Scope of the Harlow Shapley Papers
The Papers of Harlow Shapley date from 1906 through 1966 and document Shapley's career before and during his tenure at Harvard. The collection includes biographical and genealogical information, as well as some documentation of Shapley's family life. It also includes some papers of Martha Betz Shapley (Mrs. Harlow Shapley). Documents include correspondence, manuscripts of articles and books, news clippings, award and degree certificates, and photographs.
Dates
- Creation: 1906-1966
Creator
- Shapley, Harlow, 1885-1972. (Person)
Language of Materials
English
Open for research
The Papers of Harlow Shapley are available for research use.
Restrictions on use
Permission for photocopying or publishing documents in the collection must be obtained from the University Archivist.
Extent
53 cubic feet (167 containers)Biography of Harlow Shapley
Harlow Shapley (1885-1972) was one of the twentieth century's most noted American astronomers. After studying at the University of Missouri he took his Ph.D. at Princeton in 1913, then moved to Mount Wilson Observatory. There he studied Cepheid variables, using them as indicators of the distances of globular clusters, and boldly developed a new picture of the size and shape of our galaxy.
In 1921 Shapley moved to the Harvard College Observatory, serving there as Director until 1952 and as Paine Professor of Practical Astronomy until his retirement in 1956. He was a member of numerous academies and recipient of many prizes, active in the professional and political interests of science, and a vigorous popularizer of the field.
In addition to his work on Cepheid variables, globular clusters, and the galaxy, Shapley did important work on stellar and nebular photometry and spectroscopy and allied topics in stellar astronomy and cosmology. Under his leadership, the Harvard College Observatory became one of the world's most important centers for training and research in astronomy.
Arrangement of the Papers of Harlow Shapley
The Papers exist in 26 series, the last of which are the Papers of Martha Betz Shapley. The arrangement of the files is essentially that of the material as received by the Harvard University Archives.
Acquisition Information
The Papers of Harlow Shapley were given to the Harvard University Archives in the following accessions:
Number 7697, 8/15/1975: Harvard College Observatory
Number 7974, 9/27/1976: Harvard College Observatory
Number 8590, 2/9/1979: Alan Shapley
Number 8814, 12/18/1979: Alan Shapley
Number 9232, 7/6/1981: American Institute of Physics
Number 9260, 8/7/1981: Alan Shapley
Number 9408, 3/10/1982: Dr. Willis Shapley
Number 10539, 8/20/1985: Harvard College Observatory
Number 12389, 4/2/1992: Alan Shapley
Number 13301, 5/3/1996: Harvard College Observatory
Number 13306, 5/3/1996: Harvard College Observatory
Inventory update
This document last updated 2022 July 28.
Creator
- Shapley, Harlow, 1885-1972. (Person)
- Title
- Shapley, Harlow, 1885-1972. Papers of Harlow Shapley, 1906-1966 : an inventory
- Author
- Harvard University Archives
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hua03998
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository
Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.
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