Keith A. Brueckner (1924-2014), a theoretical physicist, worked in academia and as a consultant to government and industry. His research focused on many-body theory and laser fusion. Throughout his career, Brueckner consulted with numerous federal and private agencies on research related to national defense. The collection consists of correspondence, memoranda, reports, financial records, contracts and proposals, notes and calculations, lectures, itineraries, and calendars. Administrative materials, such as memoranda, financial records, and itineraries relating to Brueckner's responsibilities at UC San Diego and KMS, form the largest parts of the collection.
Keith A. Brueckner Papers, 1949 - 1994 (bulk 1949-1983) (MSS 94)
Extent: 18.4 Linear feet (50 archives boxes)
Keith Allen Brueckner was born in Minneapolis on March 19, 1924. He earned a B.A. and M.A. in mathematics from the University of Minnesota in 1945 and 1947 and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1950. Brueckner's career as a theoretical physicist was divided between academia, industry, and service to the U.S. government, serving the roles of teacher, administrator, researcher, and consultant. His research focused on many-body physics and laser fusion.
Brueckner was on the physics faculties at Indiana University (1951-1955) and the University of Pennsylvania (1956-1959) before coming to UC San Diego in 1959. At UC San Diego, he was responsible for recruiting faculty to the new campus and setting up the curriculum for the School of Science and Engineering. Among his other administrative responsibilities, Brueckner was Director of the Institute of Radiation Physics and Aerodynamics and, later, Director of the Institute for Pure and Applied Physical Sciences. (See the guide to the Administrative Records of Keith A. Brueckner, 1959-1970, RSS 1009, for more information on his administrative duties.)
Outside the academy, Brueckner consulted with the Atomic Energy Commission, the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), RAND, Convair, and the Scientific Advisory Boards of the U.S. Air Force, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and other agencies related to national defense research. He was Vice President and Director of Research at IDA in 1961 and 1962. He was also active in industry through his offices at KMS (Keeve M. Siegel) from 1968 to 1974 and his own consulting business, Keith A. Brueckner and Associates (1974-1978).
Brueckner was an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the 1963 recipient of the American Physical Society's Dannie Heinemann Prize. He was a professor emeritus in the UC San Diego Department of Physics. Brueckner died in September 2014.
The Keith A. Brueckner Papers consist primarily of administrative, professional and financial records. The collection includes memos, reports, professional correspondence, contracts, vouchers, expense statements, and travel itineraries generated from Brueckner's duties in three major capacities: as instructor, administrator and research scientist at UC San Diego; as consultant for government and industry; and as Technical Director with KMS, a private corporation whose scientific pursuits included laser research.
The Keith A. Brueckner Papers are organized in ten series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL; 2) CORRESPONDENCE; 3) UC SAN DIEGO; 4) PROPOSALS; 5) WRITINGS, TALKS AND LECTURES; 6) CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS; 7) ORGANIZATIONS; 8) CONSULTING; 9) KEITH A. BRUECKNER AND ASSOCIATES; and 10) KMS.