Caltech Library News

THE PAUL MACCREADY COLLECTION IS ONLINE!

For the first time the Caltech Archives is making available online an entire multi-media collection.

A Caltech alumnus (MS physics, 1948; PhD aeronautics, 1952), Paul MacCready was a visionary, an inventor and an entrepreneur who pioneered alternative energy solutions through his company, AeroVironment. In the 1970s he began work on the celebrated human-powered Gossamer aircraft series, beginning with the Gossamer Condor. He continued to work on the problems of solar-powered flight and unmanned aircraft, but his interest in environmentally friendly technology also led him to innovative electric and hybrid automotive vehicles, micro-air vehicles and the high altitude, long endurance Helios solar aircraft for telecommunications, imaging and scientific research.

The collection includes a diverse array of documents, media, and objects—manuscripts and printed material; awards; videos and film; photographs and slides, diaries and notebooks; memorabilia, biographical material and ephemera—all created over a span of over 70 years (ca. 1930-2002). It is very fitting with Paul MacCready's innovative and entrepreneurial personality that his collection is the first one to be accessible on the internet in its entirety.

The project was made possible by a generous gift from the MacCready family. - MS
Visit the online collection . Posted 8-15-2016