-1964
Folder 2 Administrative staff meetings, 1960-1963
Folder 3 Administratively confidential file, 1960-1962
Folder 4 Allowances, 1959-1963
Folder 5 American Astronomical Society, 1961-1964
Folder 6 American Astronomical Society, meeting, April 1962
Folder 7 Angola meteorite, 1961
Folder 8 Audit, 1963
Folder 9 Awards, 1962-1963
Folder 10 B, general, 1959-1963
Folder 11 Baker-Nunn Optics, 1961-1963
Folder 11a Balloon Astronomy, 1963 (Accession 06-117)
Folder 12 Budget, 1961
Folder 13 Budget estimates, 1961
Folder 14 Budget estimates, 1963
Box 2
Folder 1 Budget: Salaries and expenses, 1959-1963
Folder 2 C, general, 1960-1963
Folder 3 Cameras, 1959-1963
Folder 4 Campbell, Leon, Jr., 1961-1963
Folder 5 Campbell, Leon, Jr., travel, 1961-1962
Folders 6-8 Celescope Project, July 1962-July 1963
Box 3
Folder 1 Celescope Project, August 1963-July 1965
Folder 2 Celescope Project: Electro-Mechanical Research Co., 1964
Folder 3 Charity drives at SAO, 1962-1963
Folder 4 Check ledger, 1963
Folder 5 Coffey, Jack, 1962-1964
Folder 6 Comet observations, 1960
Folder 7 Communications Division, 1960-1964
Folder 8 Computer 7090, 1960-1962
Box 4
Folder 1 Computer Services, Inc., 1960-1961
Folders 2-6 Consultants, 1957-1962
Folder 7 Cornell, James C., 1964
Folder 8 Cospar, 1962
Folder 9 Cunningham, Leland E., 1958-1962
Folder 10 D, general, 1960-1964
Folder 11 Deming, Leo, 1957-1963. Concerns a controversy between SAO and Deming, who was the leader of the Moonwatch team at Terre Haute, Indiana.
Folder 12 Device Development Corporation, 1963
Folder 13 E, general, 1961-1962
Box 5
Folder 1 Editorial and Publications Division, 1960-1964
Folder 2 Eichhorn, Heinrich K., 1961-1962
Folder 3 Excess property, 1962-1964
Folder 4 F, general, 1960-1963
Folder 5 Financial statements, 1962-1963
Folder 5a Funding and Proposals, 1962-1967 (Accession 06-117)
Folder 6 G, general, 1960-1964
Folder 7 Geodetic Camera Stations, 1962-1963
Folder 8 Geodetic Satellites, 1960
Folder 9 Grady, John J., 1960-1962
Folder 10 Grants and Contracts, 1962-1964
Folder 11 H, general, 1960-1963
Folder 12 Hagihara, Y., 1960-1964
Folder 13 Harvard Computer Center, 1962-1963
Folder 14 Harvard Radio Meteor Project, 1961-1963
Box 6
Folder 1 Hynek, J. Allen, 1962-1963
Folder 2 I, general, 1957-1964
Folder 3 Instrument Corporation of Florida, 1960-1961
Folder 4 International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), 1961-1962
Folder 5 IBM Building, 1959-1963
Folder 6 International Year of the Quiet Sun: SAO Comet Project, 1962-1963
Folder 7 Inventory, 1962
Folder 8 J, general, 1960-1964
Folder 9 K, general, 1962-1964
Folder 10 Kozai, Yoshihide, 1963-1964
Folder 11 L, general, 1961-1964
Folder 12 Lassovszky, Karoly, 1961-1962
Folder 13 Lennox, Alexander, 1961
Folder 14 Library Acquisitions, 1958-1963
Folders 15-16 Lundquist, Charles A., 1962-1966. Mostly concerns the Celescope Project, 1963-1966.
Folder 17 M, general, 1960-1964
Folder 18 Malac, Mark N., 1963
Folder 19 Markey, Winston R., 1958-1962
Box 7
Folder 1 Meteorites, 1960-1963. Includes photographs.
Folder 2 Model shop, 1960-1963
Folder 3 Moonwatch Division, 1958-1964
Folder 4 N, general, 1960
Folders 5-7 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 1960-1964
Folder 8 National Science Foundation, 1961-1962
Folder 9 Noonan, Thomas W., 1961
Folder 10 O, general, 1960-1963
Folder 11 Office Memoranda, 1960-1964
Folder 12 O'Hara, Doris L., 1962-1963
Folder 13 Orbiting Astronomical Observatories, 1962-1963 (Accession 06-117)
Box 8
Folder 1 Organizational charts, 1959-1961
Folder 2 P, general, 1961-1963
Folder 3 Passports and visas, 1961-1963
Folder 4 Payroll summaries, 1961-1962
Folder 5 Per diem, 1961-1963
Folders 6-7 Personnel, 1959-1963
Folder 8 Petty cash, 1962-1963
Folder 9 Photographic experiments, 1958-1959
Folder 10 Photoreduction Division, 1960
Folder 11 Prairie Network (Meteorite Photograph and Recovery Network), 1960-1964
Folder 12 Predictions, 1960
Folder 13 Property Control Officer, 1961-1963
Folder 14 Przybylski, A., 1959, 1963
Folder 15 Purchase orders and requisitions, 1961-1963
Folder 16 R, general, 1961-1964
Folder 17 RCA Communications, Inc., 1964
Folder 18 Recruiting, 1962
Folder 19 Rocket Photography, 1961
Box 9
Folder 1 S, general, 1960-1963
Folder 2 Sagan, Carl, 1962-1963
Folder 3 Satellite Photometry, 1959
Folder 4 Satellite Re-entry, 1963
Folder 4a Satellite Tracking Cameras, 1958 (Accession 06-117)
Folders 5-6 Satellite Tracking Program (STP), general, 1958-1964
Folder 7 STP, Observers, 1958-1963
Folder 8 STP, Station audits, 1962-1963
Folder 9 STP, Station Operations Division, 1957-1963
Folder 10 Schilling, Gerhard F., 1957
Folder 11 Shuttle service, 1962-1964
Box 10
Folders 1-4 Smithsonian Institution (S. I.), correspondence and memoranda, 1960-1963
Folders 5-8 S. I., mail log, April-November 1963
Folder 9 S. I. manual, 1960-1963
Folders 10-11 S. I., telephone and TWX log, 1963
Box 11
Folder 1 Smithsonian-SAO Administrative Conference, November 7-8, 1962
Folder 2 Soloman, Leonard, 1962-1963
Folder 3 Spark-Chamber Experiment, 1963
Folder 4 Sputnik IV, 1962. Concerns recovery of a fragment of the satellite in Wisconsin.
Folder 5 Star Catalogue, 1961-1963
Folder 6 T, general, 1961-1964
Folder 7 Table Mountain Station, 1956-1962. Mostly concerns closing of the station, 1961.
Folder 8 Taylor, Theodore W., 1960-1964
Folder 9 Technical Section, 1962-1963
Folder 10 Thefts, 1961-1964
Folder 11 TIAA Life Insurance, 1958-1962
Folder 12 Tillinghast, Carlton W., travel, 1960-1963
Folder 13 Time and Attendance, 1962-1963
Folder 14 Training, 1962
Box 12
Folder 1 Travel, 1957 (Accession 06-117)
Folder 1a Travel authorizations, 1962-1963
Folder 2 Travel regulations, 1962-1963
Folder 3 Tuition refund program, 1962-1963
Folder 4 U, general, 1961
Folder 5 V, general, 1961-1963
Folder 6 Van Biesbroeck, George, 1958-1960
Folder 7 Vanderburgh, Richard C., 1962-1964
Folder 8 Vehicles, 1958-1962
Folders 9-10 Veis, George, 1960-1963
Folder 11 Vending machines, 1961-1964
Folder 12 Visitors to SAO, 1958-1963
Folder 13 Visual Sky Photometer, 1963-1964
Folder 14 W, general
Folder 15 Wilding, Anthony W., 1961-1964
Folder 16 Wood, John A., 1962-1963
Folder 17 Z, general
Folder 18 Zadunaisky, Pedro E., 1961-1962
Series 2
ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1956-1966.This series consists of records concerning public relations, fiscal matters, SAO personnel, equipment and procurement, and special projects of SAO. Also included are publications and reports. The records are arranged in the numerical-subject records management system instituted at SAO (see appendix 1, off-line, in Archives). For other administrative files see series 1.
Box 13
Folder 1 #001 Public Information, 1960-1964
Folder 2 #002 Conference and Meetings, 1962-1966
Folder 3 #003 Visits and Visitors, 1961-1965
Folder 4 #110 Budgets, 1963-1966
Folder 5 #110 Budget, Salaries and Expenses, 1960-1966
Folder 6 #120 Financial Statements and Transactions, 1963-1964
Folder 7 #130 Inventory and Audits, 1962-1964
Folder 8 #160 Contracting, 1963-1964
Folder 9 #210 Personnel, Divisional, 1962-1964
Folder 10 #220 Personnel, Individuals, 1961-1965
Folder 11 #220 Aardoom, Leendert, 1961-1964
Folder 12 #220 Colombo, Giuseppe, 1960-1964
Folder 13 #220 Goldberg, Leo, 1962-1964
Folder 14 #220 Graffee, Alphonse J., 1964
Folder 15 #220 Kozai, Yoshihide, 1958-1964
Folder 16 #220 Roemer, Max, 1963-1965
Folder 17 #220 Rydgren, Bo, 1963-1964
Folder 18 #220 Sagan, Carl, 1961-1963
Folder 19 #220 Tsuruta, Sachiko, 1964
Folder 20 #220 Veis, George, 1958-1964
Folder 21 #220 Verniani, Franco, 1962-1964
Box 14
Folder 1 #230 Consultants, general, 1963-1965
Folder 2 #230 Bhatnager, Prahbu L., 1964
Folder 3 #230 Cillie, Geoffrey, 1961
Folder 4 #230 Elford, William Graham, 1961-1964
Folder 5 #230 Froiland, Alfred G., 1962
Folder 6 #230 Giese, Richard Heinrich, 1962
Folder 7 #230 Hamid, Salah, 1956-1961
Folder 8 #230 McArthur, Charles C., 1958-1964
Folder 9 #230 Nicolet, Marcel, 1958-1964
Folder 10 #230 Sehnal, Ladislav, 1964-1965
Folder 11 #230 Swings, Pol, 1962-1964
Folder 12 #240 Travel, 1963-1964
Folder 13 #310.1 Procedures and Policies (Divisional), 1964
Folder 14 #310.2 Procedures and Policies (SAO), general, 1961-1964
Folder 15 #310.2 Procedures and Policies (SAO), Business Office, 1962-1965
Folder 16 #310.2 Procedures and Policies (SAO), Editorial and Publications Division, 1963-1965
Folder 17 #310.2 Procedures and Policies (SAO), Language Training Program, 1963-1964
Box 15
Folder 1 #310.2 Procedures and Policies (SAO), Management Analyst, 1963-1964
Folder 2 #310.2 Procedures and Policies (SAO), Personnel Office
Folder 3 #320 Organization, 1957-1964
Folder 4 #330 Buildings, 1964
Folder 5 #410 Procurement, 1963-1966
Box 16
Folder 1 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), general, 1962-1964
Folder 2 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Central Bureau for Satellite Geodesy, 1963-1965
Folder 3 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Indonesia Cooperation, 1963-1964
Folder 4 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), International Year of the Quiet Sun, 1963-1964
Folder 5 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Istanbul Cooperation, 1963
Folder 6 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Pakistan National Space Science Program, 1963-1964
Folder 7 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Portugal Cooperation, 1963
Folder 8 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Sierra Leone Site, 1963
Folder 9 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Sunwatch, 1963-1964
Folder 10 #610 One Time Reports, 1961-1964
Folder 11 #620 Recurring Reports, 1963-1964
Folder 12 #700 Technical and Scientific, 1963-1964
Series 3
SATELLITE TRACKING PROGRAM, ADMINISTRATIVE FILES, 1959-1967.This series consists of records concerning the administration of SAO's Satellite Tracking Program (STP). The records deal with public relations, fiscal matters, STP personnel, procurement, and special projects of STP. Also included are publications and reports. Of special interest are files concerning United States Air Force support of STP and the STP's geodetic camera project. The records are arranged in the SAO numerical-subject records management system (see appendix 1, off-line, in Archives). For other records concerning STP, see series 1 and 4.
Box 17
Folder 1 #001 Public Information, 1963
Folder 2 #002 Conferences and Meetings, 1960-1966
Folder 3 #003 Visits and Visitors, 1962-1964
Folder 4 #110 Budget, 1962-1964
Folder 5 #120 Financial Statements and Transactions, 1963-1964
Folder 6 #130 Inventory and Audits, 1963-1964
Folder 7 #160 Contracting, 1963-1965
Folder 8 #210 Personnel (Stations), 1963-1964
Folder 9 #220 Personnel (Individuals), 1959-1967
Folder 10 #230 Consultants, 1965-1967
Folder 11 #310.1 Procedures and Policies (Divisional), general, 1960-1967
Folder 12 #310.1 Procedures and Policies (Divisional), Communications Division, 1963-1967
Folder 13 #310.1 Procedures and Policies (Divisional), Insurance for Station Personnel, 1960-1964
Box 18
Folder 1 #310.1 Procedures and Policies (Divisional), Observers Handbook, 1963-1964
Folder 2 #310.1 Procedures and Policies (Divisional), Vehicles, 1960-1964
Folder 3 #320 Organization, 1962-1964
Folder 4 #410 Procurement, 1963-1964
Folder 5 #410 Procurement, Harvard Computing Center, 1962-1964
Folder 6 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), general, 1962-1964
Folder 7 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Air Force-NORAD Agreement, 1961-1964
Folder 8 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Air Force Tracking Support, 1962-1964
Folder 9 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Cold Lake Station, Canada, 1961-1964
Box 19
Folder 1 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Geodetic Camera, 1962-1964
Folder 2 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Manila, Philippines, 1964
Folder 3 #510 Special Projects and Services (Technical), Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, 1963
Folder 4 #610 One-Time Reports, 1959-1964
Folder 5 #610 One-Time Reports, Chile Trip Reports, 1962-1964
Folder 6 #620 Recurring Reports, 1963-1964
Folder 7 #700 Technical and Scientific, 1963-1964
Series 4
SATELLITE TRACKING PROGRAM, STATION FILES, 1957-1964. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, reports, photographs, and related records concerning the operation of the Satellite Tracking Program's (STP) twelve satellite tracking stations. Also included are files on the United States Air Force tracking station at Oslo, Norway, and the Meteor Simulation Project station at Wallops Island, Virginia. Much of the material is routine and consists of copies of correspondence sent to the assistant director (management) by the Station Operations Division, which administered the tracking stations. Subjects included in the records include the tracking of satellites, operation of the Baker-Nunn tracking camera, construction and maintenance of the stations, and relations between SAO and foreign countries where stations were located. For other records concerning STP, see series 1 and 3.
Box 19
Folder 8 Argentina, 1957-1964
Folders 9-10 Australia, 1960-1964
Box 20
Folder 1 Australia, construction, 1960-1962
Folder 2 Australia, station move, 1959-1961
Folder 3 Brazil, 1962-1964
Folders 4-5 Curacao, 1960-1964
Folder 6 Ethiopia, 1963-1964
Folder 7 Florida, 1959-1964
Box 21
Folder 1 Hawaii, 1959-1964
Folder 2 Hawaii, radar installation, 1960
Folder 3 India, 1960-1964
Folder 4 Iran, 1960-1963
Box 22
Folder 1 Japan, 1960-1963
Folder 2 New Mexico, 1960-1963
Folder 3 Oslo, Norway, 1963-1964
Folder 4 Peru, 1960-1963
Folder 5 South Africa, 1959-1964
Folder 6 Spain, 1958-1964
Folder 7 Wallops Island, Virginia (Meteor Simulation Project), 1963-1964
Series 5
BUILDINGS FILE, 1957-1966. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, blueprints, floor plans, and related records concerning SAO buildings and facilities. Included are records regarding space leased by SAO, particularly from Harvard University. Records concerning office furniture and equipment, parking, safety programs, public transportation to SAO, and utilities are also included in the material.
Box 23
Folder 1 Alterations, 1958-1964
Folder 2 Construction, 1957-1963
Folder 3 Darkroom, 1962-1963
Folder 4 Electronics Laboratory, 1958-1963
Folder 5 Equipment, 1959-1963
Folder 6 Floor Plans, 1959-1966
Folder 7 Floor Plans, 1960-1963
Folder 8 Furniture, 1958-1963
Folder 9 Harvard College Observatory, Building B, Floor Plans and Specifications, 1959-1960
Box 24
Folders 1-3 Harvard College Observatory, Building B, Floor Plans and Specifications, 1959-1960
Folders 4-5 Harvard University, 1957-1966. Mostly regarding buildings leased by SAO from Harvard
Folder 6 Installations, 1957-1960
Box 25
Folder 1 Leases and Contracts, 1958-1963
Folder 2 Moves, 1958-1964
Folder 3 Parking, 1958-1964
Folder 4 Safety, 1963
Folder 5 Space Requirements, 1957-1964
Folder 6 Transportation, 1962-1963
Folder 7 Utilities, 1962-1963
- Finding Aid encoded on: 5-26-2020
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