Frederick Burt Farquharson papers, 1923-1961

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Farquharson, F. B. (Frederick Burt)
Title
Frederick Burt Farquharson papers
Dates
1923-1961 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 cubic ft. (1 box)
Collection Number
3395 (Accession No. 3395-002 )
Summary
The personal and professional papers of University of Washington engineer Frederick Burt Farquharson
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.

Request at UW

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Frederick Burt Farquharson was an engineer and professor of engineering. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1895. He studied at the University of Washington, earning his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1923. He then spent two years working for Boeing Airplane Company, after which he returned to the University of Washington to earn his Masters degree and begin teaching. Farquharson taught in the University of Washington's Department of Civil Engineering. He was granted the status of instructor in 1927, assistant professor in 1928, associate professor in 1937, and professor in 1940. From 1945 to 1963, Professor Farquharson directed the Engineering Experiment Station of the University of Washington. He retired from the University in 1963, and was made professor emeritus that same year.

Professor Farquharson's professional interests included various aspects of airplane design (especially early in his career), aerodynamics, and the use of wind tunnels for bridge design testing. He is most noted for the use of wind tunnels for his studies of the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse and for the development of the new Tacoma Narrows bridge. He served on a number of committees concerned with engineering education and research for such professional engineering societies as the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Society for Engineering Education. Professor Farquharson was also a member of the University of Washington Instructor's Association, which created and assessed a survey of salary and promotion facts, and of faculty opinions regarding the fairness of promotions. He was also called for expert testimony in 1957 in a trial concerning a failed spider staging cable used by a painter at the Weyerhauser Pulp Mill in Cosmopolis, Washington.

Farquharson was politically active during the economic depression of the 1930's. He had associations with such organizations as the League for Industrial Democracy and the National Council for the Prevention of War. His wife, Mary, was also active in anti-war and civil liberties movements, and served in the Washington State Senate.

Frederick Burt Farquharson passed away on June 17, 1970.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Farquharson's personal correspondence documents his political as well as professional activity. Personal and Professional Papers also include Designs and Calculations (which may include some of his undergraduate course work, as well as his work for Boeing), and a Subject File regarding a court case for which Professor Farquharson provided expert analysis and testimony.

The Farquharson papers also include committee records of two engineering societies. The American Society of Civil Engineers records consists of two Task Committees: a Task Committee on Curricula, and a Task Committee on Engineering Education. Farquaharson's records of the American Society for Engineering Education are divided between the Civil Engineering Division and its Committee on Structural Engineering, and the Engineering College Research Council, with its Committee on Relations with Military Research Agencies.

A small body of records of the Instructors' Association at the University of Washington contain a survey regarding faculty salary and promotion histories from 1924 to1934.

Major correspondents include: Adolph J. Ackerman, American Society of Civil Engineers, Continental Committee on Technocracy, League for Industrial Democracy, and the Socialist Party of the United States of America.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Preferred Citation

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The Frederick Burt Farquharson papers have been organized into four series:

  • Personal and Professional Papers
  • American Society of Civil Engineers
  • American Society for Engineering Education
  • Instructors' Association (University of Washington)

Acquisition Information

Separated from records of the University of Washington Engineering Experiment Station received in 1971 from the Department of Civil Engineering in the College of Engineering.

Processing Note

Processed by Dan Waters; processing completed in 2007.

Related Materials

These papers were relocated from and relate to records of the University of Washington Engineering Experiment Station accession no. 06-034.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Personal and Professional PapersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
General Correspondence
Box/Folder
1/1
American Society of Civil Engineers
1954-1956
1/2
American Friends Service Committee
1934-1936
1/3
Associated Students of Montana State University
1936
1/4
Baldwin-Southwark Corporation (Philadelphia)
1935-1936
1/5
Bone, Homer T.
1934-1936
1/6
Borah, William Edgar
1934
1/7
Butler, Smedley D.
1935-1936
1/8
Central Trades and Labor Council of Bremerton
1935-1945
1/9
Committee on Militarism in Education
1935
1/10
Common Sense (Alfred M. Bingham)
1935
1/11
Continental Committee on Technocracy
1934-1936
1/12
End Poverty in California (Upton Sinclair For Governor)
1934
1/13
Fellowship of Reconciliation
1934
1/14
Hyak Lumber and Millwork Co. (Olympia, Washington)
1935
1/15
League for Industrial Democracy
1933-1935
1/16
National Council for Prevention of War, Northwest Office
1933-1936
1/17
National Council of Student Christian Associations
1935-1936
1/18
Newton, Ray
1934
1/19
Olympia High School
1935
1/20
Onthank, Karl W.
1934-1936
1/21
Page, Kirby
1934-1935
1/22
Puget Sound Power and Light Company
1935
1/23
Ryan, J.H.
1934-1935
1/24
Schwellenbach, Lewis B.
1935-1936
1/25
Sinclair, Upton
1934
1/26
Social Problems Lecture Bureau
1934
1/27
Socialist Party of the United States of America
1934-1936
1/28
Trevett, K.L.
1933
1/29
Tyler, Richard G.
1935
1/30
Washington Education Association
1934
1/31
Washington State Department of Licenses
1935-1936
1/32
Washington State Normal School (Bellingham, Washington)
1934-1935
1/33
Young Men's Christian Association of Seattle/Young Men's Christian Association (Seattle, Washington), University Branch
1934-1936
1/34-36
Miscellaneous A-Z
1933-1936
Box/Folder
1/37
Interdepartmental Correspondence
1934-1935
Designs and Calculations
Box/Folder
1/38
Alert Ship for Navy
1924
1/39
Aspect Ratio Corrections
1923
1/40
Bristol Cherub
1924
1/41
Flight Velocity
1925
1/42
Flying Boat
1923
1/43
Landing Gear for NB-1 OLEO
1924
1/44
Lepere AC 11
1924
1/45
L-4 Flying Boat
1924
1/46
Liberty Mail Plane
1924
1/47
Liberty Corps Observation Plane
1924
1/48
Liberty Corps Observation Plane Types C, D, and E
1924
1/49
Performance According to New Theories of Lift and Drag
1923
1/50
Propeller
undated
1/51
Sea Plane
1924
Designs and Calculations for Boeing
Box/Folder
1/52
Aerofoil for Boeing 103 and 104
Contains published works of others
1925
1/53
Army Air Transport
1924
1/54
Corps Observation Plane
1924
Box/Folder
1/55
Reports of Others
1951-1954
Writings of Others
Box/Folder
1/56
Boundary Conditions for Wind Tunnel
1923
1/57
Internal Friction in Metals
1928
1/58
Internal Friction in Solids
1923-1926
1/59
Miscellaneous
1953-1955
Subject File: Mast v. Broderick and Bascom Rope Company
General Correspondence
Box/Folder
1/60
Martin, Shorts, and Bever
1956-1957
Box/Folder
1/61
Cable Test Records
1957
1/62
Miscellany
1956, undated
Box/Folder
1/63
Clippings
1953-1955
1/64
Miscellany
1934-1936, 1954-1955

American Society of Civil EngineersReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Task Committee on Curricula
Box/Folder
1/65
Minutes
1954
General Correspondence
Box/Folder
1/66
Evans, Weston S.
1953-1954
1/67
Newmark, N.M.
1954
1/68
Smith, Elliott Dunlap
1954
Box/Folder
1/69
Writings
1954-1955
1/70
Writings of Others
1954
Task Committee on Engineering Education
Box/Folder
1/71
Minutes
1955
General Correspondence
Box/Folder
1/72
Ackerman, Adolph J.
1954-1957
1/73
Banks, Harvey O.
1954-1955
1/74
Miscellaneous
1955-1956
Outgoing Letters
Box/Folder
1/75
Newmark, N.M.
1955

American Society for Engineering EducationReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Civil Engineering Division
Committee on Structural Engineering
General Correspondence
Box/Folder
1/76
Gaylord, Edwin H.
1930-1961
1/77
Miscellaneous
1960-1961
Box/Folder
1/78
Lists of Members
undated
Engineering College Research Council
Committee on Relations with Military Research Agencies
Box/Folder
1/79
Minutes and Agenda
1948-1951
General Correspondence
Box/Folder
1/80
Colburn, Allan P.
1949-1950
1/81
Dawson, F.M.
1948-1950
1/82
Engineering College Research Council
1949-1951
1/83
Spilhaus, Athelstan F.
1950
1/84
Miscellaneous
1949-1950

Instructors' Association (University of Washington )Return to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/85-87
Survey Concerning Faculty Promotions A-Z
circa 1928-1936

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Aerodynamics--Research
  • Civil engineering--United States-- Societies, etc.--Correspondence
  • Civil engineers--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
  • College teachers--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
  • Engineering teachers--Washington (State)--Seattle--Archives
  • Socialism--United States--Societies, etc.--Correspondence
  • Suspension bridges--Aerodynamics--Research

Personal Names

  • Ackerman, Adolph J. (Adolph John)SvCorrespondence
  • Farquharson, F. B. (Frederick Burt)--Archives

Corporate Names

  • American Society for Engineering Education
  • American Society of Civil Engineers
  • Continental Committee on Technocracy
  • League for Industrial Democracy
  • Socialist Party of the United States of America

Geographical Names

  • Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma, Wash. : 1940)
  • Tacoma Narrows Bridge (Tacoma, Wash. : 1950- )

Form or Genre Terms

  • Correspondence

Occupations

  • Civil engineers

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names
    • University of Washington. University Archives (creator)

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • University Archives/Faculty Papers (University of Washington)