Progress and Insights from the GALCIT Archival Project
by Chris Daley on 2024-09-18T00:00:00-07:00 in Archives, Archives News, Library News | 0 Comments
Photos found in the GALCIT collection of the JPL Arroyo Seco rocket experiments, c. 1936
A GALCIT Update by DiAndra Reyes
The GALCIT archival project has made tremendous progress in its first year, making headway to ensure that the rich history of the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories, California Institute of Technology (GALCIT) is properly preserved and accessible for future generations.
Over the past year, Mariella Soprano, Senior Collections and Special Projects archivist, has collaborated with Jamie Meighen-Sei, Department Administrator, Aerospace (GALCIT), and the GALCIT Department (Division of Engineering and Applied Science) to develop a robust collection plan, implement access policies, select materials, and organize the refurbishment of archival storage in the GALCIT Firestone basement. GALCIT Archival Processing intern DiAndra Reyes has been instrumental in this effort, describing materials, creating a comprehensive inventory, and rehousing them in acid-free folders and archival boxes. DiAndra has processed over 80 bankers’ boxes, resulting in 121 archival boxes of processed materials. She also published the Ten Foot Wind Tunnel Series finding aid, offering a sneak peek into the collection. As DiAndra’s internship concludes, a new intern will continue processing papers, photographs, and audiovisual materials.
Key Findings and Insights So Far
So far the processed GALCIT Collection spans from 1918 to 2005 and documents the extensive history of aeronautical engineering, fluid mechanics, and aerospace research at the GALCIT. It includes materials from significant research projects, wind tunnel developments, collaborations with military and government agencies, and the foundational work of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Some highlights include the Research Projects Series, JPL Series, and Department Series.
The Research Projects Series (1935-1985) documents GALCIT's collaborative research in aerodynamics, materials science, and structural mechanics, including significant projects like ramjet propulsion and the analysis of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse. The series contains technical papers, classified reports, and correspondence with prominent scientists such as Theodore von Kármán and Frank Malina.
The JPL Series (1939-1986) highlights GALCIT’s early activities with JPL and includes instructional materials for military personnel by GALCIT faculty, early rocket research, and the development and usage of JPL’s supersonic wind tunnel. These materials are invaluable for understanding the collaboration between academic and military-industrial development during World War II.
The Department Series (1929-2005) gives insight into faculty, student, and administrative activities throughout GALCIT’s eighty-year history. Correspondence from prominent faculty like Hans W. Liepmann provides insight into their academic contributions, while classified materials and selective service documents offer a look at how GALCIT navigated national security during periods of sensitive research.
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