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Dr. Lewis V. Judson, 1820-1968 Finding Aid
Processing Information | Series Descriptions | Container List
Collection #004
Accession NIST-A-0008
Processed December 2023
Repository: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Research Library & Museum | 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899 | Building 101, Room A47
Creator: Dr. Lewis V. Judson; NBS
Extent: 6.9 LF / 2.10 meters
Dates: 1820-1968, UNDATED
Scope: Correspondence, reports, articles, papers, computations, reference materials, photographs
Language: English, French, German, Swedish
Provenance: Dr. Lewis V. Judson
Access Restrictions: None
Processing Information: Tyler Love, 2023. Includes oversize flat box.
Related Material: Employee Biographical Files Collection #001
Organization:
Series I: Historic Papers
Series II: Professional Papers
Subseries I: Reference Materials
Subseries II: Papers, Articles and Talks by LVJ
Subseries III: Correspondence
Subseries IV: Photographs
Subseries V: Misc.
Arrangement: Chronological order within each series, often original folder titles/file units
Finding Aid: File Unit Level
History
Dr. Lewis V. Judson was born in Plainville, CT in 1893 and earned his BA (1916) & MA (1917) in Physics at Clark University.
Dr. Lewis V. Judson spent his entire professional career at NBS in length measurements. He began his 45-year career at the Bureau as a lab assistant calibrating gage blocks and military scales in 1917. He was promoted the next year and went on to supervise the calibration of many precision instruments as the first Chief of the Length Section of the Optics and Metrology Division. While working at NBS, he attended classes at Johns Hopkins to earn his doctorate in Physics in 1925.
Dr. Judson was awarded the Dept of Commerce Silver Medal for Meritorious Service in 1956.
In 1959 he was transferred to the Office of Weights and Measures in order to relieve him of administrative duties and permit him to research and prepare publications. He became an acknowledged world-wide expert in the field of Weights and Measures and advised on editions of Webster’s and Random House dictionaries in Weights and Measures terminology. He wrote 60+ articles and was a specialist in the historical and foreign aspects of metrology.
Dr. Judson was also a custodian of “The Vault.” It is possible that only 4 people were allowed access to The Vault and only 2 could get past all the security doors including Dr. Judson. The Vault was not considered to be a museum display but rather a place to keep NBS’ historic meter comparators. However the Vault was also fitted with a glass door and Dr. Judson wrote a pamphlet to be given out to visitors to the Vault.
The years of Dr. Judson’s custodianship of the Vault are unclear. It is also unclear if his custodianship included the archival aspects of being responsible for the meter comparators. In this collection there is 1 LF of documents that are from before Dr. Judson’s time; it includes much material from the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey that relate to the items that were kept in the Vault. The material is highly valuable in tracing the development and provenance of these items.
Dr. Judson died in Cumberland Center ME in 1973.
Series Descriptions
Series I: Historic Papers
Accession: NIST-A-0008
Dates: 1820-1956, Undated
Extent: 1 LF / .3 meter
Scope: Papers, correspondence, reference materials, photographs
Description: This material is considered of high historic value and so has been broken into its own series.
A lot of this material is 1) reference and 2) not NBS produced but possibly rare/unpublished and at times marked as valuable by W. Weinstein (see inventory prepared by WW in accession folder.) Contains mostly non-LVJ stuff.
Includes fragile material from USC&CS and T.C. Mendenhall. Also contains later correspondence when LVJ took up a topic that was still being debated through the years.
Judson possibly was made “curator” of these historic papers given his custodianship of the Vault. He also might have been given them as reference when he was assigned to focus on writing primarily.
The photographs are a mix of NBS #’d photos and prints from other sources.
Organization/Arrangement: Chronological
Series II: Professional Papers
Accession: NIST-A-0008
Dates: 1889-1968
Extent: 5.9 LF / 1.79 meters
Scope: Correspondence, memorandum, papers, talks, reference materials, and photographs
Description: There is much overlap in this collection. That includes between series, subseries, even file units. See detailed finding aid for more info in the “note” section for each file unit.
The reference papers here are booklets, pamphlets, papers, and info by other people. It also includes computations made mostly by LVJ.
Correspondence details LVJ’s relationship with providing definitions and articles to encyclopedias and dictionaries. Correspondence sometimes was started by HW Bearce, or Lyman Briggs, and then continued by LVJ.
Many of the photographs are reference photos for of equipment and places.
Organization/Arrangement: Organized into 5 subseries.
Container List
Series I: Historic Papers, 1820-1956, UNDATED
Box | Folder | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 001 | Copies of Indentured Witnessing of Receipt of Weights | 1820, 1837 |
1 | 002 | Thermometry Paper - "Anmarkningar Angaende Thermometrais Forfardigande Och Bruch" | 1822 |
1 | 003 | Treasury Department Copy of Letter re: The Construction of Standards | 1842 |
1 | 004 | Ferdinand R. Hassler form letter to State of Missisippi re: Standard Half Bushel w/ Annotations | 1843 |
1 | 005 | John Locke's Donation of Brass Yard Bars to NBS | 1846, 1937-1949 |
1 | 006 | Certificate Forms Used by the Office of Weights and Measures | 1860s |
1 | 007 | History of Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) aka International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Folder 1 of 2) | 1875, 1901-1962 |
1 | 008 | History of Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) aka International Bureau of Weights and Measures (Folder 2 of 2) | 1875, 1901-1962 |
1 | 009 | History and Relationship between Yard and Meter | 1879-1959 |
1 | 010 | Description of Appartus Used in the Weights and Measures Office by J.E. Hilgard, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Superintendent | 1870s? |
1 | 011 | Construction and Verification of Steel End Meters by J.E. Hilgard, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Superintendent | 1870s? |
1 | 012 | Examination of Micrometer Screws of Optical Beam Compass Comparator by J.E. Hilgard, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Superintendent | 1870s? |
1 | 013 | Determination of Length of Berlin Brass Meter No.49 by Comparison w/ Meter Stops of the Dividing Machine by J.E. Hilgard, United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Superintendent | c.1880? |
1 | 014 | Copy of Dec. 22, 1887 Certificate Relating to Comparison of the Kilogram brought to the BIPM by Dr. Thomas Craig of Johns Hopkins for Verification in July 1884 | c. 1887 |
1 | 015 | Correspondence of United States Coast and Geodetic Survey / T.C. Mendenhall re: Definitions of US Units Especially Relation of Meter + Yard and Kilogram to Pound | 1887-1901, 1952 |
Box 2 | 001 | Correspondence of United States Coast and Geodetic Survey re: Foreign Units of Weights and Measures | 1889, 1892 (1887-1932) |
2 | 002 | United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, Office of Standard Weights and Measures Tables for Converting Customary and Metric Weights and Measures | 1890 |
2 | 003 | U.S. Gallon and Bushel - United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Correspondence | 1892-1901 |
2 | 004 | Steel Tapes - United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Correspondence and Sample Reports | 1892-1901 |
2 | 005 | Hydrometry | 1892-1945 |
2 | 006 | T.C. Mendenhall Order [United States Coast and Geodetic Survey] on Fundamental Units of Measure | 1893 |
2 | 007 | Micrometer Microscopes and Micrometer Screws: Reports, Memos, Notes, Reference and Drawings on Standards, Calibration, Error, etc. | 1893-1950 |
2 | 008 | Correspondence of United States Coast and Geodetic Survey re: The Carat; Errors in Weighing at Denver, CO | 1894, 1895 |
2 | 009 | Correspondence of United States Coast and Geodetic Survey re: Derivation of the Kilogram and Other Info | 1894, 1925, 1937 |
2 | 010 | Correspondence of United States Coast and Geodetic Survey re: Support of Length Standards | 1895, UNDATED (1929) |
2 | 011 | United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Conversion Tables | 1900 |
2 | 012 | Carl Zeiss Drawing of Micrometer Microscope | 1905 |
2 | 013 | Calibration Data | 1920-1953 |
2 | 014 | "The Yard and the Meter" | 1921-1960, UNDATED |
2 | 015 | Length Source Files: Meter No. 27, No. 21, and Prototypes | 1923-1960 |
2 | 016 | "The Effect of Concentrated Loads on the Length of Measuring Tapes" Draft MMS by LVK and C. Snow w/ Notes and Correspondence | 1925-1932 |
2 | 017 | United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Bibliography | 1948, 1956, UNDATED |
2 | 018 | Copies of British Weights and Measures Acts of 1824, 1855 and 1878 | UNDATED |
2 | 019 | "A New Determination of the Relation between the Yard and the Meter" (Never Published) | UNDATED |
2 | 020 | Weights and Measures History | UNDATED |
Box 3 | 001 | History of U.S. Standards of Weights and Measures | UNDATED |
3 | 002 | Length Standards (Historical) | UNDATED |
3 | 003 | An Interferential Method for Correcting Levels | UNDATED |
Return to Series I Description.
Series II: Professional Papers, 1889-1968, UNDATED
Subseries I: Reference Papers, 1889-1961
Box | Folder | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
Box 3 | 004 | Sampling of Material LVJ used for Reference | 1889-1961 |
3 | 005 | Weights and Measures Tables and Similar Reference Materials | 1901-1961 |
3 | 006 | Foreign Tape Testing Laboratories - Publications and Photos | 1903-1931 |
3 | 007 | Booklet: "Files Geodesiques En Invar" by J.-Rene Benoit and Ch.-Ed. Guillaume | 1911 |
3 | 008 | Meter Comparators | 1913-1928 |
3 | 009 | Simplified Method of Guillaume, Dziolek, Le(?,) and Perard (Computations) | 1921, UNDATED |
3 | 010 | Tape Testing Labs (Descriptive Material) | 1925-1935 |
Box 4 | 001 | Bureau of Standards Committee on Definitions and Usage of Terms | 1927-1935 |
4 | 002 | US Inch and Yard | 1927-1968 |
4 | 003 | The Units and Standards of Measurement Employed at the National Physical Laboratory. Secondary and Derived Standards | 1930 |
4 | 004 | Circular Dividing Engines - Bibliography, Papers, Notes and Photographs of Equipment (Folder 1 of 2) | 1930, 1961, UNDATED |
4 | 005 | Circular Dividing Engines - Bibliography, Papers, Notes and Photographs of Equipment (Folder 2 of 2) | 1930, 1961, UNDATED |
4 | 006 | Definition of "Gallon" | 1931? (1953) |
4 | 007 | Kilogram Definition | 1937 |
4 | 008 | Letter Circulars | 1942, 1949 |
4 | 009 | American Petroleum Institute Research Project 44 on the Collection, Analysis, and Calculation of Data on the Properties of Hydrocarbons | 1945 |
4 | 010 | A Sampling of LVJ's References on Foreign Weights and Measures | (1885-1939) 1945-1947, UNDATED |
4 | 011 | "Calibration of State Standards" by Wilmer Souder, Chief, Metrology Division, NBS | 1947 |
4 | 012 | Notes to Supplement Resistance Thermometer Certificates by National Bureau of Standards | 1949 |
4 | 013 | Reference Material on Statistical Controls and Tables | 1950-1956 |
4 | 014 | Units Standards - Notes | 1961 |
4 | 015 | Geodetic Comparators for Tapes, Wires and Bars - Source Material | (1875-1937) |
4 | 016 | Conversion Tables (Computation Sheets) | UNDATED |
4 | 017 | Thermal Equilibrium - Notes and Computations | UNDATED |
Box 5 | 001 | Ancient Units of Measure - Rome, Greece and Hebrew | UNDATED |
5 | 002 | Comparison of Canadian and U.S. Length Standards (Computations) | UNDATED |
5 | 003 | Application of Elasticity to Metrology (Computations) | UNDATED |
Return to Series II Description.
Subseries II: Papers, Articles, & Talks by LVJ, 1909-1968
Box | Folder | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
Box 5 | 004 | "Illumination of Line Standards" by LVJ and B.L. Page | 1909, 1921 |
5 | 005 | Papers by LVJ re: Sieves. "Sieves and Screens" & "A Study of Sieve Specifications" | 1916-1927 (1922-1940) |
5 | 006 | Reports and Correspondence re: Precision Gages and Blocks | 1920-1930 |
5 | 007 | Fairfax County Yard of 1744 Testing @ NBS | 1922 |
5 | 008 | Notes on European Trip 1922-1923 | 1922-1923 |
5 | 009 | Special Weights & Measures Reports by L.V. Judson | 1922-1924 |
5 | 010 | Haemacytometers | 1925-1961 |
5 | 011 | "Calibration of Line Standards of Length" MMS by LVJ | 1927, UNDATED |
5 | 012 | "A Rapid Method of Determining Probable Errors" Paper by LVJ w/ Notes and Correspondence | 1934 |
5 | 013 | Encyclopaedia Britannica Article - "Measures and Weights" by L.V. Judson | 1943-1963 |
5 | 014 | "Circular Dividing Engines and Circle Testing" and Bibliography by LVJ | 1944, UNDATED (1930-1953) |
5 | 015 | Correspondence and Report on Grating-Ruling Machine | 1945, UNDATED |
Box 6 | 001 | Talks on Weights & Measures | 1947-1960 |
6 | 002 | NBS Monthly Activity Reports Sections by L.V. Judson | 1948-1949 |
6 | 003 | Encyclopedia Americana Article by LVJ - "Weights and Measures" | 1948-1962 |
6 | 004 | NBS Circular 570 - "Units and Systems of Weights and Measures. Their Origin, Development and Present Status" | 1955-1956 |
6 | 005 | "Calibration of Line Standards of Length and Measuring Tapes @ NBS" | 1956-1961 |
6 | 006 | Presentation of "Our Units of Weights & Measures" to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Chicago, Dec 1959 | 1959-1960 |
6 | 007 | "Can You Measure it?" | 1960 |
6 | 008 | Report on Weights and Measures Office for Central America at Central American Research Institute for Industry (ICAITI - Guatemala) | 1960-1962 |
6 | 009 | "American Standard A Factor in International Work" Magazine Article by LVJ | 1960-1964 |
6 | 010 | Encyclopaedia Britannica Article by LVJ - "Weights and Measures, Ancient" | 1966 |
6 | 011 | Encyclopaedia Britannica Article by LVJ - "Weights and Measures" | 1967-1968 |
6 | 012 | The Development of the Tape Calibration Laboratory of the National Bureau of Standards DRAFTS | UNDATED |
6 | 013 | Reports on Historic Measures | UNDATED |
6 | 014 | "Can You Measure It?" and "Length Comparators" by LVJ | UNDATED (1913, 1926) |
6 | 015 | Sources of Error in Comparing Length Standards | UNDATED |
6 | 016 | "Precision Tape and Wire Comparators" Manuscript by LVJ | UNDATED |
Return to Series II Description.
Subseries III: Correspondence, 1913-1966
Box | Folder | Title | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Box 7 | 001 | U.S. Gallon and Bushel - Correspondence and Notes | 1913-1938, UNDATED | |
7 | 002 | Correspondence re: Catheter Sizes | 1915-1963 | |
7 | 003 | Correspondence re: Engraving, Etching, Graduating | 1917-1918, UNDATED | |
7 | 004 | Correspondence & Memorandum: Yard and Meter Relationship | 1919-1962 | |
7 | 005 | Correspondence w/ Mark's Mechanical Engineer's Handbook by H.W. Bearce, Lionel Marks, LVJ and Theodore Baumeister (Folder 1 of 2) | 1921-1966 | |
7 | 006 | Correspondence w/ Mark's Mechanical Engineer's Handbook by H.W. Bearce, Lionel Marks, LVJ and Theodore Baumeister (Folder 2 of 2) | 1921-1966 | |
7 | 007 | Correspondence re: Zeiss Comparators | 1922 (1911, 1925) | |
7 | 008 | Correspondence between L.V. Judson and H.W. Bearce | Jan 1922 - April 1923 | |
7 | 009 | Correspondence and Reports re: Wavelength as Standard (Folder 1 of 2) | 1922-1960 | |
Box 8 | 001 | Correspondence and Reports re: Wavelength as Standard (Folder 2 of 2) | 1922-1960 | |
8 | 002 | Correspondence w/ the Public | 1922-1962 | |
8 | 003 | Correspondence: General | 1922-1966 | |
8 | 004 | Correspondence w/ J.E. Sears (National Physical Laboratory) re: U.S. and British Yard | 1923-1932 | |
8 | 005 | Correspondence: Meter No. 27 - Measurement and Comparisons | 1923-1936 | |
8 | 006 | Memos re: Geodectic Tape Comparator | 1926, 1936 | |
8 | 007 | Correspondence: Webster's New International Dictionary / G. & C. Merriam Co. | 1926-1959 | |
8 | 008 | Correspondence re: Canadian Length Standards | 1927-1928 | |
8 | 009 | Correspondence w/ Societe Genevoise d Instruments de Physique re: Geodectic Comparators | 1928 (1911) | |
8 | 010 | Correspondence and Notes re: Calibration | 1928-1929 | |
8 | 011 | Canadian Correspondence | ca. 1928-1951 | |
8 | 012 | Correspondence re: Tape Testing | 1929-1954 | |
Box 9 | 001 | Correspondence: Variations of British Yard | 1929-1936 | |
9 | 002 | Correspondence re: Museum Materials | 1929-1960 | |
9 | 003 | Correspondence: Formal Proposal Adoption of 25.4 Millimeter Inch | 1939 | |
9 | 004 | Correspondence with Foreign Weights and Measures Departments re: Lab Equipment Lists | 1939, 1946 | |
9 | 005 | Correspondence re: Corrections, Errors (Definitions) | 1940 | |
9 | 006 | Correspondence re: Mauran Decimal System | 1941-1948 | |
9 | 007 | Correspondence w/ J.H. Perry (Chemical Engineers' Handbook) re: Conversion Tables | 1946-1953 | |
9 | 008 | Correspondence re: Lovar Tapes | 1946-1955 | |
9 | 009 | G&C Merriam Company Correspondence and Supporting Materials re: Length of a Nautical Mile | (1882, 1929) 1947, 1951 | |
9 | 010 | Correspondence re: Cathetometers | 1948 (1896) | |
9 | 011 | Correspondence re: Fused Quartz Flats and Other Items involving Chauncey G. Peters | 1949-1950 (1935) | |
9 | 012 | Correspondence within NBS re: Liter Definition | 1950 | |
9 | 013 | Correspondence re: Diamond Purchase for Equipment | 1950 (1945-1954) | |
9 | 014 | Correspondence: AGA Geodimeter, Type Bergstrand | 1950-1951 | |
9 | 015 | Correspondence re: Prototype Meters [Accession Material] | 1950-1957 | |
9 | 016 | Correspondence re: The Children's Encyclopedia - Article on Weights and Measures | 1956-1957 | |
9 | 017 | Correspondence: Article on Metric System for the Colorado Engineers' Bulletin | 1956-1957 | |
9 | 018 | Correspondence re: The Proposed International Pound | 1958 | |
9 | 019 | Correspondence re: British Imperial Gallon | 1959-1965 | |
9 | 020 | Correspondence and Memos re: Proposed Administrative Bulletin on Certificates and Reports of Calibrations (Wording of Certificates) | 1959-1960 | |
9 | 021 | Correspondence re: Saint Michel, Patron Saint of Metrologists | 1961 | |
9 | 022 | Memo: Inter-American Weights and Measures Program | 1961-1962 | |
9 | 023 | Correspondence re: Sieves Standards and Foreign Countries | 1961-1963 | |
9 | 024 | Correspondence re: Joseph Saxton, USC&GS Employee | 1966 (1856, 1873) | |
Return to Series II Description.
Subseries IV: Photographs, c. 1900-1959, UNDATED
Box | Folder | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
Box 9 | 025 | Photographs: Weights, Measures, Equipment, Comparators, Labs, etc. | c.1900-1956 |
Box 10 | 001 | Photographs: People w/ Equipment, The Vault | 1914-1958 |
10 | 002 | Photographs - Circular Dividing Engines | c. 1928-1961 |
10 | 003 | Photos and Specs: SIP Transverse Comparators | 1947, 1953 |
10 | 004 | Photo: Gage Block Symposium, NBS, Aug. 11-12, 1955 | 1955 |
10 | 005 | Photo: Alaska State Standards w/ Dr. Astin | March 4, 1959 |
10 | 006 | Korean Weights and Measures | UNDATED |
10 | 007 | Tape Laboratories - NBS/MTL Photo Collections | UNDATED |
10 | 008 | Photographs: Length Standards - Graduation Lines | UNDATED |
10 | 009 | Photographs: Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM, aka International Bureau of Weights and Measures) and BIPM Lab; Reichsanstalt; The Technical High School @ Charlottenburg | UNDATED |
10 | 010 | Photo Set of Equipment | UNDATED |
10 | 011 | Photographs: MISC | UNDATED |
Return to Series II Description.
Subseries V: Misc., 1907-1962
Box | Folder | Title | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
Box 10 | 012 | Inventories, Old Division II | 1907-1921 |
10 | 013 | Elements of Statistical Inference, NBS Course 1946-1947 | 1926-1947 |
Box 11 | 001 | The Standards Vault - Preservation and Histories of Physical Standards | 1945-1960 (1889, 1890) |
11 | 002 | Course in Calibration of Standards of Length, Mass and Capacity - Weights and Measures School | 1948 |
11 | 003 | First and Second Training Courses for Instructors of Weights and Measures | 1948 |
11 | 004 | Donation of "Grave" Weights (Kilogram) | 1951-1961 |
11 | 005 | NBS Museum Committee | 1958-1963 |
11 | 006 | NBS Technical Training Course for Instructors in Weights and Measures Supervision and Related Materials | 1959-1962 |
Return to Series II Description.
Box 12 is for oversized materials.