Papers of John E. Tyler, a research physicist for the Visibility Laboratory at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
John E. Tyler Papers, 1935-1980, bulk 1955-1978 (SMC 168)
Extent: 6 Linear feet (6 record cartons)
John Edwards Tyler (1911-1992) was born on November 11, 1911 in Boston, Massachusetts. He studied optics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and completed a thesis in spectrophotometry and colorimetry. Tyler joined the National Research Corporation in 1941, and in 1944 transferred to Research Laboratories of the Interchemical Corporation in New York. Meanwhile, Dr. Seibert Q. Duntley founded the Visibility Laboratory at MIT in 1939. By the late 1940s, Vis Lab began to focus more heavily on ocean optics, and moved to San Diego, California and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1952. Duntley recruited Tyler to the new Vis Lab location, where he served as assistant director during the formative period. Tyler remained at Vis Lab until his retirement in 1973, where he made pioneering contributions to the experimental methodology, instrumentation, and theory of ocean optics. He authored classic reference works on angular distribution of the natural underwater light field and and spectral distribution of light in the ocean.
Tyler served as chair of the International Science Council's Scientific Committee on Ocean Research (SCOR) Working Group 15, a joint project with UNESCO and IAPO on Photosynthetic Radiant Energy.
In San Diego, Tyler became vice president of San Diego Sigma Xi Club as well as president of the San Diego section of the American Chemical Society. He was also a Fellow of Optical Society of America and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Tyler authored over 70 scientific papers and innumerous technical reports.
Papers of John E. Tyler, a research physicist for the Visibility Laboratory (Vis Lab) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Dr. Tyler was central to the Vis Lab's design, development and testing of optical oceanography instruments. The collection includes professional correspondence, a small number of writings and research files, contracts and grants for which Tyler was PI, and patent information. Many more proposals, papers and technical reports authored by Tyler may be found in the Visibility Laboratory Records (SAC 38). The collection also includes approximately one box of materials related to Tyler's chairmanship of the SCOR Working Group 15, a joint project with UNESCO and IAPO on Photosynthetic Radiant Energy. SCOR materials include correspondence and memoranda exchanged with contributors and colleagues, drafts of the WG 15 report, and notes and planning materials for the USC & GSS Discoverer Expedition.
Arranged in seven series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL AND PATENTS, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) WRITINGS AND RESEARCH, 4) PROJECTS, PROPOSALS AND CONTRACTS, 5) SCOR WORKING GROUP 15, 6) MEETINGS AND EVENTS, and 7) LECTURES AND TEACHING.