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Barton C. Hacker Papers, 1955-1995

By Finding aid prepared by Anne Bahde.

Collection Overview

Title: Barton C. Hacker Papers, 1955-1995

ID: MSS HackerB

Primary Creator: Hacker, Barton C. (1935-)

Extent: 2.1 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The Barton C. Hacker Papers are arranged into four series: I: Department of Energy Dosimetry Research Project Research Files, 1955-1991; II: General Research Files, 1960-1995; III: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Files, 1995; IV: Papers and Conference Materials, 1974-1994. Folders are arranged chronologically within each series.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The Barton C. Hacker Papers document Hacker’s career as a historian of radiation safety, and primarily consist of materials related to his service as historian to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Dosimetry Research Project, beginning in 1979. The collection also contains general research materials, committee documents, and conference proceedings and papers.

The contents of box-folders 1.2 - 1.9, 3.8, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.5, 4.6, 5.3, 5.4, 6.3 and 6.4 have been digitized and are available upon request.

Scope and Content Notes

The Barton C. Hacker Papers document Hacker’s career as a historian of radiation safety, and primarily consist of materials related to his service as historian to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Dosimetry Research Project, beginning in 1979. These records reflect his efforts to identify and locate records related to human radiation exposure in institutions and organizations around the country, and his later scholarly work on radiation exposure and hazards. The collection includes indexes and chronologies, photocopies of original archival documents and records, correspondence, articles, clippings, publications, conference proceedings, and manuscripts.

The contents of box-folders 1.2 - 1.9, 3.8, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.5, 4.6, 5.3, 5.4, 6.3 and 6.4 have been digitized and are available upon request.

Biographical / Historical Notes

Barton C. Hacker is Curator of Armed Forces History at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Beginning in 1979, he served as Historian at Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company (REECo), working on the Dosimetry Research Project for the Department of Energy, which sought to comprehensively identify, locate, and centralize records related to human radiation exposure. He formerly served as Laboratory Historian at the University of California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and has held teaching or research positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Iowa State University, the University of Houston, University of Chicago, and Oregon State University (from 1986-1992). He is a recipient of the Leonardo da Vinci Medal of the Society for the History of Technology and of several writing prizes. He has curated major exhibits on Submarines in the Cold War and West Point in the Making of America. His publications include books on the history of Project Gemini, radiation safety in nuclear weapons testing (Elements of Controversy: The Atomic Energy Commission and Radiation Safety in Nuclear Weapons Testing and The Dragon's Tail: Radiation Safety in the Manhattan Project, 1942-1946), and world military institutions, as well as many articles and book reviews on a wide range of topics in the history of military technology.

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 6 boxes

Statement on Access: The collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: These materials were donated by Barton C. Hacker in 2006.

Related Materials: The Barton C. and Sally L. Hacker Nuclear Affairs Collection, The History of Atomic Energy Rare Book Collection (RB Energy), Nuclear Science Technical Reports Collection (MSS Reports), and the Radiation Center Records (RG 202) include materials related to the work and career of Barton Hacker.

Preferred Citation: Barton C. Hacker Papers (MSS HackerB), Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Creators

Hacker, Barton C. (1935-)

People, Places, and Topics

Hacker, Barton C., 1935-
History of Science
Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Nuclear weapons--Moral and ethical aspects--United States.
Nuclear weapons--Research.
Nuclear weapons--Social aspects.
Nuclear weapons--United States--Testing--Safety measures--History.
Radiation--Safety measures.
Radioactive fallout
Reynolds Electrical & Engineering Co.
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission
United States. Defense Nuclear Agency


Box and Folder Listing