William A. Zisman papers
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Scope and Contents of the Collection
Zisman's years as a student at MIT are documented in class notes on atomic theory, theoretical mechanics, electricity, and magnetism. Correspondence, notes, and reports record his research in surface chemistry. There is correspondence with the American Chemical Society, Dow Chemical Company, du Pont Company, Case Western Reserve University, and Georgetown University while he was chief scientist of the Naval Research Laboratory Chemistry Department. Abstracts and reprints of Zisman's articles are included on such topics as freon and the properties of plastics. There are notes on lectures he gave mostly at the Chemical Division of the Naval Research Laboratory. Photographs and negatives of molecular models and film balance equipment are also included.
Dates
- Creation: 1925 - 1975
Creator
- Zisman, William A. (Person)
Access note
This collection is open.
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
William Albert Zisman, 1905-1986, SB 1927 and SM 1928 in physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; PhD 1932, Harvard University, joined the Naval Research Laboratory in 1939. He was head of the Lubrication Branch (subsequently renamed Surface Chemistry) until 1956, superintendent of the Chemistry Division until 1968, and chief of the Laboratory for Chemical Physics until he retired in 1975. His research focused on surface chemistry and lubrication, and his expertise extended to many areas: monomolecular films adsorbed on liquids and solids, wetting and spreading, the critical surface tension of wetting and its constitutive relationships, adhesion, protective coatings, corrosion inhibition, friction and wear, synthetic lubricants, and barrier films.
Extent
4.6 Cubic Feet (4 record cartons, 2 manuscript boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection documents the career of William A. Zisman, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Zisman joined the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in 1939 where he was head of the Lubrication Branch (subsequently renamed Surface Chemistry) until 1956, superintendent of the Chemistry Division until 1968, and chief of the Laboratory for Chemical Physics until he retired in 1975. Abstracts and reprints of Zisman's articles, correspondence, notes, and reports in the collection document his research in surface chemistry. Also included are notes from his classes as a student at MIT and biographical material.
Location
Materials are stored off-site. Advance notice is required for use.
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.
Subject
- Zisman, William A. (Person)
- American Chemical Society (Organization)
- Naval Research Laboratory (U.S.) (Organization)
- Title
- Preliminary Inventory to the Papers of William A. Zisman
- Status
- Ready For Review
- 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
