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Archives 31
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Records, 1910-1976

The records of the Mechanical Engineering Department were transferred to the University Archives, Washington State University in March (UA 77-14) and July (UA 77-29) of 1977 by the Department. The collection was processed by Pat Graham Pidcock.

ORGANIZATIONAL SKETCH

Mechanical engineering courses have been a part of the curriculum since the founding of Washington State University in 1892. Growing steadily, the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering was incorporated into the College of Mechanic Arts and Engineering in 1917. After the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department separated, Howard H. Langdon chaired the Mechanical Engineering Department from 1933 through 1944. A native of Sumner, Washington, Professor Langdon received his B.S. from Washington State University in 1919 and his M.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1933. He was a member of Washington State University's engineering faculty from 1923 until his resignation in 1944.

DESCRIPTION AND ARRANGEMENT

The records of the Department of Mechanical Engineering are arranged in three series. A large part of the collection is correspondence and papers generated or received by Howard H. Langdon during his tenure as head of the department. Throughout the collection, the processor has attempted to maintain the original order of the materials within each folder.

Series one consists of general departmental correspondence, 1920-1944, divided into two subseries. The first subseries includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence from 1929 through 1943 relating to departmental activities, and is arranged alphabetically. Included in this subseries are inquiries pertaining to product analysis, research, and development of techniques and materials. This subseries also contains correspondence about departmental purchases, as well as communications from the public, manufacturers, and other educational institutions concerning published materials. Some of the correspondence in this subseries concerns prospective students, graduate placement, and departmental employment. The second subseries is correspondence from 1920 through 1944 arranged alphabetically by topic. Major topics include faculty hiring, industrial and professional associations minutes and materials, departmental financial data, departmental and university memoranda, and student information and letters. Also included in the second subseries are substantial portions of the professional correspondence of Howard H. Langdon as well as correspondence with manufacturers, such as General Electric.

The second series, curriculum and research, 1910-1976, is arranged alphabetically by topic. In addition to research and class materials, this series contains data derived from analyses of patented auto lubricants and records of concrete research and development.

The third series, Engineering, Science, and Manpower War Training, 1940-1944, reflects the University's participation in a federal engineer-training program for women, and is also arranged alphabetically by topic. Correspondence from prospective students, government publications, directives, memoranda, and minutes comprise the bulk of this series.

                                                                                  CONTAINERS

SERIES 1: GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1920-1944                                           1-4
       Deals with department activities and purchases, prospective students, employment, 
      research, and published data.

SERIES 2: CURRICULUM AND RESEARCH, 1910-1976                                          4-5
       Materials generated by mechanical engineering courses and student experiments.

SERIES 3: ENGINEERING, SCIENCE, AND MANPOWER WAR TRAINING, 1940-1944                  5-6
       Goverment directives, memoranda, and minutes in addition to student correspondence.

CONTAINER LIST