.
By Sharon Brown McConnell
Collection Overview
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The papers of Dr. James Gilbert Black contain both professional and personal papers. Dr. Black was a friendly, tolerant, brilliant man whose major concern was the quality of education which the youth were receiving. This collection documents his interest in education as well as his scientific interests. It also includes files on Dr. Black's inventions.
Collection Historical Note
James Gilbert Black was born in Rose Hill in Mercer County, Kentucky on August 4, 1895. His parents were Robert and Maggie Black. He attended elementary school in Mercer County and graduated with the highest honors from Harrodsburg High School. In 1916, following a suggestion of his high school principal, he decided to attend college and work toward a degree in physics.
Dr. Black and his brother, Roy, had spent hours during childhood experimenting with pulleys, tin cans, and magnets. A book which often was a guide for them was one by R. K. Duncan. This was the perfect prerequisite to the very happy and satisfying life which Dr. Black lived as an inventor, student, physicist, and teacher.
In May 1919, Dr. Black was married to Ollie Mae Foster of Mercer County. Mrs. Black herself was scholarly and inquisitive and several years after her marriage, she received a college degree from Morehead State University. The couple had four sons: J. G. Jr., William S., George M., and Charles. Two sons were engineers, one a lawyer, and the other a physicist at the Naval Ordnance.
Dr. Black received a B.S degree from the University of Kentucky in 1921 and a masters degree from the same institution in 1922. He did additional work at the University of Wisconsin and at Purdue University before being granted a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1929. His undergraduate studies were interrupted by a stint in the navy during World War I.
Dr. Black's teaching experiences were varied. He taught courses in physics, engineering, and most branches of mathematics during his career. His teaching assignments were at the University of Kentucky, 1920-22, the University of Wisconsin, 1922-23, Purdue University, 1923-25, Michigan State College, 1925-28, University of Kentucky, 1928-29, Morehead State Teachers College, 1929-41, and the University of Michigan, 1941-1945. He was a physics professor at Eastern Kentucky University from 1947-69, serving as chairman of the department for most of those years.
Dr. Black was an employee of both the Philips Laboratory, Inc. (1945-1947), and the Naval Ordnance Laboratory in Silver Springs, Maryland during the 1950s and 1960s. During these years he worked in X-ray technology, television development, and in testing, design and improvement of weapons. He was the author of several papers which are on file with these companies, and with three other people, received a patent on an "Apparatus for Determining the Composition of a Substance." Detailed descriptions of some of his many inventions are included in these papers. He received patents for most of his inventions. Following his retirement, he developed a new type of ball point pen.
He was a member of numerous societies and groups, wrote many articles for scientific publications and often presented papers at professional meetings. He wrote several short stories on science in an attempt to popularize physics. Dr. Black had many professional and social interests He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Richmond and was a connoisseur of good literature. He enjoyed sharing anecdotes with friends during leisure moments and was often asked to explain certain phenomena to those with less scientific minds. During the years following his retirement, he remained active mentally and physically. He spent hours enjoying his family and friends. He died on January 5, 1983 and was buried in Springhill Cemetery at Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives
Acquisition Source:
Black, James G.
Box and Folder Listing
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Box 1],
[Box 2],
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- Box 2
- Barcode: 31234014056590
- Folder 1: Barry Bingham, 1958
- Correspondence to and from Mr. Bingham regarding education.
- Folder 2: Biographical, undated
- Biographies, autobiographies, correspondence and personal data sheets about Dr. Black.
- Folder 3: News Clippings, undated
- Clippings about income, child rearing, veterans affairs, coal and various other topics.
- Folder 4: Naval Ordnance Laboratory and Philips Laboratory, 1936-1968
- Photographs, job applications, personnel action forms and correspondence relating to his positions with the Naval Ordnance and Philips. A booklet describes patent rights and responsibilities for the Naval Ordnance.
- Item 1: Nuclear Symposium, 1936
- A group at the Nuclear Symposium at the University of Michigan (Pictured Are: Dr. E. O. Lawrence, Dr. P. P. Ewald, Dr. J. D. Kraus, Baldwin R. Curtis, Dr. E. L. Harrington, Dr. Catherine Chamberlain, Dr. Richard W. Quarles, Dr. David M. Dennison, Dr. L. W. Nordheim, Zaka Slawsky, Dr. I. Rabi, Milton Slawsky, Dr. Gertrude Nordheim, Dr. Lucy H. Kurrelmeyer, Dr. Hugh C. Wolfe, Miss His-yin Sheng, Dr. E. U. Condon, Dr. J. M. Cork, Dr. H. A. Bethe, Dr. S. A. Goudsmit, Dr. G. Breit, Paul Rood, Dr. M. E. Rose, James Perdue, J. R. Lawson, William Rarita, C. E. Rood, Dr. Thomas J. Carroll, Fern Trovillo, Siiri Markkanen, Dr. Jenny Rosenthal, Dr. C. E. Ireland, Dr. Rose C. L. Mooney, Donald S. Bayley, H. H. Siemers, Dr. Donald G. Hurst, J. E. Hill, Dr. Melba Phillips, A. J. Ruhlig, Dr. John Bardeen, Dr. Otto Laporte, Dr. M. H. Hebb, Dr. E. W. Uehling, Dr. C. D. Hause, O. G. Koppius, Dr. R. D. Present, Dr. Bernard Kurrelmeyer, Dr. W. H. Furry, V. E. Bottom, Dr. Eugene Feenburg, Dr. Claude Cleeton, Joseph M. Keller, Dr. David Inglis, Dr. Charles T. Zahn, Dr. E. L. Hill, Martha Cox, Harold Lifschutz, Dr. James H. Bartlett Jr., Miss I-djen Ho, Dr. Edward S. Akeley, Dr. W. W. Sleator, R. A. Boyd, Dr. Gordon M. Shrum, J. S. Koehler, Dr. J. G. Black, Dr. Daniel L. Rich, A. H. Spees, Dr. R. L. Thornton, Dr. A. W. Smith, Jonathan Parsons, Mr. D. B. McNeill)
- Item 2: Unidentified Group
- Group at unidentified location. )Pictured are: Dennison, Barker, Rishman, Pauli, Walenbeck, Broullian, Guth, Cork, Dalke, Joyce, Marton, Parsona, Wolfe, Rarita, A. W. Smith, Weber, Scott, Miss Wang, Mrs. Marton, Miss Kao, Pasternek, Morris, Colby, Sleator Sr., Parkinson, Duffendook, Kent, Bessey, Deutsch, Black, Rich, Picard, Sleator Jr., Foley, Fowler, Lindsey, Genevese, Anderson, Hadley, Oetjen, Casliman, Wineland, Holland, Engstrom, Bouce, Crouch)
- Item 3: Hiroshima
- Copies of photos of Hiroshima before and after the atomic bomb hit.
- Creators:
-
A.A.F. Photos
- Folder 5: Essays and Other Writings, undated
- A series of articles about physics and the importance of science in education. Also included are a couple poems written by others.
- Folder 6: Professional, 1927-1968
- Publications, programs, news clippings, correspondence, and other items collected in the course of his professional life. A curriculum vita lists all his professional presentations and publications.
- Folder 7: Grant Proposal, 1962
- An equipment grant to be used for radioisotope and nuclear physics education, submitted to the United States Atomic Energy Commission.
- Folder 8: Science Advisory Committee, 1958
- Press releases from the president of the United States regarding science education.
- Folder 9: Space Clippings, ca. 1958
- Articles about Sputnik, antiaircraft missiles, satelites, atomic weapons and other similar topics.
- Folder 10: Space Drawings and Sketches, 1957
- A sketch of a missile and a mimeograph of the solar system.
- Folder 11: Tributes, 1921-1931
- Includes certificates, graduation program, correspondence, poetry and memorials and tributes at the time of his death.
- Folder 12: Diagrams, undated
- Diagrams of various pieces of equipment.
- Folder 13: Agreement with Philips, 1946
- Agreement signed by Dr. Black regarding inventions.
- Folder 14: Composition of Substance, 1952-1964
- Information about Dr. Black's invention, Apparatus for Determining Composition of Substance.
- Folder 15: Correspondence, 1933-1953
- Correspondence regarding patents and publishing.
- Folder 16: Cyclorama, undated
- A description of the new cyclorama for the Morehead State College stage.
- Folder 17: Electricity, 1931
- Abstract of a paper on electricity sent to the Mathematical Association of America.
- Folder 18: Electrolysis and Synthesis of Water, undated
- Description of an electrolysis experiment.
- Folder 19: Falling Body, undated
- A science experiment about the Motion of a Freely Falling Body to determine acceleration.
- Folder 20: Human Horsepower, undated
- A paper titled "The Direct Measurement of Human Horsepower" presented at an unknown professional conference.
- Folder 21: Hydrogen, undated
- An abstract of a science experiment about the effect of hydrogen on the intensities of the spectra of zinc, cadmium and mercury.
- Folder 22: Incubation for Eggs, undated
- A paper describing the merits of a new egg incubator.
- Folder 23: Phonodeik Oscillations, undated
- A description of an improved lecture apparatus for projecting phonodeik oscillations.
- Folder 24: Photographs
- Photographs of Dr. Black and some of his inventions.
- Item 4: James G. Black with one of his inventions
- Physical Description: 8x10
- Item 5: One of James G. Black's inventions
- Physical Description: 8x10
- Item 6: One of James G. Black's inventions (The reverse of 1983-041-05)
- Physical Description: 8x10
- Item 7: One of James G. Black's inventions, (wheels and cogs)
- Physical Description: 8x10.5
- Item 8: One of James G. Black's inventions, (wheels and cogs)
- Physical Description: 8x10.5
- Item 9: One of James G. Black's inventions, (wheels and cogs put together)
- Physical Description: 8x10.5
- Item 10: One of James G. Black's inventions, (wheels and cogs)
- Physical Description: 8x10.5
- Item 11: One of James G. Black's inventions, (wheels and cogs)
- Physical Description: 8x10.5
- Item 12: X-Ray of H.M. Patterson's hand at the University of Kentucky by J.G. Black, 1921 Apr 10
- Physical Description: 5x7
- Folder 25: Phonograph, 1944-1946
- Plans and description of a cabinet that would store up to 80 albums and play any of them with the touch of a button.
- Folder 26: Spectroscopy, undated
- An article titled "Spectrum Lines" and a description of a simplified spectrum plate.
- Folder 27: Tunnel Diode, 1962
- Notes and diagrams on a Tunnel Diode Coincidence Circuit for NOL Van de Graaff.
- Folder 28: Professional Abstracts, undated
- A series of abstracts on various topics and inventions, including an apparatus for developing x-rays in a lighted classroom, a lamp for projecting electroscope and radiometer in the classroom, a simplified McLeod Guage and the yo-yo.
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