Records of Harvard University War Archivist Sterling Dow
Overview
Sterling Dow (1906-1995) was the John E. Hudson Professor of Archaeology at Harvard University, specializing in Greek inscription and the history of Greece for more than thirty years. During World War II (December 1944) Dow was appointed Harvard University War Archivist and undertook the task of gathering a record of participation from about eighty Harvard laboratories concerning their efforts during the war. The records in this collection (correspondence, notes, reports, news clippings, meeting minutes, magazine articles, and interviews) document Dow’s efforts in gathering data related to Harvard University's participation in World War II. In addition, the collection reveals the war research performed by Harvard faculty during World War II and some of the changes made to the academic program at Harvard during the war.
Dates
- Creation: 1945-1947
Creator
- Dow, Sterling, 1903-1995. (Person)
Researcher Access
Open for research.
Extent
1.92 cubic feet (6 document boxes)The records in this collection (correspondence, notes, reports, news clippings, meeting minutes, magazine articles, and interviews) document Harvard War Archivist Sterling Dow's efforts in gathering data related to Harvard University's participation in World War II. The collection also reveals the war research performed by Harvard faculty in about eighty laboratories including the Radio Research Laboratory, the Underwater Sound Laboratory, the Fatigue Laboratory, the Harvard Neurological Unit, and the Electro-Acoustic Laboratory, many under contract to the Office of Scientific Research and Development. Among the faculty war research discussed in this collection are studies of the erosion metal in gun barrels (Charles H. Berry), the protection of poultry from diseases (Carl A. Brandly), the deformation of steel under high pressure (Percy W. Bridgman), and the development of the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (Howard H. Aiken). There are several Harvard Medical School war research projects addressed in this collection including the immunology of mumps (John F. Enders), the utilization of sound as a military weapon (Hallowell Davis), the influence of metabolism on brain functions (William G. Lennox), and the adverse effects of traumatic shock (Jacob Fine). Changes that occurred at Harvard during World War II are also documented in this collection including the alteration of admission policy, the extension of the school year, the reorganization of educational programs, the introduction of a compulsory program of physical exercise, and the expansion of student housing. Additionally, reflections on conscientious objectors at Harvard, the war on Japan, the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the level of Nazi support at Harvard before World War II, and air raid protection for Harvard staff and University treasures are found in this collection. Also included in this collection is a catalogue of university war contracts fulfilled by Harvard faculty during World War II (Box 2); a paper on Harvard’s war research from June 1940 to April 1945, entitled History of Harvard War Contracts (Box 4); a history of civil affairs training for Europe and the Far East conducted under the auspices of the Harvard School for Overseas Administration (Box 6); a report written by Sterling Dow describing his activities as War Archivist (Box 2); and letters to Sterling Dow from Harvard faculty describing their war service experiences during World War II (Box 1).
Historical note
Sterling Dow (1906-1995) was the John E. Hudson Professor of Archaeology at Harvard University, specializing in Greek inscription and the history of Greece for more than thirty years. In December 1944, during World War II, Dean of the Harvard Faculty Paul Buck and Harvard President James B. Conant asked Dow to gather records to document Harvard’s participation in the war effort. Appointed Harvard University War Archivist, Dow undertook the task of gathering a record of participation from about eighty Harvard laboratories (Radio Research Laboratory, the Underwater Sound Laboratory, the Fatigue Laboratory, the Harvard Neurological Unit, the Electro-Acoustic Laboratory, etc.) concerning their efforts during the war. Dow’s principal aim was to gather data for a future history of Harvard during World War II. Performing most of the work himself, Dow visited Harvard’s scientific laboratories in Cambridge, at the Harvard Medical School, at the Harvard School of Public Health, and at the Harvard Business School, reviewing war related projects, taking notes, and interviewing faculty and staff.
Arrangement
The folders in boxes 2 through 6 were arranged primarily in alphabetical order by Sterling Dow.
Acquisition information
The documents in this collection are University records and were acquired in the course of University business.
References
- Dow, Sterling, 1903-1995. Records of Harvard University War Archivist Sterling Dow, 1945-1947. UAI 20.946.5, Harvard University Archives.
- Harvard College (1780-), Harvard Class of 1925. Sterling Dow. Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Report. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Printed for the Class, 1950.
Sterling Dow, Historian Recognized for Contributions on Ancient Greece, Dies at 91
Harvard Gazette, 2 February 1995, 2, 14.
Inventory update
This document last updated 2024 February 27.
General note
People
- Dow, Sterling, 1903-1995.
General note
Groups
- Harvard University.
- Harvard University -- Faculty.
- Harvard University -- History -- 20th century.
- Harvard University -- History -- World War, 1939-1945.
- Harvard University -- Relations with the federal government.
- Harvard University -- Research grants.
- Harvard University -- Government contracts.
- Harvard University -- Laboratories.
- Harvard University -- War Research Laboratories.
- Harvard University -- Wartime programs.
General note
Topics
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Massachusetts -- Archival resources.
- Laboratories -- Massachusetts -- Boston.
General note
Formats and genres
- Correspondence.
- Interviews.
Processing Information
This inventory was created in July 2014 by Dominic P. Grandinetti from a cursory inspection of the material and a variety of information sources. Titles were devised by the archivist. The records (UAI 20.946.5 and UAI 20.946.6) were re-processed as the Records of Harvard University War Archivist Sterling Dow, 1945-1947 and assigned the call number UAI 20.946.5. Call number UAI 20.946.6 (Records of War Archivist, Sterling Dow, 1946-1947) was eliminated.
Creator
- Dow, Sterling, 1903-1995. (Person)
- Title
- Dow, Sterling, 1903-1995. Records of Harvard University War Archivist Sterling Dow, 1945-1947 : an inventory
- Author
- Harvard University Archives
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hua41014
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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