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Homer J. Dana Papers, 1890-1970

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Dana, Homer J. (Homer Jackson), 1890-1970
Title
Homer J. Dana Papers
Dates
1890-1970 (inclusive)
Quantity
2.75 linear feet of shelf space, (4 boxes)
Collection Number
Cage 797 (collection)
Summary
This collection consists of personal and professional papers of Homer J. Dana. Personal papers include diplomas, correspondence, certificates of membership for organizations as well as proposals, drawings and other documents related to engineering projects he pursued following his retirement. Professional papers include drawings, specifications, photographs, motion picture film, and correspondence pertaining to several of his engineering projects while employed at Washington State College.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open and available for research use.

Languages
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Biographical Note

Homer Jackson Dana attended the State College of Washington (now Washington State University) where he completed a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1915 and a master's degree in electrical engineering in 1916. He remained at WSU as an instructor, then returned as a student to complete a professional degree in mechanical engineering in 1921. He continued his association with WSU, first as a consulting engineer, and later as a research engineer, until his retirement in 1960. Although his post was as a research engineer, Dana occasionally taught classes, participated in the education of graduate students, and served as director of the Engineering Experiment Station. Dana's engineering pursuits did not end with his retirement; he continued researching new inventions and filing patent applications for nearly a decade, until his death in 1970. Dana Hall is named in his honor.

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Content Description

The materials in this collection include personal and professional papers of Homer J. Dana, a long-time engineering professor at Washington State College. Personal papers include education and employment records from Washington State College, honors, awards and organization membership, letters from friends and colleagues as well as drawings, specifications and correspondence relating to his inventions after his retirement in 1960, specifically the Dana Shoe Size Computer (United States Patent 3173208 A). Professional papers refer to several of his research projects conducted at Washington State College, primarily the catenary warning light (United States Patent 2736001 A). Items in this collection include papers, drawings, specifications, photographs, motion picture film and memorabilia.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions apply.

Preferred Citation

[Item description] Homer J. Dana papers, 1890-1970

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in three series.

Series 1: Personal Papers, 1890-1968. This series includes Homer J. Dana's handwritten biographical notes of his early life, secondary and higher education transcripts, employment history at Washington State College, correspondence and documents relating to his home in Pullman, personal and professional memberships and honors as well as correspondence from friends and associates.

Series 2: Professional projects and documents, 1946-1960. This series contains drawings, correspondence and information about some of Dana's work while at Washington State College. Papers pertaining to the torque screw pole testers and stress meter are included in this series, but drawings, specifications and correspondence in respect to the catenary warning light project, also referred to as an aviation warning light, comprise its bulk.

Series 3: Retirement projects and related papers, 1960-1970. This series includes materials pertaining to two of Homer Dana's inventions after his retirement from Washington State College: the shoe size computer and the king size speedometer. The majority of these papers are drawings, specifications and correspondence for the shoe size computer

Acquisition Information

This collection was donated to the Washington State University Libraries in three installments, from two different sources. The Washington State University College of Engineering donated two groups of materials, in 1981 and 1992 (MS.1981.33, MS 1992-10). James Englund, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, donated the rest of the collection in 1984 (MS.1984.44), along with his own professional papers.

Processing Note

This collection was processed by Darcie Hart Riedner.

Related Materials

Homer J. Dana brochure and catalog collection, 1915-1950 (Cage 88)

Homer J. Dana papers, 1890-1970 (Cage 299)

Homer J. Dana, Historical Sketch Describing the Growth of the Generation and Use of Electricity in Pullman and the Inland Empire, 1958 (Cage 1817)

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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Finding aid prepared by Darcie Hart Riedner.
2013

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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