Tolman, Richard C. (Richard Chace), 1881-1948

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Bernard Mannes Baruch was a financier and head of several war committees, including chairman of the War Industries Board, 1918-1919, and U.S. representative to the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, 1946.

From the guide to the Speech before the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, June 14, 1946, 1946, (American Philosophical Society)

Tolman (1881-1948). Chemistry, physics, California Institute of Technology, 1922-1948.

From the description of Papers, 1735-1958. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 82743699

Biography

Richard Chace Tolman was born March 4, 1881 in West Newton, Massachusetts. He attended MIT, earning his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1903. He spent the next year in Berlin, then returned to complete his graduate work with a PhD at MIT in 1910. From that time until World War I he served on the faculties of the Universities of Michigan, Cincinnati, California (Berkeley) and Illinois. During the war Tolman began what would be a distinguished career as a scientific advisor and administrator for the US government. His first assignment was with the Chemical Warfare Service, and later (1919-1922) as associate director and then director of the Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory, whose purpose was to continue the government's research program on the nitrogen products used in explosives and fertilizers. In 1922, Tolman accepted a position at the California Institute of Technology, where he would remain for the rest of his academic career. He served as professor of physical chemistry and mathematical physics, as well as holding the position of dean of the graduate school.

Tolman became interested in relativity theory early in his career and published several key papers. His scientific work between the wars ranged over statistical mechanics, relativistic thermodynamics and cosmology. His classic book, The Principles of Statistical Mechanics, was published in 1938. Between 1940 and 1946 Tolman had major responsibilities in the joint efforts of science, industry and the military to achieve victory in the Second World War. He served as vice chairman of the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC), with special cognizance for armor and ordnance, including the development of the proximity fuse and rockets. He served as scientific advisor to General Leslie R. Groves on the Manhattan Project, as US advisor to the wartime Combined Policy Committee, and immediately after the war as chief technical advisor to the US delegation to the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission. At the time of his death in September 1948 he was chairman the Declassification Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission.

Tolman earned the US Medal for Merit and the rank of honorary officer of the Order of the British Empire. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1923.

Richard Tolman was married to Ruth Sherman Tolman, a psychologist.

From the guide to the Richard Chase Tolman papers, 1735-1958, (California Institute of Technology. Archives.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967. Oral history interview with J. Robert Oppenheimer, 1963 November 18 and 20. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Pauling, Linus, 1901-1994. Oral history interview with Linus Carl Pauling, 1964 March 27. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Speech before the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, June 14, 1946, 1946 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Morrison, Philip. Oral History interview with Philip Morrison, 2002. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Archive for the History of Quantum Physics, 1898-1950 (bulk), 1898-1950 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Oppenheimer, Frank, 1912-1985. Oral history interview with Frank Oppenheimer, 1984 November 16. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Chace, Elizabeth Buffum, 1806-1899. Papers of Elizabeth Buffum Chace and her family, [ca. 1801-1900]. Brown University Archives, John Hay Library
referencedIn Bowen, Ira Sprague, 1898-1973. Oral history interview with Ira Sprague Bowen, 1968 August 9 and 26 August 1969. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Niels Bohr Library. The Emilio Segrè visual archives, T-Z, [ca. 1870]-9999. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Huff, L. D. (Lorenz Ditmar), 1905-. Student lecture notes, 1928-1931. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development. S-1 Files. Bush - Conant File. Letter, S. A. Goudsmit to Richard C. Tolman, 12/8/44. National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration
creatorOf Bray, William C. (William Crowell), 1879-1946. William C. Bray papers, 1890-1945. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Schwarzschild, Martin. Oral history interview with Martin Schwarzchild, 1977 September 27. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955. Speech : California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif., 1931 Jan. 15. Bryn Mawr College, Mariam Coffin Canaday Library
creatorOf Records of the Office of Scientific Research and Development. 1939 - 1947. Records Relating to the Development of the Atomic Bomb National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Baruch, Bernard M. (Bernard Mannes), 1870-1965. Speech before the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, June 14, 1946. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn Robert F. Bacher Papers, 1924-1994 California Institute of Technology. Archives.
referencedIn Crane, H. R. (Horace Richard), 1907-2007. Oral history interview with H. R. Crane, 1973 March 28 and 18 June 1974. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Beams, Jesse W. (Jesse Wakefield), 1898-1977. Papers of Jesse W. Beams [manuscript], 1926-1977. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Richard Chase Tolman papers, 1735-1958 California Institute of Technology. Archives.
referencedIn Wooldridge, Dean E. Oral history interview with Dean E. Wooldridge, 1976 August 21. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Oral history interview with William Alfred Fowler, 1972 June 8, 1973 Feb. 5, 1974 May 30. Niels Bohr Library & Archives
referencedIn Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953. Robert Andrews Millikan collection, 1847-1953. American Philosophical Society Library
referencedIn Bondi, Hermann. Oral history interview with Hermann Bondi, 1978 March 20. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Placzek, G. (George), 1905-1955. Papers, 1934-1955, undated. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Robert Andrews Millikan collection, 1847-1953, 1847-1953 American Philosophical Society
referencedIn Meggers, William F. (William Frederick), 1888-1966. Home movies of William Meggers [motion picture] / taken by William Meggers. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Ava Helen and Linus Pauling Papers, 1910-1994 (bulk 1922-1991) Oregon State University SpecialCollections & Archives Research Center, The ValleyLibrary
creatorOf Tolman, Richard C. (Richard Chace), 1881-1948. Papers, 1735-1958. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Richter, Charles, 1900-1985. Oral history interview with Charles F. Richter, 1978 February 15-September 1. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955. Audio recordings of speeches, 1932-1933. [sound recording] American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Greenstein, Jesse L. (Jesse Leonard), 1909-2002. Oral history interview with Jesse Leonard Greenstein, 1974 July 31. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
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associatedWith Searls, Fred, 1888-1968 person
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associatedWith Stark, Johannes, 1874-1957 person
associatedWith Swope, Herbert Bayard, 1882-1958 person
associatedWith Thomson, J. J., Sir, (Joseph John), 1856-1940 person
associatedWith Tolman, Ruth S. person
associatedWith Uhlenbeck, George Eugène, 1900-1988 person
associatedWith United Nations. Atomic Energy Commission. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Office of Scientific Research and Development. S-1 Files. Bush - Conant File. corporateBody
associatedWith U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. corporateBody
associatedWith Van Vleck, J. H., (John Hasbrouck), 1899-1980 person
associatedWith Voigt, Woldemar, 1850-1919 person
associatedWith Von Neumann, John, 1903-1957 person
associatedWith Warburg, Emil Gabriel, 1846-1931 person
associatedWith Weisskopf, Victor Frederick, 1908-2002 person
associatedWith Wooldridge, Dean E. person
associatedWith Zeeman, Pieter, 1865-1943 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Chemistry, Physical and theoretical
Mathematical physics
Nuclear arms control
Nuclear energy
Nuclear nonproliferation
Nuclear weapons
Technology
Occupation
Physicists
Activity

Person

Birth 1881-03-04

Death 1948-09-05

Americans

English

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