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Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 51

Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Secretary

Research Corporation Records, 1912-1959

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:Smithsonian Institution. Office of the Secretary
Title:Research Corporation Records
Dates:1912-1959
Quantity:4 cu. ft. (8 document boxes)
Collection:Record Unit 51
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

These records, segregated from the main files of the Office of the Secretary, reflect his official involvement as a director of the Research Corporation. These records document the actions of the Corporation, its finances, and research projects it supported in some detail, but are not complete.

Historical Note

The Research Corporation was created under the laws of New York in 1912, having as its chief asset certain patents assigned to it by Frederic G. Cottrell. Cottrell, a chemist, had invented devices used in the electrostatic precipitation of pollutants. He wished to support the research of promising young scientists in various fields and approached the Smithsonian Institution, asking it to act as administrator of his proposal. For various reasons the Smithsonian declined, and a non-profit corporation was created in its place. The Secretary of the Smithsonian has been an ex officio member of its board of directors from the corporation's inception.

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Descriptive Entry

These records, segregated from the main files of the Office of the Secretary, reflect his official involvement as a director of the Research Corporation. These records document the actions of the Corporation, its finances, and research projects it supported in some detail, but are not complete.

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This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.

Name

Subject

Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 51, Smithsonian Institution, Office of the Secretary, Research Corporation Records

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Container List

Series 1

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1912-1959. ARRANGED CHRONOLOGICALLY OR ALPHABETICALLY.

Box 1

Folder 1 Correspondence, A-F, 1912

Box 1 of 8

Folders 2-3 Correspondence, A-Z, 1913

Box 1 of 8

Folders 4-6 Correspondence, A-Z, 1914

Box 1 of 8

Folders 7-8 Correspondence, A-Z, 1915

Box 1 of 8

Box 2

Folders 1-3 Correspondence, A-Z, 1916-1921

Box 2 of 8

Folder 4 Correspondence, R-Z, 1922-1924

Box 2 of 8

Folders 5-10 Correspondence, 1925-1946

Box 2 of 8

Box 3

Folders 1-5 Correspondence, 1947-1959

Box 3 of 8

Series 2

MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND ANNUAL REPORTS.

Box 3

Folder 6 Minutes of the Board of Directors, 1912-1911 (bound and indexed)

Box 3 of 8

Box 4

Folder 1 Minutes of the Board of Directors, 1916-1922 (bound)

Box 4 of 8

Folders 2-4 Minutes of the Board of Directors, 1948, 1952, 1959

Box 4 of 8

Folder 5 Minutes of the Executive Committee, 1921-1922 (bound)

Box 4 of 8

Folder 6 Minutes of the Executive Committee, 1951-1952

Box 4 of 8

Folder 7 Minutes of the Executive Committee, 1958-1959

Box 4 of 8

Box 5

Folders 1-8 Annual Reports, 1946-1950, 1952, 1953, 1958

Box 5 of 8

Series 3

FINANCIAL RECORDS, 1947-1959.

Box 5

Folder 9 Financial reports, 1947-1952

Box 5 of 8

Box 6

Folder 1 Financial reports, 1953-1954

Box 6 of 8

Folders 2-3 Financial reports, 1958-1959

Box 6 of 8

Series 4

RESEARCH REPORTS.

Box 6

Folder 4 Research reports, 1936

Box 6 of 8

Box 7

Folders 1-2 Research reports, 1937-1938

Box 7 of 8

Folders 3-7 Research reports, Williams-Waterman Fund, 1949-1953

Box 7 of 8

Box 8

Folder 1 Research reports, Patent Development Division, 1959

Box 8 of 8

Folder 2 Research reports on miscellaneous projects, 1949-1959

Box 8 of 8

Folder 3 Research fellowship applications, 1917-191?. Includes photographs

Box 8 of 8

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