Oswald Veblen Papers A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 2011 Contact information: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact Additional search options available at: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms011049 LC Online Catalog record: http://lccn.loc.gov/mm77044016 Prepared by Manuscript Division Staff Collection Summary Title: Oswald Veblen Papers Span Dates: 1881-1960 Bulk Dates: (bulk 1920-1960) ID No.: MSS44016 Creator: Veblen, Oswald, 1880-1960 Extent: 13,600 items ; 43 containers plus 1 overize ; 17 linear feet Language: Collection material in English Location: Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Summary: Mathematician. Correspondence, diaries, subject files, articles, book reviews, drafts of books, lecture notebooks, financial papers, and miscellany relating primarily to Veblen's work and research in pure mathematics and mathematical physics and reflecting his association with Princeton University, the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., and the American Mathematical Society. Also includes material relating to Veblen's efforts on behalf of displaced German scholars and refugees. Selected Search Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein. People Alexander, James W., 1888-1971--Correspondence. Birkhoff, George David, 1884-1944--Correspondence. Bohr, Niels, 1885-1962--Correspondence. Dirac, P. A. M. (Paul Adrien Maurice), 1902-1984--Correspondence. Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955. Flexner, Abraham, 1866-1959. Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953. Neugebauer, O. (Otto), 1899-1990. Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967. Pauling, Linus, 1901-1994. Richardson, O. W. (Owen Willans), 1879-1959--Correspondence. Richardson, R. G. D. (Roland George Dwight), 1878-1949--Correspondence. Russell, Bertrand, 1872-1970--Correspondence. Stone, Marshall H. (Marshall Harvey), 1903- --Correspondence. Strauss, Lewis L.--Correspondence. Struik, Dirk J. (Dirk Jan), 1894-2000--Correspondence. Veblen, Oswald, 1880-1960. Von Neumann, John, 1903-1957--Correspondence. Weyl, Hermann, 1885-1955--Correspondence. Whitehead, John Henry Constantine, 1904-1960--Correspondence. Wiener, Norbert, 1894-1964--Correspondence. Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902- --Correspondence. Organizations American Mathematical Society. Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, N.J.) Princeton University. Subjects Mathematical physics. Mathematics--Societies, etc. Mathematics. Refugees--United States. Oswald Veblen Papers 2 Science--History--20th century. Universities and colleges--New Jersey. Titles Mathematical reviews. Occupations Mathematicians. Administrative Information Provenance The papers of Oswald Veblen, mathematician, were given to the Library of Congress by his wife, Elizabeth Veblen, in 1963. Processing History The papers of Oswald Veblen were arranged and described between 1963-1964. Additional material was incorporated into the collection in 1976-1977. The finding aid was revised in 2011. Additional Guides A partial description of the Veblen Papers appears in Library of Congress Information Bulletin, May 27, 1963, pp. 1-3. Copyright Status Copyright in the unpublished writings of Oswald Veblen in these papers and in other collections of papers in the custody of the Library of Congress has been dedicated to the public. Access and Restrictions The papers of Oswald Veblen are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use. Preferred Citation Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number, Oswald Veblen Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Biographical Note Date Event 1880, June 24 Born, Decorah, Iowa 1898 A.B., University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 1900 A.B., Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1903 Ph. D., University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill. 1903-1905 Associate in mathematics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill. 1904 Published A System of Axioms for Geometry . Lancaster, Pa.: Press of the New Era Printing Co. 1905-1910 Preceptor in mathematics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill. Oswald Veblen Papers 3 1907 Published with N. J. Lennes Introduction to Infinitesimal Analysis. New York: J. Wiley & Sons 1908 Married Elizabeth M. D. Richardson 1910-1918 Published with John Wesley Young Projective Geometry. Boston: Ginn & Co. 2 vols. 1910-1932 Professor of mathematics, Princeton University, Princeton, N.Y. 1917-1919 Officer in U. S. Army 1923-1924 President, American Mathematical Society 1923-1924 Chairman of the physical sciences, National Research Council 1927 Published Invariants of Quadratic Differential Forms. Cambridge University Press 1932 Published with J. H. C. Whitehead The Foundations of Differential Geometry. Cambridge [Eng.] University Press 1932-1960 Professor, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, N. J. (professor emeritus, 1950-1960) 1950 President, International Congress of Mathematicians 1960 Died, Princeton, N.J. Scope and Content Note The papers of Oswald Veblen (1880-1960) span the years 1881-1960, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1920-1960. The papers relate to the upsurge of pure mathematics and mathematical physics in America, the careers of many scientists who played roles in this development, and various key institutions in the scientific and academic community at the time. The collection is organized in Diaries, General Correspondence, Subject File, Writings File, Miscellany, and Oversize series. From 1932 until his death in 1960 Veblen was a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, New Jersey. The paper reflect in detail that long association and reveal much about the founding and early years of the institute. There is also some early correspondence covering his years of graduate study, then with his colleagues at Princeton University, and later many letters and other material concerning the American Mathematical Society and the founding of Mathematical Reviews to replace a German journal reflecting Nazi views. His exchange of letters and ideas with mathematicians and other scientists in both the United States and Europe represents a prominent part of the collection. Among his correspondents are Nobel Prize recipients Niels Bohr, P. A. M. Dirac, Albert Einstein, Robert Andrews Millikan, Linus Pauling, Owen Willans Richardson, and Bertrand Russell. Other major correspondents include James W. Alexander, George David Birkoff, Abraham Flexner, O. Neugebauer, Roland George Dwight Richardson, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Marshall H. Stone, Lewis L. Strauss, Dirk Jan Struik, John Von Neumann, Herman Weyl, John Henry Constantine Whitehead, Norbert Wiener, and Eugene Paul Wigner. There is considerable material in the papers on Veblen's efforts to aid displaced German scholars and other refugees, including many distinguished scientist. There is also material on his interest in raising the standards of the American scientific community and in stimulating support for research not wedded to specific applied ends. Of particular interest is correspondence detailing the efforts of Veblen and his fellow scientist to raise money between World War I and World War II. The letters include frank comment on the attitudes of business and government toward supporting pure research. Oswald Veblen Papers 4 The collection also includes diaries, manuscripts of some of Veblen's speeches and publications, and miscellaneous financial and personal material. Arrangement of the Papers The collection is arranged in six series: • Diaries, 1917-1958 • General Correspondence, 1902-1960 • Subject File, 1918-1960 • Writings File, 1905-1919 • Miscellany, 1881-1959 • Oversize Oswald Veblen Papers 5 Description of Series Container Series BOX 1 Diaries, 1917-1958 Pocket diaries containing appointments and other brief notations. Arranged chronologically. BOX 2-17 General Correspondence, 1902-1960 Letters received and copies of letters sent. Arranged alphabetically by correspondent and chronologically within each correspondent's file. BOX 18-34 Subject File, 1918-1960 Correspondence, memoranda, recommendations, printed matter, and other material. Arranged alphabetically by subject and then chronologically. BOX 35-38 Writings File, 1905-1919 Articles, bibliography, book manuscripts and notes, and book reviews. Arranged by type of writing, with articles organized chronologically. BOX 38-43 Miscellany, 1881-1959 Lecture notebooks and writings of others, biographical data, income tax and insurance data, memorabilia, pocket notebooks, photographs, printed matter, awards, and other material. Arranged alphabetically by type of material. BOX OV 1 Oversize Photographs, certificates, awards, and diplomas. Arranged and described according to the series, container, and folder from which it was removed. Oswald Veblen Papers 6 Container List Container Contents BOX 1 Diaries, 1917-1958 Pocket diaries containing appointments and other brief notations. Arranged chronologically. BOX 1 1917-1921 1930-1955 (9 vols.) 1956 (2 vols.) 1958 (2 vols.) BOX 2-17 General Correspondence, 1902-1960 Letters received and copies of letters sent. Arranged alphabetically by correspondent and chronologically within each correspondent's file.