Ralph Belknap Baldwin papers |
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Ralph Belknap Baldwin papers
Special Collections & University Archives, Grand Valley State
University Libraries
Seidman House
1 Campus Drive
Allendale, Michigan 49401
2010
Descriptive Summary | |
| Repository | Special Collections & University Archives, Grand Valley State University Libraries, Allendale, Michigan 49401 |
| Creator | Baldwin, Ralph, 1916- |
| Title | Ralph Belknap Baldwin papers |
| Dates | 1936-2007 |
| Collection Size | 10.5 linear feet (48 boxes and 1 volume) |
| Abstract | Ralph Baldwin was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. During World War II, Ralph Baldwin was a senior physicist in the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, where he helped develop the radio proximity fuze, a crucial secret weapon of the war. The collection includes technical correspondence; correspondence concerning the publication of "The Deadly Fuze"; articles; general correspondence; speeches; copies of personal papers; and an autobiography called "The Life of Ralph Baldwin." |
| Accession number | RHC-7 |
Scope and Content of Collection
Includes technical correspondence, primarily astronomical; correspondence concerning the publication of the book, "The Deadly Fuze," articles, general correspondence, speeches, copies of personal papers and an autobiography called "The Life of Ralph Baldwin,” for which supplements were added annually.
Biography
Ralph Baldwin was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan and graduated from the University of Michigan. While working as a part-time planetarium lecturer, he developed an interest in lunar topography. During World War II, Ralph Baldwin was a senior physicist in the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, where he helped develop the radio proximity fuze, a crucial secret weapon of the war. His work on the project earned him the Presidential Certificate of Merit, among other honors. During the 1940s he formulated the principles of current lunar geology. His first book The Face of the Moon (1949) was the generating force behind modern research in both terrestrial impact craters and lunar surface features. He is highly regarded in the scientific community even though his primary employment was, for many years, as an officer and then president of a manufacturing company, the Oliver Machinery Company in Grand Rapids. He was a past-president of the Wood Machinery Manufacturers of America.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection.
Restrictions
Restrictions on Access
Collection is open for research use.
Publication Rights
For information on copyright or permissions for this collection, contact Grand Valley State University Special Collections.
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Ralph Belknap Baldwin papers (RHC-7). Special Collections & University Archives, Grand Valley State University Libraries.
Acquisition Information
Acquired from Ralph Baldwin on August 23, 1989 with periodic additions.
Related Material
The collection was divided by Baldwin, and copies sent to the Bentley Library at the University of Michigan; University of Michigan Physics and Astronomy Library, Ann Arbor; Don Wilhelms, science historian in San Francisco; and the Library of the Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland.