English
Wallace J. Eckert papers
1931-1975
CBI 9
Eckert, W. J. (Wallace John), 1902-1971
1.5 cubic feet
(3 boxes)
Correspondence, astronomy lecture notes,
drafts of publications, research notes, and miscellaneous materials relating to
Eckert's work in astronomy, celestial mechanics, and punched card systems. The
collection includes a letter to G. W. Baehne of IBM regarding the development
of a machine for scientific calculations (1934), correspondence relating to the
operation of the Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau, photographs of
Eckert, and drafts of publications. The drafts represented include "The
Position of the Moon Computed Directly from Brown's Theory," Punched Card
Methods in Scientific Computation (1940), and Faster, Faster (1955), a book
about the IBM-Naval Ordnance Research Calculator. Correspondents include L. J.
Comrie and Dirk Brouwer.
University of Minnesota Libraries.
Charles Babbage Institute.
Biographical Note
Wallace John Eckert received his Ph.D. in astronomy from Yale in 1931
and became part of the faculty at Columbia the same year. He established the
Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Laboratory in the early 1930s and
strongly urged IBM to develop a scientific calculator. His book,
Punched Card Methods in Scientific Computation
(1940), influenced the development of the electronic computer. In 1940,
Eckert left Columbia to become the director of the Nautical Almanac Office of
the U.S. Naval Observatory. After World War II, Eckert returned to Columbia.
During this period he also worked with IBM in the development of the Selective
Sequence Electronic Calculator (SSEC). He retired from Columbia in 1967 and
became an IBM Fellow.
Scope and Content Note
Correspondence, astronomy lecture notes, drafts of publications,
research notes, and miscellaneous materials relating to Eckert's work in
astronomy, celestial mechanics, and punched card systems. The collection
includes a letter to G. W. Baehne of IBM regarding the development of a machine
for scientific calculations (1934), correspondence relating to the operation of
the Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau, photographs of Eckert, and
drafts of publications. The drafts represented include
The Position of the Moon Computed Directly from
Brown's Theory, Punched Card Methods in Scientific Computation (1940),
and Faster, Faster (1955), a book about the IBM-Naval Ordnance Research
Calculator. Correspondents include L. J. Comrie and Dirk Brouwer.
Arrangement of Collection
- Lecture Notes, 1951-1970
- Publications by Eckert, undated and 1935-1967
- Publications by Others, undated and 1943-1965
- Research Notes, 1957-1975
- Subject Files, 1931-1970
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog
of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about
related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these
headings.
Baehne, G. W. (George Walter)
Brouwer, Dirk 1902-
Comrie, L. J. (Leslie John), 1893-1950
International Business Machines Corporation
Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau, New York
Astronomy--Mathematics
Calculators
Celestial mechanics
Punched card systems--Astronomy
Tabulating machines
Administrative Information
Acquisition:
The records were given to the Charles Babbage Institute by Dorothy
Eckert in 1983.
Access to materials:
Access to the collection is unrestricted.
Copyright:
The Charles Babbage Institute holds the copyright to all materials in
the collection, except for items covered by a prior copyright (such as
published materials). Researchers may quote from the collection under the fair
use provisions of the copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).
Preferred Citation:
Wallace J. Eckert Papers (CBI 9), Charles Babbage Institute,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Box and Folder List
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Lecture Notes,
1951-1970
Contains lecture notes for several astronomy, celestial mechanics,
and engineering courses taught by Eckert.
Astronomy 106,
undated
1
folders 4-6
Astronomy 110, Numerical Methods,
undated
1
7
Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Course Notebook,
1970
1
8
Celestial Mechanics,
1965
1
9
Celestial Mechanics 5258,
undated
1
10
Engineering 281-Numerical Methods, Notes,
1951-1954
1
folders 11-12
Publications by Eckert,
undated and 1935-1967
A Numerical Lunar Theory, with the Verification of the
Theory of E. W. Brown,
undated
1
13
Faster, Faster, The IBM-Naval Ordnance Research
Calculator,
undated
1
14
Motion of the Moon,
1967.
1
15
Punched Card Methods in Scientific
Computation
Second Edition, Part I,
undated
1
16
Second Edition, Draft of Part II,
undated
1
17
Second Edition, Part II,
undated
1
18
Correspondence,
1940-1942
1
19
Reprints of Eckert (et al.) publications,
1935-1967
1
20
Publications by Others,
undated and 1943-1965
Astronomical Navigation Publications,
1943, 1948-1949
1
21
Celestial Mechanics Conference (reprint),
1958
1
22
Numerical Development of Harmonic
Series for the Coordinates of the Moon, Harry F. Smith, Jr.,
1965
1
23
On the Calculation of the
Principal Parts of the Motions of the Lunar Perigee and Node, E. W.
Brown,
undated
1
24
Research Notes,
1957-1975
Bessel Functions and General Lunar Theory,
1957-1967
2
1
Brown's Theory (VII),
undated
2
2
Disturbing Function, (62),
undated
2
3
Lunar Ephemiri, Astronomical Data in Machine-Readable
Form,
1959-1962
2
4
Relations between Hill-Brown and Delauney Parameters
computed on TPC. Notes about Conversion to Polars. More notes about Constants
and Series Computation,
1963
2
5
Solution of the Main Problem of
Lunar Theory by the Method of Hill-Brown, and related Correspondence,
1975
2
6
The Position of the Moon Computed Directly from Brown's
Theory,
undated
2
7
The Solution of the Main Problem by Airey's
Method......by Hill-Brown Method,
undated
2
8
Subject Files,
1931-1970
The subject files contain miscellaneous materials related to
Eckert's interest in astronomy and celestial mechanics. They also contain:
Eckert's personal correspondence; a history of the Astronomy Department at
Columbia University; correspondence related to the International Astronomical
Union; minutes, reports, photographs, and correspondence from the Thomas J.
Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau; correspondence and reports from the
National Research Council's Mathematical Tables and Other Aids to Computation
subcommittee related to the journal Mathematical Tables
and Other Aids to Computation and the WPA Project for the Computation of
Mathematical Tables; and a letter to G. W. Baehne of IBM regarding the
development of a machine for scientific calculation.
A Simple Programming
System (revision),
undated
2
9
Armillary Sphere,
1931-1935
2
10
Computer Printouts of Ecliptic Longitude and Sine
Parallax,
undated
2
11
Employment Correspondence,
1938-1967
1
1
General Correspondence,
1935-1952, 1965-1970
1
2
The History of the Astronomy Department at Columbia
University,
[1946?]
3
3
International Astronomical Union Meeting,
Correspondence,
1969-1970
2
12
International Astronomical Union Meeting
1970, Correspondence, Member List,
1969-1970
2
13
Letter to G. W. Baehne (IBM) re: Development of a
Machine for Scientific Calculations,
1934
1
3
Mathematical Tables and Other Aids
to Computation correspondence and reports,
1940-1944
3
2
National Research Council Mathematical Tables and Other
Aids to Computation subcommittee correspondence and reports,
1940-1944
3
2
Photographs,
undated
3
1
Project for the Computation of Mathematical Tables,
Correspondence, Announcement,
1940-1944
3
2
Thomas J. Watson Astronomical Computing Bureau, Minutes,
Reports, Correspondence,
1940-1970
3
4