The Leon Knopoff Papers (LSC Manuscript Collection 1876) document the professional and research career of the seismologist, geophysicist, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Professor Leon Knopoff (b.1925-d.2011). Knopoff was known for his range of theoretical advances including a framework for the "double couple" model of an earthquake. The papers include: correspondence (1953-2010); International Upper Mantle Committee files (1962-1981); files documenting Knopoff's research projects (1962-2005); grant proposals, both funded and unfunded, involving Knopoff (1962-2003); subject files generated by Knopoff (1951-1991); files generated by Knopoff as director of the UCLA Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (1972-1986); files documenting Knopoff's activities as a member of the UCLA faculty and on behalf of the University of California (1956-2003); conference files (1963-1994); laboratory notebooks (1925-1970); speeches and lectures by Knopoff (1957-2004); a master reprint set of Knopoff's publications (1952-2012); and reprints acquired by Knopoff (1890; 1921-1983). Additionally, the collection documents Knopoff's correspondence, research, and teaching as a musician and musicologist.

Leon Knopoff was born on July 1, 1925 in Los Angeles, California; B.S. in Electrical Engineering, California Institute of Technology (1944); M.S. in Physics, California Institute of Technology (1946); PhD. in Physics and Mathematics California Institute of Technology (1949). From 1948-1950 Knopoff was an Assistant and Associate Professor of Physics at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio). In 1950 Knopoff was hired by Louis B. Slichter as a post-doctoral Research Associate at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Institute of Geophysics (1950-1957); UCLA Associate Professor of Geophysics (1957-1959); UCLA Professor of Geophysics (1959) and UCLA Professor of Physics (1961). Knopoff served as director of the University of California Institute for Geophysics and Planetary Physics (Los Angeles Branch) from 1972 to 1986. Knopoff officially retired from UCLA in 1994 but continued to conduct research until his death in 2011 in Los Angeles, California. SEE ALSO: http://leon.knopoff.com/

21.4 linear ft. (21 cartons and 1 document box)

Property rights to the physical object belong to UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and to pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The University of California Regents do not hold the copyright.

Box 12, folders 8 and 33 are closed for confidentiality. The rest of the collection is open for research.