Guide to the Bill Nye Papers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Guide to the Bill Nye Papers NMAH.AC.1383 Alison Oswald 2016 Archives Center, National Museum of American History P.O. Box 37012 Suite 1100, MRC 601 Washington, D.C. 20013-7012 [email protected] http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives Table of Contents Collection Overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Administrative Information .............................................................................................. 1 Arrangement..................................................................................................................... 2 Scope and Contents........................................................................................................ 2 Biographical / Historical.................................................................................................... 2 Names and Subjects ...................................................................................................... 3 Container Listing ............................................................................................................. 4 Series 1: Personal Materials, 1964 - 2014.............................................................. 4 Series 2: Subject Files, 1971 - 2009....................................................................... 6 Series 3: Scrapbooks, 1981 - 1981, 1987 - 2003.................................................... 9 Series 4: Bill Nye the Science Guy, 1989 - 1998................................................... 10 Series 5: The Eyes of Nye, 1998 - 2003............................................................... 16 Series 6: Fan Mail, 1995 - 2001............................................................................ 19 Series 7: Photographs, 1969 - 2000...................................................................... 20 Series 8: Press Clippings, 1973 - 1973, 1988 - 2004............................................ 22 Bill Nye Papers NMAH.AC.1383 Collection Overview Repository: Archives Center, National Museum of American History Title: Bill Nye Papers Identifier: NMAH.AC.1383 Date: 1970 - 2014 Extent: 12 Cubic feet (28 boxes, 1 oversize folder) Creator: Nye, Bill Language: English . Summary: The collection documents Bill Nye's early life, his Science Guy persona and its development for his television program Bill Nye the Science Guy. Administrative Information Acquisition Information Collection donated by Bill Nye, April 28, 2016. Separated Materials Artifacts related to Bill Nye are located in the following curatorial divisions: Division of Home and Community Life; Division of Work and Industry; Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) and the Division of Medicine and Science. Related Materials Materials in the Archives Center Mr. Wizard Papers (AC1326) Preferred Citation Bill Nye Papers, 1970-2014, Archives Center, National Museum of American History Restrictions Collection is open for research. Reference copies for audio and moving images materials do not exist. Use of these materials requires special arrangement. Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives. Page 1 of 22 Bill Nye Papers NMAH.AC.1383 Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information has been rendered unreadable and redacted. Researchers may use the photocopies in the collection. The remainder of the collection has no restrictions. Conditions Governing Use Reproduction restricted due to copyright or trademark. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions. Biographical / Historical William Sanford "Bill" Nye, (November 27, 1955-), was born in Bethesda, Maryland to Edwin D. Nye and Jacqueline B. Jenkins. Nye graduated from Cornell University (1977) with a degree in mechanical engineering and moved to Seattle to work for Boeing as a mechanical engineer (1977-1985). Nye also worked stand-up comedy and in 1985 joined Seattle's local comedy show Almost Live! During a 1987 episode of Almost Live! Nye wore a science lab coat and conducted an experiment launching the "Bill Nye the Science Guy" persona. From 1993-1998 Nye hosted Bill Nye the Science Guy. The show aired on PBS and was later syndicated to local television stations. Scope and Contents The collection documents Bill Nye's early life, his Science Guy persona and its development for his television program Bill Nye the Science Guy. Included in the collection are patents, awards, speeches, subject files, correspondence, email, fan mail, photographs, scripts and promotional materials for television shows, and video recordings. Arrangement The collection is arranged into eight series. Series 1: Personal Materials, 1964-2014 Series 2: Subject Files, 1971-2009 Series 3: Scrapbooks, 1981, 1987-2003 Series 4: Bill Nye the Science Guy, 1989-1998 Series 5: The Eyes of Nye, 1998-2003 Series 6: Fan Mail, 1995-2001 Series 7: Photographs, 1969-2000 Series 8: Press Clippings, 1973, 1988-2004 Page 2 of 22 Bill Nye Papers NMAH.AC.1383 Names and Subject Terms This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Smithsonian Institution under the following terms: Subjects: Science -- Study and teaching Television -- educational shows Television personalities Types of Materials: Clippings -- 20th century Laboratory notebooks -- 1970-2000 Letters (correspondence) -- 20th century. Photographs -- 20th century Page 3 of 22 Series 1: Personal Materials Bill Nye Papers NMAH.AC.1383 Container Listing Series 1: Personal Materials, 1964 - 2014 This series contains personal materials related to Bill Nye such as report cards, diplomas, and his records of inventive pursuits. Nye holds four United States patents and one design patent, Digital Abacus (D 399,522), Toe shoe (US 6,895,694), Educational Lens (US 5,515,203); Toe shoe (US 7,254,904); and Throwing technique trainer (US 7,771,294). Box 1, Folder 1 Resumes and references, 1985 Box 28, Folder 1 State of Washington, Department of Licensing (professional engineer), 1983 - 1983 Box 1, Folder 2 Business card, undated Box 1, Folder 3 District of Columbia Public School report cards, 1964 - 1967 Box 1, Folder 4 Boy Scouts, 1969 - 1970 Box 1, Folder 5 Sidwell Friends School diploma, 1973 Box 1, Folder 5A Sidwell Friends Bulletin, 1988 - 1988 Box 1, Folder 6 Cornell University (commencement program and invitation), 1977 Box 1, Folder 7 Star Trek Convention, 1975 Box 1, Folder 8 Boeing Company (job offer), 1977 Box 1, Folder 9 Balance area elevator feel actuator (invention disclosure for Boeing Company), 1979 Box 1, Folder 10 Lens made from water-filled plastic bag (patentability), 1992 - 1993, 1986 - 1986 Map-folder 1 Tomahawk midcourse guidance unit, preliminary layout (for Sundstrand Data Control Inc.), 1986 - 1986 1 Drawing Map-folder 1 Knob assembly drawings, 1988 - 1988 3 Drawings Box 1, Folder 11 Briefcase design, 1992 Page 4 of 22 Series 1: Personal Materials Bill Nye Papers NMAH.AC.1383 Box 1, Folder 12 Trip strip for use in connection with a golf and motorcycle helmet (patent application), 1996 Box 1, Folder 13 Digital abacus patent (D399,522), 1997 - 1998 Box 1, Folder 14 Toe shoe patent (US 7,254,904), 2007 Box 2, Folder 1 Commencement speeches, 1998 - 1999 Speeches for Johns Hopkins University, California Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Goucher College. Box 2, Folder 2 Letters , 1994 - 2014 Includes letters from William Clinton, Al Gore, Michael Eisner, Bill Gates, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Carl Sagan. Box 2, Folder 3 Win Ben Stein's Money (award), undated Return to Table of Contents Page 5 of 22 Series 2: Subject Files Bill Nye Papers NMAH.AC.1383 Series 2: Subject Files, 1971 - 2009 This series consists of subject files, arranged alphabetically. Many of the materials relate to Nye's work to promote science, publicity appearances, speeches delivered, events he attended and/or presented at. Other files containi information on topics such as comedy, and ephemera. Also included are materials about Nye's early television work with Almost Live! a weekly comedy show on Seattle's KING-TV that aired from 1983-1999. Nye joined Almost Live! in 1986 with his persona of the "Science Guy" emerging on an episode in 1987. Nye became a regular feature, playing a variety of roles, combining his knowledge of science and engineering with comedy. In 1992, Almost Live! went national on the Comedy Central Channel and was hosted by John Keister. Box 2, Folder 4-6 Almost Live!, 1985 - 1989 Box 2, Folder 7 Almost Live! Win a date with Bill Nye Contest, 1989 Box 2, Folder 8 Almost Live! (show routines), 1989 - 1990 Box 2, Folder 9 Big Foot, 1971 - 1988 Box 3, Folder 1 Bike Tech (newsletter), 1986 - 1988 Box 3, Folder 2 Bow ties, 2006, 2009 - 2009 Box 3, Folder 3 Brick breaker, 1992 Box 3, Folder 4 Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Carl Sagan Discovery Center, 1999 July 13 Box 3, Folder 5 Comedy (notes), 1987 Box 3, Folder 6 Disney, New Mickey Mouse Club, 1989 - 1990 Box 3, Folder 7 Earth Maui Nature Summit, 1997 Box 3, Folder 8 Energy Tips, 1991 Box 3, Folder 9 Esoteric Language III, undated Box 3, Folder 10 Fabrics educational video (Gore-Tex), [1995?] Box 3, Folder 11 First Night Erie, 1996 Box 3, Folder 12 Green Cross Millenium Awards, 1999 Box 3, Folder 13 Greystone Films, 1999 Page 6 of 22 Series 2: Subject Files Bill Nye Papers NMAH.AC.1383 Box 3, Folder 14 Harlequin Enterprises Limited/Delta Education (Professor Pete), 2000 Box 3, Folder 15 Hovercraft, 1991