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James R. Eaton photo album

 Collection — Communal Collections Box: 2, Placement: 02
Identifier: MSA 284

Scope and Contents

The James R. Eaton photo album (1920-1925, 0.1 cubic feet) was created by Eaton while he was an undergraduate electrical engineering student at Purdue University.  Although Eaton took and preserved the pictures, there are some notations and captions present that were contributed at a later date by Eaton’s widow Ruth Eaton Lefler.  The photos document buildings on the University campus, greater West Lafayette, football games, May Day and other student activities, as well as an early running of the Indianapolis 500.  There are also a series of pictures of unidentified young men who are presumably Eaton’s friends.  Eaton himself is pictured at the end of this series, just before pictures of a football game.  Eaton arranged the photos into relatively well-defined topical sections: Purdue campus and buildings, greater West Lafayette, student life and activities.  This collection might be useful for researchers interested in Purdue campus in the early 1920s, student extracurricular activities of the same era, Purdue football, the landscape of West Lafayette, or the Indianapolis 500.  Although the captions and notes were added at a later date, they do seem to be fairly accurate and might at least provide a starting point for potential researchers.

Dates

  • Creation: 1920 - 1925
  • Other: Date acquired: 11/10/2013

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection material is in English.

Access Information

Collection is open for research

Copyright and Use Information

Copyright held by Purdue University. Consult with Purdue University Archives and Special Collections prior to reproduction of materials.

Biographical or Historical Information

James R. Eaton (J.R.) lived from 1902-1976. He was an electrical engineer who spent much of his career (academic and professional) at Purdue University. All three of his degrees were received from the Purdue University Electrical Engineering program: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (1925), Electrical Engineer (1930), and Doctor of Philosophy (1942). During his tenure as an undergraduate student, J.R. Eaton was a member Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and Acacia. After completing his doctorate degree, he became a professor of Electrical Engineering at Purdue University, and taught from 1942-1967. Eaton published several books on Electrical engineering and served as a supervisor of the Network Analyzer Lab. His memory is honored by the Eaton Award in Design Excellence, funded by Jim and Shirley Eaton.

Extent

0.025 Cubic Feet (One folder)

Custodial History

Collection was donated to Purdue and subsequently moved to ASC.

Source of Acquisition

Ruth Eaton Lefler

Method of Acquisition

Donation

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of materials are available for research use. See our digital collections database e-Archives: James R. Eaton photo album

Processing Information

Whenever possible, original order of the materials has been retained. Loose pages have been placed in protective polyester sleeves and the front side of each page/sleeve numbered to preserve original order.  The album and sleeves have been placed in an acid free envelope and box.

Title
James R. Eaton photo album
Status
In Progress
Author
Virginia Pleasant and Keertana Marella
Date
2020-04-22
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English
Edition statement
Second edition. Collection description was first completed 2014-06-09.

Revision Statements

  • 2020-04-22: Collection description updated by Keertana Marella

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