Walter Orr Roberts Collection
Scope and Contents
The Walter Orr Roberts Collection includes records pertaining to Dr. Roberts' work with Soviet scientists, published and unpublished writings, various photographs from around the world, audio cassettes of Dr. Roberts' presentations, films, and some memorabilia. Select materials from this collection have been digitized and are available in OpenSky, NCAR Library's digital repository.
Dates
- 1940 - 2007
- Majority of material found within 1980 - 1989
- Other: Date acquired: 20060000
Creator
- Roberts, Walter Orr (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Access to this collection is open, although there are some materials that are restricted.
Conditions Governing Use
Not all of the material in the collection is in the public domain. Researchers are responsible for addressing copyright issues.
Biographical / Historical
Walter Orr Roberts set up the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) in 1940 on the Continental Divide at Climax, Colorado, which evolved from a one-man operation affiliated with the Harvard College Observatory to a research laboratory at NCAR. While at HAO he made studied the behavior of the sun by photographing its prominences and corona through artificial eclipses of the sun by means of a newly invented solar telescope called the coronagraph, of which he completed the Western Hemisphere's first example.
In 1960, the National Science Foundation asked Roberts to be the director of the newly formed NCAR, which he headed until 1968. He simultaneously held the position of President of UCAR from 1960 until 1973. Roberts was influential in establishing Boulder’s space and rocket science communities that later spawned the University of Colorado’s Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics and Ball Brothers Research Corporation, now Ball Aerospace Systems Division.
Extent
3.30 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The collection has been arranged topically and the folders are listed in alphabetical order.
Physical Access Requirements
The collection must be viewed in the Archives during normal business hours.
Technical Access Requirements
There are some audio-visual materials that are not available for play-back as they are original copies that have not been digitized.
Source of Acquisition
Janet Roberts, Betty O'Lear, UCAR Corporate Affairs Office, CU's American Music Research Center
Method of Acquisition
The Walter Orr Roberts collection is comprised of materials donated by his wife, Janet Roberts, UCAR staff member, Betty O'Lear, UCAR Corporate Affairs Office, and CU's American Music Research Center.
Appraisal Information
Duplicate materials were removed from the collection.
Accruals and Additions
No accruals or additions are expected.
Processing Information
The collection was processed in April 2010. Materials were brought together from a few sources to create a single collection. Writings stored in 3-ring binders were removed and rehoused in acid-free folders. Photographic materials were rehoused in appropriate preservation enclosures and stored in folders according to original order. Many photographs have little or no identifying information.
- Pei, Ieoh Ming, 1917-
- Climatic changes Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Global warming Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- National Center for Atmospheric Research (U.S.).
- National Center for Atmospheric Research (U.S.). High Altitude Observatory. Subject Source: Local sources
- Author
- Kathleen Legg
- Date
- 20100409
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- eng
Repository Details
Part of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Archives Repository