Harold L. Hazen papers
Scope and Contents of the Collection
Hazen's student and research notes, and correspondence with colleagues describe his early activities in servomechanisms, his contributions to the Integraph, and the development of the predifferential analyzer. His role as a trustee of the College of Petroleum and Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, is documented in correspondence, reports, and meeting notes. Some of his professional activities are recorded in evaluation reports Hazen wrote for various technical institutions, and reports from the Conference of Representatives from the Engineering Societies of Western Europe and the United States (EUSEC), 1953-1957. There are also reports from and correspondence with Robert College. Correspondence with the Graphic Arts Research Foundation, of which Hazen was a director, describes the development of keyboard operating machines to control typesetting. Biographical information about Hazen includes transcripts of two oral history interviews conducted by the Smithsonian Institution's Oral History Program in 1970 and 1972, and some personal correspondence and diaries. Also included are copies of Hazen's articles on such topics as the MIT Network Analyzer, power systems, the cinema integraph, and issues in engineering education.
Dates
- 1920 - 1980
Creator
Access note
Materials in this collection are open unless they are marked as restricted. Restrictions are noted in the container list.
Conditions Governing Use
Access to collections in the Department of Distinctive Collections is not authorization to publish. Please see the MIT Libraries Permissions Policy for permission information. Copyright of some items in this collection may be held by respective creators, not by the donor of the collection or MIT.
Biography
Harold Locke Hazen, 1901-1980, SB 1924, SM 1929, ScD 1931, all in electrical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, began his work in the field of machine computation and automatic control as an undergraduate working with Vannevar Bush on Product Integraph. Under Bush's guidance, 1927-1929, Hazen and H. H. Spencer developed the Network Analyzer to use in the simulation of power systems. Hazen was appointed assistant professor at MIT in 1931, and professor in 1938. He was head of the Department of Electrical Engineering, 1938-1951. During World War II he was head of Division 7, Fire Control, of the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC); its purpose was to develop technology which would aim all types of ordnance more rapidly and accurately. During his term as dean of the graduate school, 1952-1967, he provided advice on technical education to several countries, serving as an advisor on engineering education in Japan, 1951-1957; as trustee to Robert College, Istanbul, 1956-1972, and interim president, 1961; and as trustee to the College of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 1964-1972. He was foreign study advisor at MIT from 1967 to 1972, when he retired. His areas of interest were machine computation, automatic control, and servomechanisms, as well as engineering education.
Extent
7.6 Cubic Feet (7 record cartons, 2 manuscript boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Harold Locke Hazen, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was a member of the MIT faculty from 1931 to 1972, serving as head of the Department of Electrical Engineering, 1938-1951, and Dean of the Graduate School, 1952-1967. His work was in the field of machine computation, automatic control, and servomechanisms. During World War II he was head of Division 7, Fire Control, of the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC). The collection contains research notes and correspondence describing his activities in servomechanisms, his contributions to the Integraph, and the development of the predifferential analyzer. Also included are reports that document his work with technical institutions abroad and biographical information including two oral history transcripts.
Location
Materials are stored off-site. Advance notice is required for use.
Bibliography
- The Electron and the Bit, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, 1902-2002, edited by John T. Guttag. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2005. Chapter on Harold L. Hazen, introduced by Paul E. Gray, pages 43-48. MIT Libraries.
Memoirs: an Informal Story of My Life Work
, by Harold L. Hazen. Unpublished manuscript, 1976. Institute Archives and Special Collections Reference Collection: Q143.H37
Processing Information note
Some collection descriptions are based on legacy data and may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. Description may change pending verification. Please contact the MIT Department of Distinctive Collections if you notice any errors or discrepancies.
- American Society for Engineering Education
- Arguimbau, Lawrence Baker
- Computers -- History Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Conference of Representatives from the Engineering Societies of Western Europe and the United States of America
- Electronic differential analyzers. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Engineering -- Study and teaching Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Engineers' Council for Professional Development
- Gage, Frank D.
- Hazen, Harold L. (Harold Locke), 1901-1980
- Jamiat al-Bitrul wa-al-Maadin
- M.I.T. Network Analyzer
- Martin, William Ted, 1911-2004
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- Faculty Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Product Integraph.
- Robert College (Istanbul, Turkey)
- Skolnikoff, Eugene B.
- Stewart, Herbert R. (Herbert Rowland)
Creator
- Title
- Prelminiary Inventory to the Papers of Harold L. Hazen
- Status
- Ready For Review
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Libraries. Department of Distinctive Collections Repository
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries
Building 14N-118
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139-4307 US
distinctive-collections@mit.edu