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Karl and Erna Kordesch Papers, 1906-2011View associated digital content.

Karl Kordesch (1922-2011) was a distinguished Austrian-American chemist widely recognized for his contributions to battery and fuel cell research and technology. Kordesch was jointly responsible for the invention of the alkaline primary dry cell battery, significant developments in fuel cells, and the successful creation and operation of hybrid vehicles. During his career, Kordesch was responsible for more than 100 hundred patents as well as numerous papers, articles, and books on the subject of electrochemistry, effectively revolutionized the battery industry, and pioneered electric/fuel cell vehicles. The Karl and Erna Kordesch papers contain records of much of Karl's research and publishing efforts as well as biographical records, photos, and ephemera documenting the Kordeschs' life in Nazi-occupied Austria and the United States.

The preliminary container list to the left of this finding aid describes electronic records in Series 4, including USB flashdrives, memory cards, CDs, and a floppy disk. Several of these items, in particular the flashdrives, have been digitized and are available upon request.

ID: MSS Kordesch
Extent: 14.0 cubic feet
More Extent Information
Scope and Content Notes
Biographical / Historical Notes
Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.
Statement on Description: Final arrangement by Trevor Sandgathe.
Arrangement
Preferred Citation: Karl and Erna Kordesch Papers (MSS Kordesch), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Acquisition Note:

14 linear feet and 7.5 gigabytes of materials were accessioned from Erna Kordesch by OSU Libraries Special Collections on April 22, 2011.

3.5 gigabytes of electronic records were accessioned from Catherine Kordesch by OSU Libraries Special Collections on December 28, 2011.

Acquired: No future additions are anticipated.
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