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Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 279

National Museum of History and Technology. Office of the Director

Special Projects Records, 1953-1978

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:National Museum of History and Technology. Office of the Director
Title:Special Projects Records
Dates:1953-1978
Quantity:3 cu. ft. (6 document boxes)
Collection:Record Unit 279
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

These records of special projects in NMHT as well as throughout the Smithsonian focus on several major activities including the Computer History Project in cooperation with the American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS); the bicentennial celebration of James Smithson's birth; acquisition of a flag from each of the fifty states; and a proposed historical studies center. Records for the Computer History Project include press releases, audit reports, minutes of its Advisory Committee and memoranda and correspondence relating to a computer history exhibit, an oral history project on computer history, and the role of the principal investigators in the AFIPS project. For the Smithson Bicentennial, records include newspaper and magazine articles, photographs, and correspondence with speakers, foreign and domestic invitees, charitable foundations, and the International Council of Museums. The states' flags project produced correspondence with governors and other state executive officials concerning the states' flags, while the proposal for a historical studies center yielded proposed budgets, correspondence, and copies of federal legislation.

This record unit also contains correspondence and memoranda concerning the Atoms for Peace exhibit by the Atomic Energy Commission; correspondence, memoranda, magazine articles, and photographs relating to a McGraw-Hill publication editorial advocating a proposed national museum of engineering and industry; a speech by Leonard Carmichael, news releases, correspondence, and memoranda concerning a National Conference of Business Paper Editors; and correspondence and teachers' guidebooks to various Smithsonian exhibit halls for the Washington Area School Study Council.

Descriptive Entry

These records of special projects in the National Museum of History and Technology (NMHT), as well as throughout the Smithsonian, focus on several major activities, including the Computer History Project in cooperation with the American Federation of Information Processing Societies (AFIPS), the bicentennial celebration of James Smithson's birth, acquisition of a flag from each of the fifty states, and a proposed historic studies center. Records include press releases; audit reports; minutes of the Advisory Committee for the Computer History Project; memoranda and correspondence relating to the computer history exhibit, an oral history project on computer history; the role of the principal investigators in the AFIPS project; newspaper and magazine articles; photographs; correspondence with speakers, foreign and domestic invitees, charitable foundations, and the International Council of Museums for the Smithson bicentennial; correspondence with governors and other state executive officials concerning the states' flag project; proposed budgets, correspondence, copies of federal legislation, and proposal for a historic studies center in NMHT; correspondence and memoranda concerning the Atoms for Peace exhibit by the Atomic Energy Commission; correspondence, memoranda, magazine articles, and photographs relating to a McGraw-Hill publication editorial advocating a proposed national museum of engineering and industry; speech by Leonard Carmichael, news releases, correspondence, and memoranda concerning a National Conference of Business Paper Editors; and correspondence and teachers' guidebooks to various Smithsonian exhibit halls for the Washington Area School Study Council.

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 279, National Museum of History and Technology. Office of the Director, Special Projects Records

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Container List

Series 1

COMPUTER HISTORY PROJECT (AFIPS), 1967-1978.

Box 1

Folder 1 AFIPS, 1973-1975

Box 1 of 6

Folder 2 AFIPS Quarterly Report, 1971

Box 1 of 6

Folder 3 AFIPS Quarterly Reports, 1972-1973

Box 1 of 6

Folder 4 Computer Exhibit, 1968-1971

Box 1 of 6

Folders 5-6 Computer History Project (AFIPS), 1967-1970. Includes background information on the joint project between the Smithsonian and the American Federation of Information Processing Societies

Box 1 of 6

Box 2

Folders 1-6 Computer History Project (AFIPS), 1971-1978. Folder 2 includes an audit report by the Smithsonian's Office of Audits

Box 2 of 6

Folder 7 Computer History Project (AFIPS) - Employment, 1970

Box 2 of 6

Folder 8 Computer History Project (Closing), 1972-1973

Box 2 of 6

Box 3

Folders 1-2 Computer History Project - C. Donald LaBudde, 1967-1970. Includes audit prepared by Christian Donald LaBudde

Box 3 of 6

Folder 3 Computer History Project (Letters Sent to Interviewees), 1975-1976

Box 3 of 6

Folders 4-5 Computer History Project (Re: Luebbert), 1972-1975

Box 3 of 6

Folder 6 Computer History Project (Re: Henry Tropp), 1973-1974

Box 3 of 6

Folder 7 Merzbach & Mertz: Wolf Affair in Massachusetts, 1970

Box 3 of 6

Folder 8 Oral History of the Electronic Computer in America 1935-1955 (Re: Publication), 1973

Box 3 of 6

Series 2

SMITHSON BICENTENNIAL, 1964-1965.

Box 3

Folders 9-10 Bicentennial, 1965

Box 3 of 6

Box 4

Folder 1 Bicentennial Celebration Invitation Listing - Acceptances, 1965

Box 4 of 6

Folder 2 Bicentennial - Life Magazine article, 1965

Box 4 of 6

Folder 3 Bicentennial - Photographs, 1965

Box 4 of 6

Folders 4-5 Bicentennial, Smithson, 1964-1965

Box 4 of 6

Folder 6 Committee Meetings and Actions, 1964-1965

Box 4 of 6

Folder 7 Correspondence - Funds, 1964-1965

Box 4 of 6

Folder 8 Correspondence - Replies to Domestic Invitations, 1965

Box 4 of 6

Folder 9 Correspondence - Replies to Foreign Invitations, 1964-1965

Box 4 of 6

Box 5

Folder 1 Correspondence - Speakers, 1964-1965

Box 5 of 6

Folder 2 Costs, 1964

Box 5 of 6

Folder 3 Invitations Sent - Foreign, 1964

Box 5 of 6

Folder 4 Prospective Invitees - Abroad, 1964

Box 5 of 6

Folder 5 Prospective Invitees - United States, 1964

Box 5 of 6

Folder 6 Schedule of Events, 1964

Box 5 of 6

Folder 7 Smithson Bicentennial - General, 1964-1965

Box 5 of 6

Folder 8 Speakers for the Bicentennial Program, 1964-1965

Box 5 of 6

Folder 9 Special Bicentennial Activities, 1964-1965

Box 5 of 6

Series 3

STATES FLAG PROJECT, 1969-1972.

Box 5

Folders 10-11 Flag Project Correspondence: Alabama - Wyoming, 1969-1972

Box 5 of 6

Folder 12 Flag Project Correspondence: General, 1969-1971

Box 5 of 6

Series 4

HISTORIC STUDIES CENTER, 1964-1966.

Box 5

Folder 13 Historic Studies Center: Administration. Includes organizational charts

Box 5 of 6

Folder 14 Historic Studies Center: Budget, 1964-1966

Box 5 of 6

Box 6

Folder 1 Historic Studies Center: Legislation, 1966

Box 6 of 6

Folder 2 Historic Studies Center: Proposal, 1965-1966

Box 6 of 6

Series 5

MISCELLANEOUS SPECIAL PROJECTS, 1953-1963.

Box 6

Folder 3 Atomic Energy Exhibit, 1955-1956

Box 6 of 6

Folder 4 McGraw-Hill, 1953-1963

Box 6 of 6

Folder 5 National Conference of Business Paper Editors, 1954-1955

Box 6 of 6

Folder 6 Teachers' Workshop, 1958-1960

Box 6 of 6

Folder 7 Washington Area School Study Council, 1956-1958. Includes copies of "Teachers Guide to the Smithsonian Institution" for the following exhibits: Latin American Archeology, Industrial Revolution, Aircraft Textiles, Medical History, Iron and Steel, Clothing, Shelter, Agriculture, Land and Water Transportation, Everyday Life in Early America, Lower Invertebrates, Large American Mammals, and Aircraft Engines

Box 6 of 6

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