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Pierce (John R.) Papers
mssPierce  
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Correspondence 1955-1980

Physical Description: 2.83 Linear Feet(6 boxes)

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Bound volumes of Pierce's correspondence, primarily during his career at Bell Labs and Caltech.
Box 1

External correspondence 1955-1959

Box 2

External correspondence 1959-1961

Box 3

Correspondence 1955-1961

Scope and Contents

Correspondence with Bell Telephone Labs, and fictitious correspondence of Alexander Botts, Jr.
Box 4

Correspondence 1969-1971

Box 5

Correspondence 1967-1972

Scope and Contents

Correspondence with Dr. Edward E. David, Nicholas Johnson, and Lee Loevinger
Box 6

Correspondence 1971-1980

Scope and Contents

Correspondence from Caltech years, including with W.O. Baker
 

Personal 1929-1979

Physical Description: 2.38 Linear Feet(4 boxes)

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by type of material.

Scope and Contents

Awards and diplomas including Pierce's academic degrees, memberships, and awards he received during his career; a file of biographical articles, and Pierce's handwritten daybooks and calendars. Daybooks include Pierce's notes on meetings, conversations, and thoughts.
Box 7

Awards and biographical 1935-1972

Scope and Contents

Certificates, diplomas, and newspaper and magazine articles about Pierce.
Box 8

Awards and biographical 1935-1965

Scope and Contents

Certificates and a photograph of a National Academy of Engineering Meeting
Box 9

Daybooks 1970-1976

Scope and Contents

Notebooks containing Pierce's handwritten notes of conversations, meetings, and thoughts from 1973 to 1976.
Box 10

Daybooks and calendars 1976-1979

Scope and Contents

Notebooks containing Pierce's handwritten notes of conversations, meetings, and thoughts up through 1979, and five calendar datebooks covering 1975 to 1979.
 

Manuscripts 1932-1966

Physical Description: 1.17 Linear Feet(2 boxes)

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Contents

Binders of primarily unpublished material, sometimes written under the pseudonyms J.J. Coupling or John Roberts. Includes stories, talks, and a play. Some stories were published in Astounding Science Fiction and other magazines. A list of titles and dates compiled by Dr. A. Michael Noll is included.
Box 11

Binders 1, 2 1932-1949

Scope and Contents

Stories, articles, talks, and a play by Pierce, sometimes using the pseudonyms J.J. Coupling or John Roberts, primarily unpublished. A few stories were published in Astounding Science Fiction.
Box 12

Binders 3, 4 1946-1959

 

Professional 1936-1980

Physical Description: 9.38 Linear Feet(16 boxes)

Arrangement

Arranged by type of material, then chronologically within.

Scope and Contents

Primarily professional writing published or presented by Pierce, including internal technical memoranda he authored during his 36 years at Bell Labs, scientific research papers he published throughout his career, reprints, and books he wrote, co-wrote, or edited. An index to the technical memoranda is included in box 14. Scientific paper topics include communications, sound and amplifiers, information theory, and computers and music.
Additional music writing and recordings of computer music for IRCAM (Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) are in box 24, and some of his work with students at Caltech is in box 25.
Books include translations in several languages.
Box 13

Book reviews and talks 1954-1967

Scope and Contents

Two binders of book reviews by Pierce.
Box 14

Bell Telephone Labs Technical Memoranda 1936-1944

Scope and Contents

Also includes an index.
Box 15

Bell Telephone Labs Technical Memoranda 1945-1951

Box 16

Bell Telephone Labs Technical Memoranda 1952-1971

Box 17

Papers 1-90 1936-1956

Scope and Contents

Also includes separate binders of papers received from J.O. McNally regarding electron guns and beams, and Pierce's complied work on data loops.
Box 18

Papers 91-198 1956-1959

Box 19

Papers 199-323 1961-1966

Box 20

Papers 324-421 1966-1970

Box 21

Papers 422-480 1970-1975

Box 22

Papers 481-515 and unbound 1976-1979

Box 23

Reprints 1936-1981

Scope and Contents

Four binders and some loose reprints of Pierce's published writings.
Box 24

IRCAM 1966-1979

Scope and Contents

A binder of Pierce's music writing for the Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music (IRCAM), based in Paris and affiliated with Stanford University. Also includes three open reel tapes of recorded computer music by Pierce and others, and one reel of a 1979 talk Pierce gave for IRCAM.

Existence and Location of Copies

The four open reel audiotapes have been digitized; please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for access.
Box 25

Other 1944-1980

Scope and Contents

Includes a draft of a 1979 book for Scientific American; a binder titled Ideas I Tried to Give to Students; and folders related to Pierce's 1944 meeting with H.G. Wells, Caltech student papers, and other later career writings.
Box 26

Books 1960s-1970s

Box 27

Books 1960s-1970s

Box 28

Books 1960s-1970s

Collection Contents
Correspondence
Personal
Manuscripts
Professional
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