Scope and Content Note
The papers of Merril Eisenbud (1915-1997) span the years 1933-1997, with the bulk of the material dating from 1948 to 1997. The papers are organized in the following series: Atomic Energy Commission , Beryllium , Writings , Miscellany , Classified , and Oversize . The Classified and Oversize series contain only one item each.
Eisenbud began his career as an industrial hygienist with the Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. After more than ten years experience there, he became one of the leading figures in the field of industrial health and safety. In 1947 he was appointed the founding director of the Health and Safety Laboratory of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). While at the Atomic Energy Commission, Eisenbud’s work centered on two areas, environmental radiation and beryllium disease. These fields continued to be the two primary topics of his research after he left the AEC and went to the Laboratory of Environmental Studies at New York University. His research and writing on these topics continued after his retirement in 1984 until his death in 1997.
These papers are primarily concerned with beryllium disease. The Atomic Energy Commission became involved in beryllium studies because beryllium was used in the manufacture of nuclear reactors. A high rate of severe lung disease leading to disability or death was noted among workers in beryllium extraction plants and in the immediate neighborhoods of the plants. Beryllium disease was also found in the fluorescent light industry where, during the 1940s, a beryllium compound was used to coat the inside of the light tube. The papers contain data on air samples, medical case notes and studies, reports, articles, and substantive correspondence between scientists working on beryllium disease.
The Atomic Energy Commission series consists solely of material about beryllium. The files include research data compiled by the AEC on several manufacturing plants and reports and articles.
The Beryllium series contains material created by organizations other that the Atomic Energy Commission about beryllium disease. Items are primarily from individual researchers, organizations working on beryllium disease including government agencies, and private industries involved in beryllium manufacturing. Articles and reports covering the 1930s to the 1990s give an overview of the history of beryllium disease research. Material from the Beryllium Case Registry is also in this series. Case studies of all known diagnosed cases of beryllium disease were placed in the registry.
The Writings series contains works by Eisenbud. The Miscellany series has material on environmental radiation, both man-made and natural, dating from the 1970s to the 1990s. This series also includes photographic slides covering a variety of scientific topics.