TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Descriptive Summary

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Restrictions

Administrative Information

Index Terms

Bibliography

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series 1: Mine AdvisoryCommittee Series, 1948 - 1966

Series 2: New Catholic Encyclopedia, 1959-1963

Series 3: Promotion Committee, 1940-1941

Series 4: Publications, 1932-1967, 1972

Series 5: Manuscripts, 1959-1974

Series 6: Photographs, 1886-ca. 1965

Karl F. Herzfeld

An inventory of the Karl F. Herzfeld Papers at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives

Mailing Address: The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. 20064

Telephone: 202-319-5065

Email: archives@mail.lib.cua.edu

URL: http://libraries.cua.edu/achrcua/index.html

Biographical Note

Dr. Karl Ferdinand Herzfeld, 1892 - 1978, was a noted physicist, author, educator, and humanitarian. Born in Vienna, Austria, on February 24, 1892, he received his primary education from the Benedictines. He continued his education at the Universities of Vienna (Ph.D. 1914), Zurich, and Göttingen. During the First World War, Dr. Herzfeld served as a First Lieutenant of Artillery for the Austrian Army, and saw combat on the Italian and Russian fronts. After the war he returned to his academic career, taking the position of Privatdozent (loosely translated as junior faculty) and Assistant Professor at the University of Munich 1920-1926. In 1926, he accepted appointment as Professor of Physics at the Johns Hopkins University. He remained in that position until 1936, when he accepted appointment as Professor of Physics and Head of the Department at The Catholic University of America. While at Catholic University, Herzfeld met his future wife, then Regina Flannery, who was studying anthropology under the esteemed John Montgomery Cooper (Dr. Regina Flannery Herzfeld would go on to her own distinguished career as an anthropologist). After a brief courtship, the two were married by Msgr. Cooper on June 9, 1938. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, Dr. Herzfeld served as a consultant to the Naval Ordnance Laboratory to improve artillery shells. He continued his service to the Navy after the war by creating and chairing the Mine Advisory Committee, which studied the scientific issues of mine warfare for the Chief of Naval Research. In 1959 Dr. Herzfeld was named the area editor of physical sciences and mathematics for The New Catholic Encyclopedia.

He relinquished his chairmanship of the Department of Physics at Catholic University in 1961, and he retired from teaching in 1968. Dr. Herzfeld was named Professor Emeritus the following year, and remained active as a scholar and teacher. During his long career, he attained international recognition for significant contributions to the knowledge of physics and physical chemistry. Through his numerous books and scholarly journals, his outstanding work advanced the fields of ultrasonics, liquids and gases, chemical kinetics, and interior ballistics.

The professional and academic community recognized Dr. Herzfeld's achievements with numerous awards. These include the Mendel Medal of Villanova University (1931), the Sechi Medal of Georgetown University (1938), and the Cardinal Gibbons Medal of the Catholic University (1960). He was also awarded a certificate of exceptional service by the Secretary of War and the Navy for his wartime service. In 1960 he was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences. Finally, on the occasion of his 80th birthday, Catholic University struck a medal in his name to be awarded for outstanding contributions in the field of science. Dr. Herzfeld died following a stroke on Sunday, June 4, 1978 at the age of 86.

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Scope and Contents

The Karl F. Herzfeld Papers span from 1886, the date of the first photograph, to 1974, the date of the final additions to the autobiography and family history manuscript. The majority of the materials, however, fall within the ranges of 1948-1967. The papers include correspondence, reports, publications, maps, photographs, news clippings, and two manuscripts written by Herzfeld. These items are arranged in six series: Mine Advisory Committee, New Catholic Encyclopedia, Promotion Committee, Publications, Manuscripts, and Photographs.

The Mine Advisory Committee materials include correspondence with committee members and naval personnel, contracts for consultants, reports, and financial statements. The majority of the documents within this series deal with administrative functions: coordinating with committee members for meeting dates, contractual arrangements for the committee and consultants, and budget statements. Also included is the unclassified final report, which contains a brief sketch of the activities of the committee.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia records contain a substantial amount of information regarding the planning and layout of the scientific entries used in various editions of the New Catholic Encyclopedia. This includes guidelines, layouts, decisions on disciplines, and word count budgets. Additionally, there is correspondence with prospective contributors to the publication.

The Promotion Committee materials are closed to researchers, due to the sensitive nature of the records this series contains. The committee was charged with presenting recommendations for promotions for faculty members to the CUA Academic Senate. Documents within this series include guidelines for consideration, meeting notes, correspondence with members, and notes on those considered for promotion.

The Publication series contains copies/drafts of Dr. Herzfeld's professional writings on topics including; physics studies, ethical considerations in science, and the impact of theology on a scientist. There is also an article and interview with Herzfeld from The Tower, the student newspaper of Catholic University. These pieces, dated March 3, 1972, were written to document the creation and conferring of the first Karl F. Herzfeld Memorial Medal.

The Manuscripts series contains the manuscripts of two books written by Dr. Herzfeld. The first is a family history and autobiography, written in 1971 with addendums from 1974 It includes information on both the Herzfeld and Flannery families, as well as the life and careers of Herzfeld and his wife Regina. Included are copies of relevant documents, photographs, and maps. The second manuscript, written in 1959, is a study on ultrasonic waves entitled The Absorption and Dispersion of Ultrasonic Waves. It is a typescript and includes several equations, corrections, and explanations of results.

The Photographs series contains sixty six individual images taken from the family history and autobiography manuscript materials. The images visually document the family history in Austria and the United States, as well as the career of Dr. Herzfeld. Highlights include a group portrait with a young Albert Einstein and an image of Regina and Karl Herzfeld with John Montgomery Cooper. They are arranged in the order they were placed in the family history and autobiography manuscript.

The majority of the papers cover three major topics regarding the life and career of Dr. Herzfeld: his work with the Mine Advisory Committee, his time as editor of the science subject area for The New Catholic Encyclopedia, and his family history and autobiography.

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Arrangement

The Karl F. Herzfeld Papers consists of six series:

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

There are access restrictions on Series 3: Promotion Committee. This material may only be viewed with permission of the University Archivist.

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Administrative Information

Custodial History

The provenance of many of the materials is undetermined, although it is likely that Herzfeld or his wife, Dr. Regina Herzfeld, donated the collection to the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives. The autobiography and family history manuscript materials were donated to the archives by Dr. James G. Brennan, the chair of the Department of Physics at The Catholic University of America, in 1992.

Acquisition Information

The bulk of the collection was donated on an unknown date following Dr. Herzfeld's death. The Autobiography and Family History was donated on January 15, 1992.

Processing Information

Processing completed in November 2000 by EBF. EAD markup completed in December 2005 by Patrick Cullom.

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Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Persons:

Organizations:

Subjects:

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Bibliography

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Detailed Description of the Collection

All contents copyright , The Catholic University Of America. All rights reserved.