Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Robert L. Walker papers,
- Dates:
- 1937-1994
- Creators:
- Walker, Robert L., 1919-
- Abstract:
- This collection documents the career of Robert L. Walker, Professor of Physics at Caltech from 1949-1981. The records illustrate Walker's expertise in experimental high energy physics, particularly in the design of detectors. The records include working files relating to the Caltech synchrotron; technical files and log books; correspondence; manuscripts and reports; and files relating to other accelerator laboratories.
- Extent:
- 6 linear feet
- Language:
- English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item, box and file number], Papers of Robert L. Walker. Archives, California Institute of Technology.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
This collection was donated to the Archives of the California Institute of Technology by Dr. Walker himself in two installments. In 1996, Dr. Walker gave permission to transfer to the Institute Archives the content of some file cabinets that he had left with the Physics Division. Two years later, Dr. Walker returned to the Archives, bringing additional correspondence and material pertaining to the Caltech synchrotron. It should be noted that the material was already somewhat organized when donated (correspondence, synchrotron, and committee documents in separate folders).
- Biographical / historical:
-
Born in Saint Louis, Missouri on June 29, 1919, Robert Walker spent most of his childhood in Winnetka, a suburb north of Chicago. After graduating from a local high school, he attended Harvard University for one year and then transferred to the University of Chicago, where he graduated in 1941 with a B.Sc. in physics. During the war, Walker worked on the Manhattan Project first in the Metallurgical Laboratory of the University of Chicago, then in Los Alamos National Laboratory where the atomic bomb was built.
When the war ended, Walker decided to pursue an academic career and entered Cornell University. At this stage of his life he developed a strong interest in high-energy physics. During his dissertation work, he built a tiny cyclotron, designed experiments, made measurements, then analyzed the data. In less than one year, Walker obtained his PhD (1948). He stayed an additional year at Cornell University and participated in the construction of their 300 MeV electron synchrotron.
Early in the fall of 1949, Robert Walker joined the California Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor of physics. Soon after, he became involved, along with Bruce Rule and Robert Langmuir, in the enormous task of building the most powerful machine of its type ever built, the Caltech 1.2 Billion-Volt Synchrotron. Sadly, he was also involved some twenty years later in its dismantlement. During and after the operation of the synchrotron, Walker's interest was in elementary particle physics, and more specifically in the study of photoproduction of pions.
Dr. Walker referred to himself as being sometimes a "professional committee person." He was indeed a member of various professional organizations, most of them sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission to study the fate of various high-energy physics programs in the United States.
In addition to his research, teaching and involvement in committees, Dr. Walker published an influential book Mathematical Methods of Physics with Jon Mathews, which is still in print.
In 1982, Professor Walker decided to retire from Caltech. He is now living in New Mexico, enjoying activities such as building harpsichords, reading about biology, and canoeing in the Arctic.
- Acquisition information:
- Gift of Dr. Robert L. Walker in 1996 and 1998 .
- Processing information:
-
This collection was processed by Laurence M. Dupray and Anne Simms in June 2000.
Acknowledgements
The processing of the Robert L. Walker collection and the creation of the finding aid was made possible in part by a grant from the Richard Lounsbery Foundation and the Friends of the Center for History of Physics, American Institute of Physics.
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Prepared:
- © 2003
- Date Encoded:
- Machine-readable finding aid created by Kevin C. Knox. Derived from XML/EAD encoded file by the Center for History of Physics, American Institute of Physics as part of a collaborative project (1999) supported by a grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities. Originally derived from MS Word Date of source: June 2000.
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research. Researchers must apply in writing for access.
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright may not have been assigned to the California Institute of Technology Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of the Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the California Institute of Technology Archives as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item, box and file number], Papers of Robert L. Walker. Archives, California Institute of Technology.
- Location of this collection:
-
1200 E. California Blvd.MC B215-74Pasadena, CA 91125, US
- Contact:
- (626) 395-2704