Harry Curtis Collection
This collection contains business and personal correspondence, research notes and published and unpublished articles, talks, and book reviews by Harry Curtis, photographs, articles on his retirement and death, printed technical material, and a copy of his account of his career.
Included in this collection are letters from Harcourt A. Morgan, president of the University of Tennessee and TVA board member; Senators Harry Truman, Estes Kefauver, and Albert Gore; Trygve Lie, former Secretary-General of the United Nations; and the distinguished chemist, Frederick G. Cottrell.
Dates
- 1908-1963
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
7.75 Linear Feet (16 boxes [15 half boxes, 1 flat box])
Abstract
This collection contains business and personal correspondence, research notes and published and unpublished articles, talks, and book reviews by Harry Curtis, photographs, articles on his retirement and death, printed technical material, and a copy of his account of his career.
Biographical/Historical Note
Dr. Harry Alfred Curtis (1884-1963) was a chemical engineer who distinguished himself in industry, government service, research, and education. Curtis served as the first professor of chemical engineering at Yale University, and from 1949 until his retirement in 1957, he served on the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Curtis was married to Irene Hall Curtis (1884-1967).
Arrangement
Collection consists of 16 boxes divided into 11 series: Correspondence; Correspondence with Universities; Correspondence with Organizations; Correspondence with Business Firms; TVA Service; Government Service other than TVA; Articles, talks, book reviews, and notes for these by Dr. Curtis, and correspondence concerning books and technical journals to which Dr. Curtis contributed; Publications containing articles by Dr. Curtis, bulletins, and reprints of articles by Dr. Curtis, unpublished stories and essays by Dr. Curtis; Material on patents granted to Dr. Curtis, research notes, printed technical material; Technical material. Information on various elements, compounds, chemical processes, and mathematics; and Records and correspondence corncerning the Curtis family, Dr. Curtis's eye injury, and Mrs. Curtis's illnesses; non- technical printed material; miscellaneous material.
The papers were left in Dr. Curtis' arrangement when possible, with a series of letters to or from the individual or firm grouped together and filed chronologically. Where there were only one or two pieces of correspondence with an individual, these were placed in folders according to last initial and filed in chronological order. Dates following the description in the contents refer to the period covered by the correspondence.
Acquisition Note
Irene Curtis donated this collection to Special Collections in July 1964.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository