The Philo T. and Elma G. Farnsworth Papers

The Philo T. and Elma G. Farnsworth Papers
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Complete Guide
Bio/Hist Info
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The Manuscripts Librarian is Dr. Stan Larson.
For further information, email: stan.larson@library.utah.edu,
or call (801) 585-3076.

Detailed Description of the Records

Series

This section contains information about the personal life of Philo and Elma Farnsworth. Box 1 holds various biographies written by Elma Farnsworth and relatives, Arch L. Madsen's eulogy at Farnsworth's funeral, and copies of family photographs. Farnsworth's BYU student notebooks are located in the last two folders of the box. Box 2 contains a chronological assortment of Farnsworth's awards and honors, along with stories, correspondence, and news clippings. Box 3 contains chronologically-arranged correspondence in the form of personal letters and family newsletters. Arranged chronologically, box 4 contains the Farnsworth family's financial records from their move to San Francisco as newlyweds in 1926, to the depletion of their financial resources in Utah during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Boxes 4-5 contain the records of Fernworth farm, from its purchase in 1938 until much of it was sold to pay expenses after his death.

box 1 :

folder 1 :

This box contains an Outline of the life of Philo Taylor Farnsworth, and Philo T. Farnsworth III's biographical paragraphs, "Neglected Inventors."

folder 2 :

This folder contains Ceazan's "Highlights from the life of Philo Farnsworth," Morgan's "The Green Street Lad" from Electronics in the West, and Eddy's "Television, The Young Man's Game."

folder 3 :

This folder contains Patents and excerpts from early Farnsworth journals, and "The Jim Branch Report #6028."

folder 4 :

This folder contains Business cards, obituary from Time, letters of consolation to Elma Farnsworth, and Arch L. Madsen's eulogy of March 16, 1971.

folders 5-6 :

Copies of photographs, as well as college notebooks.

box 2 :

This box contains a variety of awards and other materials that document Farnsworth's achievements as an inventor. These include National Radio Institute and other early certifications, university programs, Philo T. Farnsworth Day Memorabilia, various plaques and tributes, documents from the dedication of the Farnsworth statue in Washington, posthumous recognitions, and associated correspondence.

box 3 :

box 4 :

folders 1-3 :

folders 4-7 :

box 5 :

folder 1 :

folders 2-8 :

Series

This section contains material stemming from Farnsworth's professional career. In addition to documents, boxes 6-9 contain information concerning Crocker Research Laboratories,records for Television Laboratories, Inc., Farnsworth Television, Inc., and Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation. Box 10 contains material from 1939-1948 when Farnsworth became involved in Farnsworth Wood Products along with his brothers, Lincoln and Carl Farnsworth. Boxes 11-17 contain records that reflect International Telephone & Telegraph's purchase of Farnsworth Television and Radio Corp. in 1949 until Farnsworth's termination and disability determination in 1967. Boxes 17-19 contain records, 1968-1970, that provide information on the organization and development of Philo T. Farnsworth Associates in Salt Lake City, Utah. Boxes 20-26 contain Farnsworth's professional correspondence with associates A. A. Ahmed, George Everson, Frederick "Fritz" Furth, Robert Hirsch, Hans Salinger, and Claude ZoBell. Miscellaneous correspondence from 1945-1968 concludes this section.

box 6 :

folder 1 :

folder 2 :

folder 3 :

folders 4-8 :

box 7 :

folders 1-5 :

folders 6-7 :

box 8 :

box 9 :

volume 1 :

This is a volume submitted by a business management consultant prior to the sale of the corporation.

folders 1-3 :

folders 4-7 :

box 10 :

This box contains financial records, loan documents and deed records, meeting minutes, technical documents, and other corporate records are arranged chronologically.

box 11 :

This box contains Organizational charts, advertising, press releases, technical manuals, and other documents are arranged chronologically.

box 12 :

This box contains Manuals, press releases, organizational charts, and development reports are arranged chronologically

box 13 :

folders 1-2 :

folders 3-4 :

folders 5-8 :

These folders contains expense reports, a financial review, a budget, earnings statements, an employment agreement, and an overhead analysis.

box 14 :

folders 1-6 :

These folders contains descriptions of Farnsworth models and components, maintenance information, and other documents concerning the Capehart Models, cathode ray tubes, and Project 9001.

box 15 :

folders 1-7 :

These folders contains drawings, instruction manual for power supplies, and a technical proposal for a television inspection system, along with documents concerning the Iatron tube.

box 16 :

This box contains blueprints and drawings of a vacuum drying process and laboratory.

box 17 :

folders 1-4 :

folders 5-7 :

These folders contain company history and objectives, patent correspondence and applications, marketing reports, and status reports.

box 18 :

folder 1 :

folder 2 :

folder 3 :

folders 4-8 :

box 19 :

folders 1-4 :

folders 5-6 :

box 20 :

box 21 :

box 22 :

box 23 :

box 24 :

box 25 :

folders 1-3 :

folder 4 :

folders 5-6 :

folder 7 :

box 26 :

folders 1-2 :

folder 3 :

folders 4-7 :

Series

This section provides information about Philo T. Farnsworth's activities through news clippings as well as his research writings, journal entries, speeches, and patents. Boxes 27-28 contain a chronological arrangement of news clippings (1928-1991) that report on both Farnsworth's professional achievements and personal events such as the destruction by fire of Fernworth Farm. Some articles are the results of interviews with Elma Farnsworth. Speeches made by Farnsworth from 1929-1968 are in box 28, along with associated invitations. Boxes 28-31 contain research articles written by Farnsworth and his associates from 1930-1968, and boxes 32-36 contain documents relating to the application and receiving of U. S. patents. Research notes, workbooks, and journals from throughout Farnsworth's career are housed in boxes 37-69. Included are those of Farnsworth's associate, Gene Meeks (box 48). Miscellaneous literature discussing Farnsworth's work, published by professional organizations and in weekly magazines, is contained in boxes 69-74. This group of documents also contains technical writings.

box 27 :

box 28 :

folders 1-4 :

folders 5-6 :

folders 7-8 :

These folders contain "An Electrical Scanning for Television," "Television by Electron Image Scanning," "High Intensity Cathode Ray Tube for Projection of Large Television Images" (undated), "Nuclear Fusion Utilizing Ionic Confinement within a Spherical Electrostatic Field," and "Self-sustained Nuclear Fusion by Inertial Confinement in a Poisson Bi-polar Electric Field."

box 29 :

box 30 :

folder 1 :

This folder contains "Spark Chamber Track Measuring System," "Spark Chamber and Magnet System for Photographing Cosmic-Ray Tracks at Balloon Altitudes," and "Optimum Design of High-Pressure, Large-Diameter, Direct-Nuclear-Pumped, Gas Lasers."

folders 2-8 :

These folders contain "Experimental Investigations of the Mark II Fusion Tube," "Bremsstrahlung Sources in the Mark II," "On the Use of Screens or Open Areas on the Cathodes of Inertial Confinement Machines," and "On the Feasibility of an Economic Fusion Reactor Based on the Inertiald Containment Principles."

box 31 :

This box contains "Pressure Balance in the Saturated Thermionic Diode," "Addendum to Unsolicited Proposal to Perform Basic Physical Research in the Inertial Containment of Ionized Gases," "Inertial-electrostatic Containment of Ionized Gases: Status of the Research."

folders 1-3 :

These folders contain "Pressure Balance in the Saturated Thermionic Diode," "Addendum to Unsolicited Proposal to Perform Basic Physical Research in the Inertial Containment of Ionized Gases," "Inertial-electrostatic Containment of Ionized Gases: Status of the Research."

folder 4 :

This folder contains Articles by Gene Meeks, 1966
"Project Work Performed During the Year 1966," and "Miscellaneous Bell Jar Studies of Virtual Electrode Formation."

folder 5 :

This folder contains"Photo-cell Multiplier Tubes," "A Coaxial Filter for Vestigial-Sideband Transmission in Television," "Wave Propagation through a Space Charge in a Magnetic Field," and "Experimental Transport Pump as of November 1962."

folder 6 :

This folder contains "Photoconductive Camera Tube Theory," "On the Multipactor," and "The `Straticharge' Combustion Process."

box 32 :

folders 1-5 :

folders 6-7 :

This folder contains electric oscillator system, television camera tubes, storage type electron tube systems, and light translating device.

box 33 :

This box contains Space charge device for producing nuclear reactions, process for the rapid drying of green lumber, method and apparatus for producing nuclear-fusion reactions, and ion gun improvement.

box 34 :

folders 1-3 :

folders 4-8 :

This folder contains Image dissector, cathode ray amplifier, image amplifier, television projection system, television image analyzing tube, cathode ray tube, ion transport vacuum pump, and process and apparatus for drying and treating lumber.

box 35 :

volume 1-2 :

folders 1-4 :

These folders contain Television related patents from other inventors, electronic patents of employees of Farnsworth Television & Radio Corp., lumber drying patents from other inventors, a listing of "Philo T. Farnsworth's most basic patents used in modern television receivers," a listing of "Farnsworth Patents," "Use of Farnsworth Patents in Modern Television Receivers," and a "Summary of Farnsworth Patents Covering Television Transmitters."

box 36 :

This box contains Brief on behalf of Philo T. Farnsworth, brief on behalf of Vladimir K. Zworykin, and final hearing of Farnsworth v. Zworykin.

box 37 :

box 38 :

box 39 :

box 40 :

box 41 :

box 42 :

box 43 :

box 44 :

box 45 :

box 46 :

box 47 :

box 48 :

box 49 :

box 50 :

folder 1 :

volume 1 :

folder 2 :

volume 2-3 :

box 51 :

volume 1 :

volume 2 :

volume 3 :

box 52 :

volume 1 :

box 53 :

volume 1-2 :

box 54 :

volume 1 :

volume 2 :

volume 3 :

box 55 :

volume :

box 56 :

box 57 :

box 58 :

volume 1-2 :

volume 3 :

box 59 :

box 60 :

box 61 :

box 62 :

box 63 :

box 64 :

box 65 :

folder :

folders 2-4 :

folders 5-7 :

box 66 :

folders 1-2 :

folder 3 :

volume 1-2 :

volume 3 :

box 67 :

volume 1 :

volume 2 :

volume 3 :

volume 4 :

box 68 :

volume 1 :

volume 2-5 :

box 69 :

volume 1 :

volume 2 :

volume 3 :

folder 1 :

This folder contains Langmuir's and Blodgett's "Currents Limited by Space Charge Between Coaxial Cylinders," Lubcke's "Vacuum-tube Voltmeter Design," and Langmuir's "The Interaction of Electron and Positive Ion Space Charges in Cathode Sheaths."

folder 2 :

This folder contains Langmuir and Compton's "Fundamental Phenomena in Electrical Discharges."

folder 3 :

This folder contains The Improvement Era, Literary Digest, and Thompson's "Review of Ultra-high-frequency Vacuum Tube Problems."

box 70 :

volume 1 :

folder 1 :

This folder contains Time and Raytheon technical information.

folder 2 :

This folder contains Wilson's proposed report to the National Patent Planning Commission, "Stimulating Discovery and Invention."

folder 3 :

This folder contains Compton's "National Security," and Raytheon Technical Information."

folder 4 :

This folder contains Miller's "Mathematical Tables: Part-Volume B, the Airy Integral," and Rieber's "The Rieber Sonograph, R-G-2."

box 71 :

folder 1 :

This folder contains Senior Scholastic, McCulloch's "The Brain as a Computing Machine," and Newsweek.

volume 1 :

folders 2-3 :

These folders contain Hornyak, Lauritsen, Morrison, and Fowler's "Energy Levels of Light Nuclei," Hazeltine Electronics Corp.'S Report No. 7113 "An Analysis of Color Television," and Knoll's "Electron-lens Raster Systems."

folder 4 :

This folder contains Brigham Young Alumnus, and Jekelius' "Fundamentals of Permanent-magnet Focusing Systems for Cathode Ray Tubes."

folder 5 :

This folder contains Davis's "Proposal to Adapt the Iatron to Radar Indicators," Brigham Young Alumnus, Reader's Digest, and the Bridge of Eta Kappa Nu.

folder 6 :

This folder contains Outdoor Life, Farnsworth News (vol. 1, no. 1), and Science News Letter.

box 72 :

folder 1 :

This folder contains Farnsworth News (vol. 1, no. 2), the Brigham Young Alumnus, the International Review of the International Telephone and Telegraph Corp. (Vol. 10, no. 1).

folders 2-3 :

Thes folders contain Krebs and Meerback's "The Electron Density and Velocity Distribution of Secondary Electrons in Multipactors," Farnsworth News, Adair's "The Way of the Eagle," Electronic Week, and Science News Letter.

folders 4-5 :

These folders contain RCA Laboratories Technical Information, Veksler's "Principles of the Acceleration of Charged Particles," Thornton's "Responsibilities in Atomic Energy Education of the Public," and Farnsworth News.

folder 6 :

This folder contains Stephens and Smith's "Fast-neutron Surveys Using Indium-foil Activation," and Office of Naval Research Technical Information.

folder 7 :

This folder contains Silberg and Bachman's "Diffusion of Hydrogen in Palladium," Farnsworth Technical Newsletter, and ITT Laboratories' In the News.

box 73 :

folder 1 :

Pike's "A Survey of System Parameters Applied to Closed-circuit Industrial TV" and ITT Laboratories' "Technical Library, Recent Accessions."

folder 2 :

Nottingham's "The Thermionic Energy Converter" and ITT Laboratories' In The News and Within the ITT System.

folder 3 :

Furth's and Post's "Advanced Research in Controlled Fusion" and Vlaardingerbroek's "Excitation of Ion Oscillations in Beam-plasma Systems."

folder 4 :

Search at Esso Research and Engineering Company and ITT Worldwide Management Conference.

folder 5 :

Derjaguin's "Effect of Lyophile Surfaces on the Properties of Boundary Liquid Films," ITT Industrial Laboratories, The Bridge of Eta Kappa Nu, and San Francisco.

folder 6 :

Elmore, Tuck, and Watson's "On the Inertial-electrostatic Confinement of a Plasma," and Mcfarlane's "A Summary of Available Data on the Physical Properties of Synthetic Sapphire."

folder 7 :

United States Patent Office "Method of Producing Titanium" and "Stabilizing Molten Material During Magnetic Levitation and Heating Thereof."

box 74 :

This box contains United States Patent Office documents, including "Zone Melting Apparatus," "Suspension of Liquid Material," "Induction Heating Apparatus," "Method of Producing Titanium Metal, "Titanium Base Alloys," and "Heat Treatable Beta Titanium-base Alloys and Processing Thereof."

Series

This section contains material documenting the life of Farnsworth's wife. With the exception of a few photographs in which she is shown next to her husband, Elma Gardner Farnsworth (or "Pem," as she was nicknamed) is missing from most of the previous three sections. Box 75 contains biographical material and correspondence, 1971-1981. Included is her organization of the Philo T. Farnsworth Foundation and lobbying of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to consider 202 Green Street as a State of California historical landmark commemorating the first electronic television transmission. Box 76 contains correspondence from 1981-1992, along with notes and other written material. This box also contains information on the commemoration of Philo T. Farnsworth's inventions by the U. S. Postal Service in 1983. The efforts necessary to have the state of Utah promote installation of a statue of her husband in the Hall of Statuary in the U. S. Capitol rotunda are also shown. Box 77 holds articles, miscellaneous information, and a copy of Elma G. Farnsworth's biography of her husband, Distant Vision.

box 75 :

folder 1 :

folders 2-7 :

folders :

box 76 :

folders 1-4 :

folders 5-7 :

These folders contain a list of individuals to be taped in oral interviews, Elma Farnsworth's talk for a church meeting (1980), biographical information by Elma Farnsworth, "A Few Thoughts on the Inner Man," and outline of a talk to Ridgecrest Elementary School (1986).

box 77 :

volume 1 :

folders 1-2 :