Scope and Content Note
The papers of William Weber Coblentz (1873-1962) span the years 1883-1960 and include correspondence, a diary, writings, a bibliography, notes, notebooks, biographical material, awards, photographs, newspaper clippings, and printed matter.
The collection relates chiefly to Coblentz's service as a physicist at the National Bureau of Standards and reflects his contributions in the fields of infrared spectroscopy and the application of radiometry to astronomical problems.
The correspondence relates principally to Coblentz's publications and his work as a physicist, but also includes items from family members and genealogical material. The diary was written during a solar eclipse expedition to Sumatra and Coblentz’s return through Europe. The writings file includes annotated copies of Coblentz’s Man's Place in a Superphysical World (1954) and From the Life of a Researcher (1951) as well as annotated copies of his other works. Also included are biographical material, memorabilia, financial records, scientific notebooks concerning stellar and planetary radiation and psychic phenomena, and photographs.
Correspondents include Cleveland Abbe, C. G. Abbot, George Ellery Hale, Dayton Clarence Miller, A. H. Pfund, and Willis Rodney Whitney.