Edward A. Stern papers and oral history interviews, 1954-1997

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Stern, Edward A.
Title
Edward A. Stern papers and oral history interviews
Dates
1954-1997 (inclusive)
1970-1979 (bulk)
Quantity
2.96 cubic feet (4 boxes) including textual materials and 32 sound cassettes (4 boxes)
Collection Number
5002
Summary
Oral history interviews and subject files pertaining to work with Jewish Refuseniks in the USSR, Jewish students at the University of Washington, and the scientific community.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users, but access to portions of the papers restricted. Contact repository for details.

Request at UW

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Dr. Edward Abraham Stern (19 September 1930 - 17 May 2016) was a world renowned physicist at the University of Washington and the father of X-ray Absorption Fine Structure spectroscopy. In the 1970s, he worked tirelessly to free Soviet Jewish scientists from the Soviet Union. Along with U.S. Senator Henry Jackson, Stern was instrumental in the creation of Discovery Park (Seattle). He taught at the University of Washington and was President of Hillel. He and his wife, Sylvia (Sidell), had three daughters: Hilary, Miri, and Shari.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Oral history interviews and subject files pertaining to Stern's work with Jewish Refuseniks in the USSR, with Jewish students at the University of Washington, and the international scientific community; his work regarding Discovery Park is also mentioned.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Forms part of the Washington State Jewish Archives.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arrangement

Organized into 3 accessions.

  • Accession No. 5002-001, Edward A. Stern papers and oral history interviews, 1973-1997
  • Accession No. 5002-002, Edward A. Stern oral history interview, 1997
  • Accession No. 5002-003, Edward A. Stern papers, 1960-1988

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Accession No. 5002-001: Edward A. Stern papers and oral history interviews, 1973-1997Return to Top

1.19 cu. ft. (2 boxes); 17 sound cassettes (90 min. each); 4 sound cassettes (60 min. each)

Scope and Content: Audiocassette recording of an oral history interview with Edward Stern, ending March 10, 1997; Mildred Rosenbaum, interviewer. Also present are audiocassette recordings of telephone conversations with Jewish Refusnik scientists in the former USSR (1973- 1976); and subject files pertaining to work with Jewish Refuseniks in the USSR and with Jewish students at the University of Washington (1973-1983). The oral history interview reviews Stern's background, early years and education in Detroit, Michigan, his graduate work at the California Institute of Technology, and his teaching career at the University of Washington. Two of his activities are discussed at length: his efforts on behalf of Jewish Refusnik scientists, and his work with Jewish students at the University of Washington. Specifically, Stern details his single-handed efforts to make weekly telephone calls to Jewish Refuseniks whose applications to the then Soviet government for permission to emigrate to Israel with their families had been denied, and to publicize their plight. He also documents his active involvement with Jewish students at the University of Washington, including the Jewish student-led fight to remove the Organization of Arab Students from the Minority Affairs Committee, and the effort to successfully counteract the statement "Zionism is Racism." Also discussed is Stern's tenure as President of the Board of the Hillel Foundation of the University of Washington and the investigation of embezzlement charges brought against a member of its staff.

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users, but access to portions of the papers restricted. Contact repository for details.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Edward A. Stern via Mildred Rosenbaum, 1997-03-28.

Accession No. 5002-002: Edward A. Stern oral history interview, 1997Return to Top

4 sound cassettes (60 min. ea.); 1 Transcript: 68 pages

Scope and Content: Tape-recorded interview conducted by Mildred Rosenbaum, Feb. 9, 1997 with transcript.

Digital Content/Other Formats: Listen to the audio recording and view the transcript of this interview on the Libraries Digital Collections site.

Physical/Technical Access: Special Media: 4 cassette audio tapes

Restrictions on Access: Open to all users.

Special Media: 4 cassette audio tapes

Restrictions on Use: Creator's literary rights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Acquisition Info: Edward Stern, 2001-03-05.

Accession No. 5002-003: Edward A. Stern papers, 1954-1988Return to Top

1.77 cubic feet (2 boxes) including textual materials and 7 sound cassettes

Scope and Content: Records related to Stern's work with Soviet Jewry, Discovery Park, and the scientific community. Sound cassettes include weekly phone calls to Soviet refuseniks, Azbel, Brailovsky, Gitterman, Luntz, Roginsky, and Voronel.

Restrictions on Access: No restrictions on access.

Restrictions on Use: Creator's copyrights transferred to the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections.

Acquisition Info: Donated by Sylvia R. Stern, 2017-03-10

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Accession
1 5002-003
Sound cassettes
7 sound cassettes
1973-1981
1 5002-003
Pin
undated
1 5002-003
Notes on visits with Soviet Jews
1973
1 5002-003
Slides
1964-1973
1 5002-003
Letter wrapped around cassettes
1974
1 5002-003
Azbel papers
1974-1975
1 5002-003
Azbel Letter APS Talk
1974
1 5002-003
Documents related to M. Ya. Azbel's "Generalized one-dimensional Ising model..."
1975
1 5002-003
Documents related to Dr. Victor Brailovsky
1979-1987
1 5002-003
Correspondence with Judy Silverman
1974-1975
1 5002-003
American Friends of Hebrew University; Establishment of Seattle Chapter
1979
1 5002-003
TANG--Jews in China
1982-1984
1 5002-003
Correspondence related to Jewish Refuseniks
1970-1982
1 5002-003
Refusnik--Adoptees
1982-1986
1 5002-003
Documents related to arms sales to Saudi Arabia
1981
1 5002-003
Documents related to Stern's USSR Visit
1973
1 5002-003
"Things of Interest: Dr. Ed Stern & Family" by Bessie Sidell Sloy
1969-1974
1 5002-003
ABM
1968-1969
1 5002-003
Miscellaneous Documents/Correspondence
1973-1975
1 5002-003
Adopted Families--Soviet Jewry
1965-1976
1 5002-003
Soviet Related
1974-1975
1 5002-003
The Arrested Seminar, 1-5 July 1974
1974
1 5002-003
Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Project/Herman Winick
1977
1 5002-003
Correspondence Sept. 1972--June 1976
1972-1976
1 5002-003
Documents/correspondence relating to Andrei Sakharov
1974-1981
1 5002-003
Documents/correspondence relating to Alexander Voronel
1974-1976
1 5002-003
Documents/correspondence relating to Mark Azbel
1975-1980
1 5002-003
Correspondence with Earl Callen
1974-1981
1 5002-003
Documents related to checks and funds raised
1976-1977
1 5002-003
Ed and Sylvia Clippings
1973-1984
1 5002-003
Documents: U of W Hillel; relation to Nat. Hillel in regard to ownership of Bldg.
1960-1984
1 5002-003
Documents relating to the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation at the University of Washington
1983-1988
1 5002-003
Hillel historical documents
1954-1982
1 5002-003
Miscellaneous
1978-1984
1 5002-003
Miscellaneous correspondence
1973-1985
1 5002-003
Miscellaneous newsclippings
1 5002-003
Printed materials from U.S. Congress
1973-1974
1 5002-003
Documents about the 5th Anniversary of Azbel's Moscow Seminar
1977
1 5002-003
Documents related to the Helsinki Commission
1977
Box/Folder
2/1 5002-003
"With Compliments/ The Medical & Scientific Committee for Soviet Jewry"
1970s
Box
2 5002-003
Documents related to Soviet Jewry and US/USSR Scientific Relations
1975-1976
2 5002-003
Documents relating to the ICSU
1976
2 5002-003
E.J. Ashenber's list of Refuseniks
1976
2 5002-003
Documents written in Russian
undated
2 5002-003
Printed Newsletters
1974-1976
2 5002-003
Documents relating to Mark Azbel
1975-1977
2 5002-003
Documents relating to Anatoly Scharansky
1977-1978
2 5002-003
Documents related to the Committee of Concerned Scientists
1974-1979
2 5002-003
Documents related to Academic Conferences/Committees/Meetings
1974-1979
2 5002-003
Documents related to scientific exchanges and free circulation
1976-1978
2 5002-003
Academic publications and related documents
1973-1977
2 5002-003
"Collective Phenomena..." documents
1974-1978
2 5002-003
Soviet Scientists
1972-1978
2 5002-003
Documents related to V. M. Fain
1975-1976
2 5002-003
Correspondence
1973-1978
2 5002-003
Miscellanous
1974-1979

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Jewish scientists--Soviet Union
  • Jews--Migrations
  • Jews--Persecutions--Soviet Union
  • Jews--Soviet Union
  • Organization of Arab Students in the U.S.A
  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)
  • Refuseniks
  • Zionism

Personal Names

  • Azbelʹ, M. I︠A︡. (Mark I︠A︡kovlevich)
  • Brailovsky, Viktor
  • Sakharov, Andreĭ, 1921-1989
  • Stern, Edward A.--Interviews
  • Voronelʹ, Aleksandr, 1931-
  • Winick, Herman

Corporate Names

  • B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation (University of Washington)
  • Committee of Concerned Scientists
  • International Council for Science
  • United States. Congress. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Geographical Names

  • Israel--Emigration and immigration

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Rosenbaum, Mildred Hardin (interviewer)
    • Stern, Edward A (interviewee)
    Corporate Names
    • Washington State Jewish Archives (University of Washington)