Archives 31 Mechanical Engineering Department Records 1910-1976 Mechanical Engineering Department Records Finding aid prepared by Pat Graham Pidcock Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections © 2012
Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/ mascref@wsu.edu
Finding aid encoded by ArchProteus2006 Finding aid is in English Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard) Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Pullman, WA 99164-5610 USA (509) 335-6691 http://www.wsulibs.wsu.edu/masc/ mascref@wsu.edu
Archives 31 Mechanical Engineering Department Records 1910-1976 approximate 6650 items 6 linear feet 6 containers General correspondence, curriculum and research, and engineering, science and manpower war training. Organizational Sketch:

Mechanical engineering courses have been a part of the curriculum since the founding of Washington State University in 1892. Growing steadily, the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering was incorporated into the College of Mechanic Arts and Engineering in 1917. After the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department separated, Howard H. Langdon chaired the Mechanical Engineering Department from 1933 through 1944. A native of Sumner, Washington, Professor Langdon received his B.S. from Washington State University in 1919 and his M.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1933. He was a member of Washington State University's engineering faculty from 1923 until his resignation in 1944.

The records of the Department of Mechanical Engineering are arranged in three series. A large part of the collection is correspondence and papers generated or received by Howard H. Langdon during his tenure as head of the department. Throughout the collection, the processor has attempted to maintain the original order of the materials within each folder.

Series one consists of general departmental correspondence, 1920-1944, divided into two subseries. The first subseries includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence from 1929 through 1943 relating to departmental activities, and is arranged alphabetically. Included in this subseries are inquiries pertaining to product analysis, research, and development of techniques and materials. This subseries also contains correspondence about departmental purchases, as well as communications from the public, manufacturers, and other educational institutions concerning published materials. Some of the correspondence in this subseries concerns prospective students, graduate placement, and departmental employment. The second subseries is correspondence from 1920 through 1944 arranged alphabetically by topic. Major topics include faculty hiring, industrial and professional associations minutes and materials, departmental financial data, departmental and university memoranda, and student information and letters. Also included in the second subseries are substantial portions of the professional correspondence of Howard H. Langdon as well as correspondence with manufacturers, such as General Electric.

The second series, curriculum and research, 1910-1976, is arranged alphabetically by topic. In addition to research and class materials, this series contains data derived from analyses of patented auto lubricants and records of concrete research and development.

The third series, Engineering, Science, and Manpower War Training, 1940-1944, reflects the University's participation in a federal engineer-training program for women, and is also arranged alphabetically by topic. Correspondence from prospective students, government publications, directives, memoranda, and minutes comprise the bulk of this series.

The Collection is open for research use.

The records of the Mechanical Engineering Department were transferred to the University Archives, Washington State University in March (UA 77-14) and July (UA 77-29) of 1977 by the Department.

The collection was processed by Pat Graham Pidcock.

 Langdon, Howard H.--Archives Washington State University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering--Archives State College of Washington. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. Washington State University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering--Records and correspondence Mechanical engineering--Study and teaching--Archival resources Washington (State) Colleges and Universities Business, Industry, and Labor 1 General Correspondence 1 1-34 A-M 1929-1943 1240 items 2 35-45 N-Y 1929-1943 300 items 2 46 Alumni 1939-1942 25 items 2 47-50 American Society of Mechanical Engineers 1926-1941 135 items 2 51-52 American Society for Testing Materials 1929-1936 40 items 2 53-57 Applications for Faculty Positions 1932-1937 110 items 2 58 Army-Navy 1942 4 items 2 59 Bacharach Industrial Company n.d. 1 item 2 60 Beta Theta Pi 1936-1939 15 items 2 61 Bills 1939-1941 25 items 2 62-63 Books 1939-1941 65 items 2 64-65 Budget 1932-1941 100 items 2 66 Bulletins 1933-1939 15 items 2 67 Bursar 1941-1942 10 items 2 68 Carl F. Miller and Company 1938-1939 5 items 2 69-70 Catalog Changes 1939-1942 15 items 2 71-72 Department Head 1939-1941 80 items 2 73 Department Staff Recommendations 1931-1934 35 items 2 74 Departmental Communications 1935-1939 5 items 2 75 Dynamometer 1929-1939 45 items 2 76 Fitchburg Steam Company 1920-1921 4 items 2 77 Friend, Dr. Bernard 1933 2 items 3 78-89 General Department and Student Files 1924-1941 370 items 3 90-92 General Electric Company 1934-1942 40 items 3 93 Goverment Bulletins 1934-1940 18 items 3 94 Goverment Materials Loans 1936-1942 40 items 3 95 Graduate Placement 1939 5 items 3 96 Holland, Pres. E.O. 1940-1942 20 items 3 97 Industry 1930-1932 7 items 3 98 Labor 1940 2 items 3 99-107 Langdon, Howard 1925-1942 320 items 3 108-109 Larrabee Furnace Company 1938-1939 35 items 3 110-111 Leaves of Absence 1939-1942 65 items 3 112-113 Library 1939-1941 55 items 3 114 Liquid Air Machine 1941 5 items 3 115 Machine Shop and Welding 1938-1942 45 items 3 116 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1933-1936 25 items 3 117 Moore Stem Turbine Company 1921 1 item 3 118 National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics 1940-1942 40 items 3 119 National Electric Light Association 1924-1929 4 items 3 120-121 National Youth Administration 1939-1942 25 items 3 122 Phi Kappa Phi 1937-1939 25 items 3 123-124 Photo Equipment 1938-1944 10 items 3 125 Precinct Division 1938 10 items 3 126-129 Prospective Students 1939-1942 150 items 3 130-131 Purchase Orders 1939-1942 90 items 4 132 Purchasing 1939-1941 10 items 4 133-134 Radio Talks 1937-1941 35 items 4 135 Rice and Sargent Company 1920 3 items 4 136 Scholarships 1941 10 items 4 137 Society of Automotive Engineers 1939-1942 15 items 4 138 Staff Applications and Recommendations 1939-1941 30 items 4 139 Staff Letters 1938-1942 25 items 4 140 State License Examination Directory 1931-1937 10 items 4 141 Student Activities Committee 1939-1940 75 items 4 142 Student Applications and Recommendations 1939-1941 15 items 4 143 Student Inspection Trip 1936-1941 25 items 4 144-145 Student Lists 1939-1941 25 items 4 146 Summer Session 1941-1942 10 items 4 147 Terry Steam Turbine Company 1921 1 item 4 148 Valves 1929 4 items 4 149 Vilter Manufacturing Company 1921 1 item 4 150 War Department Survey 1927-1939 15 items 2 Curriculum And Research 4 151 Audit Information Exchange 1976 1 item 4 152 Coal Testing 1910-1912 25 items 4 153 Concrete n.d. 15 items 4 154-155 Concrete 1929-1936 55 items 4 156 Concrete and Aggregate 1936-1937 10 items 4 157 Concrete Research 1928-1936 50 items 4 158 Department Schedules 1931-1932 10 items 4 159 Departmental Functioning 1974-1976 13 items 4 160 Dynometer 1933-1940 30 items 4 161 Examinations 1964-1972 12 items 4 162 Experimental Stoker 1938-1939 10 items 4 163-165 Lubrication 1929-1941 75 items 4 166-170 Lubrication- Chevrolet Road Tests 1926-1930 95 items 4 171 Materials Testing Laboratory 1939-1941 10 items 4 172-184 Mechanical Engineering 1921-1942 250 items 4 185 Orifice Thin Plate 1930-1934 10 items 5 186 Research Materials 1937-1941 25 items 5 187 Schedules 1937-1941 15 items 5 188 Senior Thesis 1932 1 item 5 189 Student Finances 1972-1976 7 items 5 190 Tau Beta Pi 1970-1974 2 items 5 191 Turbine Blueprints 1921 15 items 3 Engineering, Science, And Manpower War Training 5 192 Books- Engineer Defense Training 1941 10 items 5 193-202 Correspondence 1942-1944 270 items 5 203 Course Development 1940-1941 10 items 5 204 Defense Publications 1942-1943 2 items 5 205-206 Department Labor Standards 1941 75 items 5 207-212 Directives, Memoranda, and Minutes 1940-1943 55 items 5 213 Financial Data 1941-1943 25 items 5 214 Forms 1943-1944 2 items 5 215 Inactive File 1942 3 items 5 216 Industrial Training 1941-1942 10 items 5 217 Literature 1943-1944 10 items 5 218 Material for Speeches 1940-1941 15 items 5 219 Original and Supplementary Materials 1940 10 items 5 220-222 Personal Notes- H.H. Langdon 1940-1944 65 items 5 223-228 Preliminary Proposals 1943-1944 75 items 5 229-232 Publications and Bulletins 1940-1943 120 items 5 233-235 Publicity 1942-1943 65 items 5 236 Reports 1940 10 items 5 237-247 Regional Advisors Meeting 1940-1944 50 items 5 248 Speeches 1942 25 items 5 249 Supervising Training Outlines n.d. 10 items 5 250 Training of Women 1941-1942 50 items 5 251 War Manpower Commission 1943-1944 3 items 5 252 Washington Copies 1941-1944 125 items