Wallace J. Eckert Papers, 1931-1975. Finding Aid.
Summary Information
Wallace J. Eckert papers
1931-1975
Eckert, W. J. (Wallace John), 1902-1971
3 boxes (1.5
cubic feet)
Language: English
CBI 9
The collection contains correspondence,
astronomy lecture notes, drafts of publications, research notes, and
miscellaneous materials relating to Wallace Eckert's work in astronomy,
celestial mechanics, and punched card systems.
University of Minnesota Libraries.
Charles Babbage Institute.
Access and Use
The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by Dorothy
Eckert in 1983.
Access to the collection is unrestricted.
The Charles Babbage Institute holds the copyright to all materials in
the collection, except for items covered by a prior copyright (such as
published materials). Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair
use provisions of the copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).
Wallace J. Eckert Papers (CBI 9), Charles Babbage Institute,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Arrangement
The materials in this collection are arranged into the following
groups:
- Lecture Notes, 1951-1970
- Publications by Eckert, undated and 1935-1967
- Publications by Others, undated and 1943-1965
- Research Notes, 1957-1975
- Subject Files, 1931-1970
Biographical Note
Wallace John Eckert received his Ph.D. in astronomy from Yale in 1931
and became part of the faculty at Columbia that same year. He established the
Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Laboratory in the early 1930s and
strongly urged IBM to develop a scientific calculator. His book,
Punched Card Methods in Scientific Computation
(1940), influenced the development of the electronic computer. In 1940, Eckert
left Columbia to become the director of the Nautical Almanac Office of the U.S.
Naval Observatory. After World War II, Eckert returned to Columbia. During this
period he also worked with IBM in the development of the Selective Sequence
Electronic Calculator (SSEC). He retired from Columbia in 1967 and became an
IBM Fellow.
Collection Scope and Content Note
The collection contains correspondence, astronomy lecture notes,
drafts of publications, research notes, and miscellaneous materials relating to
Eckert's work in astronomy, celestial mechanics, and punched card systems. The
collection includes a letter to G. W. Baehne of IBM regarding the development
of a machine for scientific calculations (1934), correspondence relating to the
operation of the Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau, photographs of
Eckert, and drafts of publications. The drafts represented include
"The Position of the Moon Computed Directly from
Brown's Theory," Punched Card Methods in Scientific
Computation (1940), and Faster, Faster
(1955), a book about the IBM-Naval Ordnance Research Calculator. Correspondents
include L. J. Comrie and Dirk Brouwer.
Subject Terms
- This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog
of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about
related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these
headings.
- Baehne, G. W. (George Walter)
- Brouwer, Dirk 1902-
- Comrie, L. J. (Leslie John), 1893-1950
- Eckert, W. J. (Wallace John), 1902-1971
- International Business Machines Corporation
- Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau, New York
- Astronomy--Mathematics
- Calculators
- Celestial mechanics
- Punched card
systems--Astronomy
- Tabulating machines
Box and Folder List
| Location |
Title |
| |
Lecture Notes, 1951-1970
Note Contains lecture notes for several astronomy, celestial mechanics,
and engineering courses taught by Eckert.
|
|
Box 1 |
Astronomy 106, undated Box 1, Folder 4-6
|
| |
Astronomy 110, Numerical Methods, undated Box 1, Folder 7
|
| |
Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Course Notebook,
1970 Box 1, Folder 8
|
| |
Celestial Mechanics, 1965 Box 1, Folder 9
|
| |
Celestial Mechanics 5258, undated Box 1, Folder 10
|
| |
Engineering 281-Numerical Methods, Notes, 1951-1954 Box 1, Folder 11-12
|
| |
Publications by Eckert, undated and 1935-1967 |
|
Box 1 |
A Numerical Lunar Theory, with the Verification of the
Theory of E. W. Brown, undated Box 1, Folder 13
|
| |
Faster, Faster, The IBM-Naval Ordnance Research
Calculator, undated Box 1, Folder 14
|
| |
Motion of the Moon, 1967. Box 1, Folder 15
|
| |
Punched Card Methods in Scientific
Computation |
|
Box 1 |
Second Edition, Part I, undated Box 1, Folder 16
|
| |
Second Edition, Draft of Part II, undated Box 1, Folder 17
|
| |
Second Edition, Part II, undated Box 1, Folder 18
|
| |
Correspondence, 1940-1942 Box 1, Folder 19
|
| |
Reprints of Eckert (et al.) publications, 1935-1967 Box 1, Folder 20
|
| |
Publications by Others, undated, 1943-1965 |
|
Box 1 |
Astronomical Navigation Publications, 1943, 1948-1949 Box 1, Folder 21
|
| |
Celestial Mechanics Conference (reprint), 1958 Box 1, Folder 22
|
| |
Numerical Development of Harmonic
Series for the Coordinates of the Moon, Harry F. Smith, Jr.,
1965 Box 1, Folder 23
|
| |
On the Calculation of the
Principal Parts of the Motions of the Lunar Perigee and Node, E. W.
Brown, undated Box 1, Folder 24
|
| |
Research Notes, 1957-1975 |
|
Box 2 |
Bessel Functions and General Lunar Theory, 1957-1967 Box 2, Folder 1
|
| |
Brown's Theory (VII), undated Box 2, Folder 2
|
| |
Disturbing Function, (62), undated Box 2, Folder 3
|
| |
Lunar Ephemiri, Astronomical Data in Machine-Readable
Form, 1959-1962 Box 2, Folder 4
|
| |
Relations between Hill-Brown and Delauney Parameters
computed on TPC. Notes about Conversion to Polars. More notes about Constants
and Series Computation, 1963 Box 2, Folder 5
|
| |
Solution of the Main Problem of
Lunar Theory by the Method of Hill-Brown, and related Correspondence,
1975 Box 2, Folder 6
|
| |
The Position of the Moon Computed Directly from Brown's
Theory, undated Box 2, Folder 7
|
| |
The Solution of the Main Problem by Airey's
Method......by Hill-Brown Method, undated Box 2, Folder 8
|
| |
Subject Files, 1931-1970
Note The subject files contain miscellaneous materials related to
Eckert's interest in astronomy and celestial mechanics. They also contain:
Eckert's personal correspondence; a history of the Astronomy Department at
Columbia University; correspondence related to the International Astronomical
Union; minutes, reports, photographs, and correspondence from the Thomas J.
Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau; correspondence and reports from the
National Research Council's Mathematical Tables and Other Aids to Computation
subcommittee related to the journal Mathematical Tables
and Other Aids to Computation and the WPA Project for the Computation of
Mathematical Tables; and a letter to G. W. Baehne of IBM regarding the
development of a machine for scientific calculation.
|
|
Box 2 |
"A Simple Programming
System" (revision), undated Box 2, Folder 9
|
| |
Armillary Sphere, 1931-1935 Box 2, Folder 10
|
| |
Computer Printouts of Ecliptic Longitude and Sine
Parallax, undated Box 2, Folder 11
|
|
Box 1 |
Employment Correspondence, 1938-1967 Box 1, Folder 1
|
| |
General Correspondence, 1935-1952, 1965-1970 Box 1, Folder 2
|
|
Box 3 |
The History of the Astronomy Department at Columbia
University, circa 1946 Box 3, Folder 3
|
|
Box 2 |
International Astronomical Union Meeting,
Correspondence, 1969-1970 Box 2, Folder 12
|
| |
International Astronomical Union Meeting 1970,
Correspondence, Member List, 1969-1970 Box 2, Folder 13
|
|
Box 1 |
Letter to G. W. Baehne (IBM) re: Development of a
Machine for Scientific Calculations, 1934 Box 1, Folder 3
|
|
Box 3 |
Mathematical Tables and Other Aids
to Computation correspondence and reports, 1940-1944 Box 3, Folder 2
|
| |
National Research Council Mathematical Tables and Other
Aids to Computation subcommittee correspondence and reports, 1940-1944 Box 3, Folder 2
|
| |
Photographs, undated Box 3, Folder 1
|
| |
Project for the Computation of Mathematical Tables,
Correspondence, Announcement, 1940-1944 Box 3, Folder 2
|
| |
Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau, Minutes,
Reports, Correspondence, 1940-1970 Box 3, Folder 4
|
|
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