Skip to main content

R. B. Abbott papers

 Collection — Box: Communal Collections 14, Placement: 01
Identifier: MSF 6

Scope and Contents

Article reprinted from The Journal Of The Optical Society Of America and Review Of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 17, No. 4, October, 1928; 'Period Of A Loaded Conical Jolly Balance Spring', by R. B. Abbott.

Dates

  • October 1928

Access Information

This collection is open for research.

Copyright and Use Information

Copyright held by Purdue University.

Biographical Information

Dr. R. B. Abbot was a Professor of Physics at Purdue University. Raymond Barrington Abbott joined the Physics Department at Purdue in the 1920s as an Assistant Professor. He and his colleague, Wiliam Henry Bair, were the first physics faculty to have received doctorates, both from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1919. In addition to his teaching, Professor Abbott provided public lectures on topics ranging from Einstein's theory of relativity to the workings of an electrical stethoscope. By 1929, he had published four research items. In 1922, he developed the first radio stethoscope, which magnified the sounds of a beating heart. In 1936 the Physics Department was reorganized by the new Department Head, Karl Lark-Horovitz. He put Abbott in charge of the Acoustics division, as well as the Teaching Program. Abbott's His book, "Instructions in Physical Measurements: Mechanics, Property of Matter, Heat, Magnetism, Electricity, Wave Motion, Sound and Light," (D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1939) was selected by scholars as being culturally important to the knowledge base of civilization.
Sources: Gartenhouse, Solomon, Arnold Tubis, and David Cassidy. "Early Years of the Purdue Physics Department." Department of Physics and Astronomy Website, April 29, 2016. /www.physics.purdue.edu/about/history/early_years.html> Keiper, George F. "A Multiple Electrical Stethoscope for Teaching Puroposes." Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 81, No. 8 (August 25, 1923): 679. /jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/235639> Banning, Kendall, ed. "Heart Throbs that Shake the House." Popular Radio, Vol. 5, (January 1923): 204. /books.google.com/books?id=ePnNAAAAMAAJ&ppis=_c&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false> Abbott, Raymond Barrington. Instructions In Physical Measurements: Mechanics, Properties of Matter, Heat, Magnetism, Electricity, Wave Motion, Sound And Light. 2nd ed. New York: D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1940. /babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89102006962&view=1up&seq=1>

Extent

0.025 Cubic Feet (One folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Processing Information

Material has been placed into an acid-free folder and box.

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
R. B. Abbott papers
Status
In Progress
Author
Amanda Rumba and Mary A. Sego
Date
2020-03-30
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 by Mary Sego.

Revision Statements

  • 2020-03-30: Collection description was updated by Amanda Rumba to more fully meet standards.

Physical Storage Information

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Repository

http://www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol
Contact:
504 Mitch Daniels Boulevard
West Lafayette Indiana 47907 United States
765-494-2839