Series 9

Engineering and Industrial Experiment Station.
     Records,  1919; 1924-1964 (bulk 1941-1964)
     30.2 linear ft. (73 boxes)

     The series is divided into two subseries, 9a (1919-1958) and 9b (1958-1964).  Subseries 9a is divided into two sections.  The first is a alphabetically arranged subject file.  The second is a genre file containing speeches, reports, project proposals, minutes, manuscripts to articles, budgets, and other records types.  Subseries 9b consists of a single alphabetical subject.
     Series 9 contains records of several directors, associate directors, and assistant directors of the Engineering and Industrial Experiment Station.  The predecessor of EIES was the Engineering Experiment Station created, but not funded, by the Florida Board of Control in 1929.  The Dean of the College of Engineering served as the Director of the Engineering Experiment Station and some early records of the station are included in the series.  When the state legislature created EIES in 1941, Dean Joseph Weil was appointed its first director.  He served as the director until 1949, when Ralph Alexander Morgen became the Station head.  (Morgen was listed as Assistant Director prior to then.)   Upon his departure in July, 1952, the directorship reverted to the Dean of the College of Engineering.  Since then, the overall responsibility for the development and guidance of EIES has been delegated to the College's Associate Dean for Research.
     This series contains records of Deans Benton, Van Leer, and Weil related to the Engineering Experiment Station and EIES up to 1949.  (Other records related to EIES are found in Series 19, Administrative policy records of the Dean of the College of Engineering.)  It also includes the records of Director Morgen (1949-1952), as well as his records as Assistant Director prior to 1949, and Assistant Directors David Barry Smith (1949-1954) and Robert Marion Forsman (1955-1964).  Much of the series pertains to research projects funded by defense agencies.  However, there are records related to Florida's industrial development including material on the Florida State Improvement Commission and the Florida Nuclear Development Commission.  A file entitled Historical Materials contains significant documents related to the development of EIES and the University's nuclear energy program.
 
 

University of Florida Archives