Melba Phillips papers, 1922-1999 (bulk 1950-1985)

The bulk of this collection is comprised of correspondence, both professional and personal. The professional correspondence includes letters from fellow physicists and associates discussing upcoming events and research, and offering congratulations for her receipt of the Karl Taylor Compton Award (American Institute of Physics) and the Oersted Medal (American Association of Physics Teachers). In 1952, Phillips became unemployed after refusing to testify before the U.S. Senates Internal Security subcommittee formed to investigate alleged communist activities. Many letters from fellow physicists and associates offer condolences, and opinion on her loss of employment. The personal correspondence contains letters written by Phillips to her family members, many postmarked from Stony Brook, New York. These letters were saved and donated by her family, and contain candid observations about her work and her daily life. The collection also includes Phillips report cards from the Oakland City College of Indiana; a file containing speeches, papers and correspondence relating to her research on magnetic rotation; and a scrapbook of photos, correspondence and clippings from her travel and work with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhongguo ke xue yuan).

View the finding aid to learn more about the collection.