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Melvin C. Hironaka Notebooks, 1956-2002

By Finding aid prepared by Elizabeth Nielsen.

Collection Overview

Title: Melvin C. Hironaka Notebooks, 1956-2002

ID: MSS Hironaka

Primary Creator: Hironaka, M. C.

Extent: 0.9 cubic feet. More info below.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The Melvin C. Hironaka Notebooks consist of class notebooks created by Hironaka for engineering courses he took at Oregon State College. Hironaka earned a BS in civil engineering in 1960.

Scope and Content Notes

The Melvin C. Hironaka Notebooks consist of class notebooks created by Hironaka for engineering courses, primarily civil engineering, he took at Oregon State College. The notebooks include lecture notes, problems, quizzes, and exams. The following courses are represented in the collection: Engineering Drawing (CE 111, 112, and 113); Introduction to Civil Engineering (CE 201); Mechanics (Dynamics) (CE 213); Plane Surveying (CE 221 and 222); Topographic Survey (CE 223); Fluid Mechanics (CE 313); Thermodynamics (ME 336); Soil Mechanics (CE 372); Structural Analysis (CE 381-382 and CE 486); and Structural Engineering (CE 483).

These course were taught by a variety of engineering faculty, including F.J. Burgess, M.P. Coopey, G.L. Martin, Thomas McClellan, S. Nathanson, H.D. Pritchett, and Roy H. Shoemaker.

An addition to the Hironaka Papers (Accession 2013:043) is primarily made up of notebooks documenting Hironaka's coursework in civil engineering and physics at OSU. It also includes a biographical sketch, a book, a letter, photographs, and a slide rule. Reflecting subjects such as indeterminate structures, hydraulic machinery, reinforced concrete, foundations, and the strength of materials, the notebooks contain class assignments, quizzes, and notes.The letter is a commendation from President Ronald Reagan honoring Hironaka for his innovative solution to an asphalt pavement blistering problem at the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, South Carolina. In addition to a portrait shot of Hironaka as a student, the photographic prints (5 in total) depict him at a summer job for the U.S. Forest Service, as part of a group shot of students in a road design engineering class, and on stage as a part of the University Theatre production of "The Teahouse of the August Moon." The book, "Engineering Mechanics", was one of Hironaka's college texts.

Biographical / Historical Notes

Melvin Chikara Hironaka, from Hawaii, attended Oregon State College (OSC) from 1956 until 1960 when he earned a BS in Civil Engineering. His wife, Florence Miya Endo Hironaka, also from Hawaii, attended OSC from 1954 until 1958 and earned a BA in Home Economics in 1958.

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 1 box

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: The notebooks were donated to the Archives by Melvin C. and Florence E. Hironaka in 2010.

Related Materials: Materials pertaining to civil engineering instruction and research at Oregon State are available in the College of Engineering Records (RG 062) and the Civil Engineering Department Records (RG 030). Correspondence of Civil Engineering Department chair Gordon Skelton is available in the Facilities Services Records (RG 193). The Special Collections and Archives Research Center holdings includes the papers of several civil engineering alumni, including John W. Green Papers (MSS Green), Orville Kofoid Journals (MSS Kofoid), Harold L. Manley Collection (MSS Manley), John T. and Virginia E. Merrifield Collection (MSS Merrifield), and Fred Merryfield Papers (MSS Merryfield). The Neal Van Devender Papers (MSS Vandevender) also include engineering class notes and exams.

Preferred Citation: Melvin C. Hironaka Notebooks (MSS Hironaka), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Creators

Hironaka, M. C.

People, Places, and Topics

Engineering--Study and teaching (Higher)--Oregon--Corvallis.
Engineering students--Oregon--Corvallis.
Hironaka, M. C.
Oregon State College. School of Engineering
University History


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