Seibert Q. Duntley Papers, 1930-1977 (SMC 58)

OFF-SITE STORAGE: COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.
Restrictions: Original sound recordings are restricted. Listening copies may be available for researchers.

Extent: 5 Linear feet (5 record cartons)

Papers of Seibert Quimby Duntley (1911-1999), a researcher in the field of visibility and optics and long-time director of the SIO Visibility Laboratory. The collection includes professional correspondence, teaching and lecture notes, a small selection of research projects, and documentation relating to professional organizations in which Duntley was an active member.

Seibert Quimby Duntley, known as Quimby to colleagues and family, was born on October 2, 1911 in Bushnell, Illinois. He received his SB in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1933. During his undergraduate years, Duntley was a member of the Coast Artillery R.O.T.C. unit at MIT and received a reserve commission of second lieutenant. Duntley earned his MS degree from the California Institute of Technology in 1935 and his Sc.D. in physics from MIT in 1939. Duntley was a teaching fellow at MIT in the Department of Physics from 1937-1939, and was promoted to the faculty as an Instructor in Physics in 1939. His primary academic interest was in the optics of turbid media. During this time he also met Mabel Austin, his wife of 62 years and the sister of his lifelong professional colleague Roswell Austin.

In 1939, Dr. Duntley and Dr. Arthur Hardy founded the Visibility Laboratory at MIT, which became Duntley's main focus throughout the 1940s (though, during this time, Duntley also consulted for corporations, and continued his teaching responsibilities at MIT). In 1952, the Visibility Laboratory moved to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) in La Jolla, California. Duntley continued to serve as director, and began teaching at SIO and the new UC San Diego campus, earning the title of Professor in 1966. He also served on the SIO Academic Senate, the Staff Council, and several SIO committees. Duntley gave presentations in the San Diego area as well, such as the Theatre and Arts Foundation of San Diego County's "Meet the Scientist" lecture series.

Duntley was an active member of professional organizations including the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the International Commission for Optics (ICO), and Optical Society of America (OSA). He was heavily involved in the OSA during the 1950s and 1960s and participated in several of their committees. In 1961, the OSA awarded the Frederick E. Ives Medal to Duntley for distinguished work in the field of optics; he was appointed president of the OSA in 1965.

Duntley resigned as director of the Visibility Laboratory in 1975, but he continued to teach and conduct research until his retirement in 1977. During his long career, he wrote over a hundred papers on the topics of physics, visibility, and optics. He died in La Jolla on October 22, 1999.

Papers of Seibert Quimby Duntley (1911-1999), a researcher in the field of visibility and optics and long-time director of the SIO Visibility Laboratory. The collection includes professional correspondence, teaching and lecture notes, a small selection of research projects, and documentation relating to professional organizations in which Duntley was an active member. It also includes a small amount of biographical material and images, including glass lantern slides.

Arranged in six series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) NOTEBOOKS, 4) TEACHING MATERIALS, 5) LECTURES, RESEARCH AND WRITINGS, 6) ORGANIZATIONS and 7) PHOTOGRAPHS.

UC San Diego. Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Visibility Laboratory Records, SAC 38. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Container List

BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS

Box 1 Folder 1
Press releases and clippings on MIT Navy research, 1948-1949
Box 1 Folder 2
Career documentation, 1940-1951
Box 1 Folder 3
OSA Frederic E. Ives Medal documentation, 1961

Awarded to Duntley in 1961 for distinguished work in optics.

Box 1 Folder 4
Biographical information, 1955-1972

Includes list of publications, employment biographies, and photo of Duntley outside the Navy Electronics Lab in San Diego.

Box 1 Folder 5
Duntley oral history interview with Deborah Day (SIO archivist) - Audiocassette, 1981 October 15

Cassette has been digitized, however, sound recording quality was noted as very poor at time of reformatting (2009).

CORRESPONDENCE

Scope and Content of Series

Series 2) CORRESPONDENCE: The bulk of this series is incoming correspondence regarding professional questions and projects, with some outgoing carbon copies written by Duntley. Arranged alphabetically.

Box 1 Folder 6
American Cyanamid Company, 1941
Box 1 Folder 7
Bausch & Lomb Optical Co., 1947
Box 1 Folder 8
Brewer, Glenn M., 1974-1976
Box 1 Folder 9
Clewell, Dayton, 1938-1945
Box 1 Folder 10
DuPont (E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Company, Inc.), 1935-1941
Box 1 Folder 11
Family correspondence, 1939-1947
Box 1 Folder 12
Gasoline Rationing Board, 1942
Box 1 Folder 13
Hagaman, Lois, 1945-1946
Box 1 Folder 14
Hamilton, James B., 1940-1946
Box 1 Folder 15
Hardy, Arthur C., 1940-1947
Box 1 Folder 16
Inter-Society Color Council, 1940-1941
Box 1 Folder 17
Lane, Herbert, 1944-1945
Box 1 Folder 18
Lyons, S.C., 1938-1939
Box 1 Folder 19
MacAdam, David, 1938-1947
Box 1 Folder 20
Middleton, W.E.K., 1947-1952

Includes Duntley's criticism and excerpts of Middleton's manuscript, Vision Through the Atmosphere.

Box 1 Folder 21
Miscellaneous correspondence, 1935-1952
Box 1 Folder 22
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 1937-1954

Includes Duntley's resignation from MIT in 1954.

Box 1 Folder 23
Office of Science Research and Development, 1944-1945
Box 1 Folder 24
Publishing contracts and correspondence, 1953-1965
Box 1 Folder 25
Stultz, Keith, 1943-1945
Box 1 Folder 26
Titherington, Richard H., ca. 1943
Box 1 Folder 27
Turner, Francis, 1939-1944
Box 1 Folder 28
Uhlemann Optical Company, 1939-1946
Box 1 Folder 29
U.S. War Department, 1938-1947

NOTEBOOKS

Scope and Content of Series

Series 3) NOTEBOOKS: Bound notebooks of lecture notes from Duntley's studies at MIT and Caltech, as well as various research notebooks.

Box 1 Folder 30
Computation notebook - Lever Bros. job, 1938
Box 1 Folder 31-35
Research notebooks, 1939-1952

Bound MIT lecture notebooks

Box 4 Folder 13
Volume 3 - Optics and photography, ca. 1930-1938
Box 4 Folder 14
Volume 5 - Atomic physics and x-rays, ca. 1930-1938
Box 4 Folder 15
Volume 6 - Theoretical physics, ca. 1930-1938
Box 5 Folder 1
Volume 7 - Electronics, dynamics, and physical optics, ca. 1930-1938
Box 5 Folder 2
Volume 8 - Quantum mechanics, ca. 1930-1938
Box 5 Folder 3
Volume 9 - Electro-dynamics and microscopy, ca. 1930-1938
Box 5 Folder 4
Volume 11 - Illuminating engineering, ca. 1930-1938

TEACHING MATERIALS

Scope and Content of Series

Series 4) TEACHING MATERIALS: Lecture materials and exams written by Duntley for the classes he taught at MIT and SIO. Includes one folder documenting his administrative role on the SIO Committee on Oceanography from Space.

Box 1 Folder 36
Photographic Laboratory General Regulations and Experiments 1-21, 1931
Box 1 Folder 37
Boston Color Group program, 1937-1947
Box 1 Folder 38-39
Introduction and problem answers to Electricity and Optics by John Wulff, ca. 1941-1946

The book was used for Duntley's MIT Physics: Electricity course (8.03).

Box 1 Folder 40
MIT Physics Department Committee on Undergraduate Laboratories - Proposed course changes and outlines, 1945-1946

MIT - Color Measurement course (8.173)

Box 1 Folder 41
Lecture materials, 1931-1947
Box 1 Folder 42
Yellow plastic experiment, 1941-1942
Box 1 Folder 43
Taking filter experiment, 1940-1941
Box 1 Folder 44
Role of absorption in turbid media, 1941
Box 1 Folder 45
Correspondence regarding interest in summer course, 1947-1948

Includes photograph of Duntley and his class of June 1947.

Box 1 Folder 46
Union College - Color Measurement course materials, 1949-1950

MIT - Physics: Optics course (8.161)

Box 1 Folder 47
Exam questions, 1938-1944
Box 1 Folder 48
Problem sets, 1930-1947
Box 1 Folder 49
Lecture materials, ca. 1937-1950
Box 1 Folder 50
Experiments 1-19, ca. 1937-1950

MIT - Physics: Optics course (8.04)

Box 1 Folder 51
Review questions, 1937-1938
Box 1 Folder 52-54
Lecture materials, 1943-1949
Box 1 Folder 55
Lecture notes, 1942-1950
Box 2 Folder 1
Exam questions, 1938-1950
Box 2 Folder 2-6
Quizzes 1-5, 1937-1950
Box 2 Folder 7
Final exam, 1939-1950

MIT - Physics: Electricity course (8.03)

Box 2 Folder 8-9
Exam questions, 1937-1949
Box 2 Folder 10-11
Lecture notes, 1941-1950
Box 2 Folder 12-16
Quizzes 1-5, 1937-1950
Box 2 Folder 17
Final exam, 1937-1951
Box 2 Folder 18-19
Lecture materials, 1941-1952
Box 2 Folder 20
MIT - Physics: Mechanics and Heat (8.01) - Lecture notes, 1950-1952
Box 2 Folder 21
SIO - Special Topics in Oceanography (Course 220) - Lecture notes, 1955
Box 2 Folder 22
Proposal for optics department at UCSD, 1961-1962
Box 2 Folder 23
UCSD - AEP 203 course materials, 1967-1968
Box 2 Folder 24
SIO - Committee on Oceanography from Space, 1969-1970
Box 2 Folder 25
SIO - Report on research, 1970 April 21
Box 2 Folder 26
UCSD - Applied Physics and Information Science (APIS) 203: Optical Systems - Course materials, 1968-1975
Box 2 Folder 27
SIO 213: Radiative Transfer in the Sea - Course materials, ca. 1960-1977
Box 2 Folder 28
UCSD - Applied Physics and Information Science (APIS) 243 course materials, 1975-1977

LECTURES, RESEARCH AND WRITINGS

Box 2 Folder 29
Duntley, S.Q. The Optical Properties of Pigmented Films - Thesis, 1935-1939

For Duntley's Sc.D. degree in physics completed at MIT.

Box 2 Folder 30
Spectrophotometric studies of human skin - Correspondence, 1939-1951
Box 2 Folder 31
Color photography lecture, 1941 January 10
Box 2 Folder 32
The Prediction and Control of Colored Fiber Blends, for American Dyestuff Reporter, 1941 December 8

Presented to the Northern New England Section of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists.

Box 2 Folder 33-35
Mohawk Carpet Mills - Correspondence and reports, 1939-1947

Includes wool samples and reports 5-6 on The Additive Mixture of Raw Stock Wool.

Box 2 Folder 36
Notes on works by Edward Olson Hulburt, ca. 1944
Box 2 Folder 37-40
General Electric Company, 1945-1952

Includes patent applications for Duntley's inventions.

Box 3 Folder 1
License plate photometry project, 1948
Box 3 Folder 2
Notes on Duntley's Lectures on physiological optics and visibility calculations, 1954
Box 3 Folder 3
Hydrological optics lecture, 1955 May 17
Box 3 Folder 4
"Seeing the Earth satellite" - San Diego State College lecture, 1956 July 18
Box 3 Folder 5
"Seeing is not believing" - Lecture, 1957 November
Box 3 Folder 6
Miscellaneous manuscripts, 1955-1958
Box 3 Folder 7
The science of light and color. "Meet the Scientist" lecture series, San Diego, 1958 May

Sponsored by the Theatre and Arts Foundation of San Diego County.

Box 3 Folder 8
Human vision. "Meet the Scientist" lecture series, San Diego, 1961 March 15
Box 3 Folder 9
Speech drafts and data on underwater photography, 1962
Box 3 Folder 10
Light in the Sea - OSA presentation by S. Q. Duntley, 1967

Paper on Duntley's studies of light in the ocean.

Box 3 Folder 11
Verification of nigrosine dye and silica gel scattering, 1968
Box 3 Folder 12
"Optical methods for detection of water pollution." Speech for Environmental Quality Sensor Workshop (EPA), 1972
Box 3 Folder 13
Maul, George A., S. Q. Duntley and Richard A. Geyer. Ocean Currents, from Shuttle Earth Observations: Role of Man Working Session Reports, 1976 March 15
Box 3 Folder 14
Optical Exploration of the Oceans - Draft for presentation, undated

ORGANIZATIONS

Scope and Content of Series

Series 6) ORGANIZATIONS: Correspondence, reports, and meeting minutes. Arranged chronologically within two subseries: A) International Commission for Optics (ICO), and B) Optical Society of America (OSA).

International Commission for Optics (ICO)

Box 3 Folder 15
Fourth Congress in Cambridge, Massachusetts - Program and summary of proceedings, 1955-1956
Box 3 Folder 16
Fifth Meeting and Conference in Stockholm, Sweden - Correspondence, program, and photos, 1958-1959
Box 3 Folder 17
Constitutions and proposed changes, 1954-1961
Box 3 Folder 18
London and Paris meetings, 1961
Box 3 Folder 19
Multilingual Optical Dictionary, 1953-1961
Box 3 Folder 20
Sixth Congress in Munich, Germany - Correspondence and summary of proceedings, 1961-1962
Box 3 Folder 21
Seventh Congress in Paris, France - Agenda and meeting minutes, 1966
Box 3 Folder 22
Meetings and correspondence, 1954-1966

Optical Society of America (OSA)

Box 3 Folder 23
"Visibility of Distant Objects" - Speech for Rochester Section, 1949-1950
Box 3 Folder 24
Correspondence, 1942-1956
Box 3 Folder 25
Careers in Optics, 1962

A booklet designed to interest and inform students on working in the field of optics.

Box 3 Folder 26
International Commission on Illumination (CIE) Reports, 1956-1963
Box 3 Folder 27
Reports, 1954-1964
Box 3 Folder 28
Committee on Invited Papers, 1958-1964
Box 3 Folder 29
Committee on Teaching and Research in Optics, 1959-1965

Includes letters to Carl Eckart and SIO Director F. Spiess.

Box 3 Folder 30
American Institute of Physics (AIP) - Governing Board correspondence, 1964-1965
Box 3 Folder 31
Specialty groups, 1964-1965
Box 3 Folder 32
Traveling Lecturer Program - Abstract of lectures and correspondence, 1964-1965

Includes Duntley's abstracts for "What on Earth can an Astronaut See?" (a discussion of Duntley's research for NASA Gemini flights V and VII) and "What Can a Fish See?"

Box 3 Folder 33
Book Lists, 1965

Includes an excerpt written by SQD.

Box 3 Folder 34
REPOSA Committee - Correspondence and publicity, 1965
Box 3 Folder 35
By-laws and proposed changes, 1958-1966
Box 3 Folder 36
Optika i Spektroskopiya translation - Correspondence, 1960-1966
Box 3 Folder 37
Needs in Optics Committee - Correspondence and reports, 1962-1966
Box 3 Folder 38
Dr. W.D. Garvey project, 1966
Box 3 Folder 39
Research Newsletter, 1966
Box 3 Folder 40-43
Board of Directors meetings, 1956-1967

Includes meeting minutes, programs, and agendas.

Box 4 Folder 1-6
Board of Directors correspondence, 1957-1967

Includes publicity on SQD winning the OSA presidency in 1965.

Box 4 Folder 7
Miscellaneous committees, 1958-1967
Box 4 Folder 8
Society Objectives and Policy (SOAP) Committee, 1958-1967
Box 4 Folder 9
Local sections, 1960-1967
Box 4 Folder 10
Applied Optics correspondence, 1961-1967
Box 4 Folder 11
Greater New York Section - Correspondence on building an optical center, 1966-1967
Box 4 Folder 12
Frederic E. Ives Medal Committee, 1966-1968

PHOTOGRAPHS

Scope and Content of Series

Series 7) PHOTOGRAPHS: One sleeve of slides documenting a Navy experiment, and two small boxes (housed within the last carton) of glass lantern slides. The slides are unidentified, but have been sorted into groups based on theme and subject matter (instruments and equipment, personnel, Air Force bomber plane, etc.). The images may complement or replicate negatives from the Visibility Laboratory Records (SAC 38) negative archive.

Box 5 Folder 5
Navy experiment slides - Kodachrome, 1948
Box 5 Folder 6
Instruments and scientific equipment - Lantern slides, ca. 1945-1965
Box 5 Folder 7
Diamond Island, NH field station - Lantern slides, ca. 1948-1949
Box 5 Folder 8
Underwater diving - Lantern slides, undated
Box 5 Folder 9
Air Force bomber plane with instrumentation - Lantern slides, 1955
Box 5 Folder 10
Personnel and equipment - Lantern slides, ca. 1945-1965

All unidentified. Subjects may include Florida atmospheric optics experiments, Gemini project, the E.W. Scripps (ship), and other researchers.