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Arvill Wayne Bitting papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSF 38

Scope and Contents

This collection consists primarily of U.S. patents for glass products and glass making procedures, collected by Arvill Bitting for his work in glass making. Also included are publications written by Arvill Bitting, as well as material compiled by Librarian Emeritus William Hepburn on Arvill Bitting, including a bibliography of Arvill’s publications, bibliographic notecards, a summary of Arvill’s career, and Arvill’s obituary.

Dates

  • Creation: 1839 - 1960
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1895 - 1921

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection material is in English.

Access Information

This collection is open for research.

Copyright and Use Information

Portions of material in this collection are in the public domain. Other material copyrights held by Purdue University or original creator. Consult with Purdue University Archives and Special Collections prior to reproduction of materials.

Biographical Information

Arvill Wayne Bitting was born on May 24, 1870, in Bourbon, Indiana. He graduated from Purdue University in 1891 with a B.S. in Agriculture. Subsequently he received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State College (1895) and an M.D. from the Medical College of Indiana University (1900). While attending Purdue University, Bitting was Editor-in-Chief of both the Exponent and the 1891 edition of The Debris.

Bitting worked as a veterinarian at the Florida Agricultural College and Experiment Station from 1891 to 1893, before returning to Purdue to serve as the Professor of Veterinary Science from 1893 to 1907. While at Purdue, Bitting also served as a member of the board of directors of the Athletic Association, physician to all Purdue sports teams, and a staff member at the St. Elizabeth Hospital Training School.

In 1907, Bitting left Purdue to serve as a food technologist, first with the U.S. Bureau of Chemistry (1907-1913) and later with the National Canners Association (1913-1918). At the start of World War I, he worked with the Subsistence Division of the War Department (1918-1919). Following the war, he served as the director of research at the Glass Container Association.

Bitting later served as the director of food exhibits for the 1933-1934 Century of Progress exposition in Chicago, and served in a similar role at the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco in 1937.

Purdue University awarded Bitting an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1935. In 1941, he was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Purdue Alumni Association. Arvill Bitting passed away on April 21, 1946.

Extent

0.752 Cubic Feet (Two letter-size full-width manuscript boxes and one legal-size folder)

Arrangement

Collection materials are arranged by type and have been placed in chronological order.

Physical Access Information

Patents are fragile and should be handled with care.

Acquisition Information

Biographic and bibliographic material compiled by William Hepburn added to the collection circa September 1945. Date and source of acquisition of all remaining material are unknown.

Separated Materials

March 1932 issue of Commerce magazine moved to MSF 531, Arvill W. Bitting collection on Worlds Expositions and Fairs.

Biograhpic sketch and bibliography of published works for Katherine Golden Bitting moved to MSF 39, Katherine E. Golden Bitting papers.

Processing Information

2019-03-01: This collection was removed from a communal box and combined with the materials from US patent office. Boxes and folders were renumbered and labeled.

2023-03-17: Rehoused material from legal-sized to letter-sized folders and boxes, and spaced out patents to avoid overcrowding them. Reorganized collection chronologically by material type. Incorportated material from MSF 531, and separated material for inclusion into MSF 531 and MSF 39. Updated date information. Photocopied Arvill's obituary and recycled original newspaper.

Title
Arvill Wayne Bitting papers
Status
Completed
Author
William Niner, Amanda Rumba, Sarah Kenny, and Mary A. Sego
Date
2023-03-17
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English
Edition statement
Fourth edition. Collection description first completed 2011-01-06 by Mary Sego.

Revision Statements

  • 2019-03-01: This collection was taken out of a communal box, placed in boxes, and the folders were relabeled by Sarah Kenny. Material that was inappropriately grouped with the Arvill W. Bitting collection on World Expositions and Fairs was added.
  • 2020-04-07: Collection description updated by Amanda Rumba to more fully meet standards.
  • 2023-03-17: Transferred material with MSF 531, rehoused material, and updated collection description, by William Niner

Repository Details

Part of the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
504 Mitch Daniels Boulevard
West Lafayette Indiana 47907 United States
765-494-2839