Scope and arrangement
The Chester F. Carlson Papers contain the papers of Chester F. Carlson (1906-1968), attorney and inventor of xerography.
The papers, by bulk, concern technical and scientific subjects and to a lesser extent family and outside interests. The main series are general correspondence, 1912-1969, technical correspondence, 1938-1963, contribution file, technical papers and subject papers.
The Chester F. Carlson papers are arranged in thirty series:
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General Correspondence consists of incoming letters to Carlson from scientists, colleagues and individuals involved in Zen meditation, parapsychology and similar beliefs.
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Family Correspondence contains the papers of Dorie Carlson (Mrs. Chester F. Carlson), 1945-1975; Hawkins family, 1898-1968 and Roy Carlson, 1941-1972.
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Technical Correspondence concerns Carlson's business relationship with the Battelle, Haloid and Xerox corporations. The other technical correspondence is with his associate Otto Kornei, 1934-1967 and also with the Design for Learning Project, 1966-1968.
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Contribution Files are the organizations that solicited Carlson's funds and also those groups to which he may have contributed. The files contain letters for solicitations with the accompanying literature and Carlson's response. The correspondents include: African National Congress, American Cancer Society Inc., American Civil Liberties Union, Business Executive Move for Vietnam Peace, California Institute of Technology, Care Inc., Epilepsy Foundation, Harlem Education Program, International League for the Rights of Man, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACP, National Sharecropper Fund, Planned Parenthood Federation, Ramakrishna-Vivananda Center, Margaret Sanger Research Bureau and Zen Meditation Center.
Index to Contribution Files
- A
- Academy of Applied Sciences, 1963-1966
- African National Congress, 1968
- Al. Sigl Center for Rehabilitation, 1967
- Alfred Adler Institute, 1965-1968
- Allied Forces, Inc. 1953-1966
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1968
- American Cancer Society, Inc., 1967
- American Civil Liberties Union, 1964-1968
- American Committee on Africa, 1966-1968
- Americans for Democratic Action, 1961-1968
- American Documentary Films, Inc, 1968
- American Foundation for the Blind, 1960-1964
- American Freedom of Residence Fund, 1962
- American Friends Service Committee, 1964-1968
- American Institute of Physics, 1966-1968
- Americans for Constitutional Authority, 1968
- Amnesty International of the U. S. A., 1966-1968
- Ananda Ashrama, 1968
- Antioch College, 1968
- Arthritis Foundation, 1966-1967
- Association for Voluntary Sterilization, Inc., 1965-1968
- B
- Baden Street Settlement, Inc. 1964-1968
- Bank Street College of Education, 1965-1970
- Berea College, 1959-1968
- Berkshire Farm for Boys, 1960-1967
- Business Executive Move for Vietnam Peace, 1967-1968
- C
- California Institute Research Foundation, 1966-1968
- California Institute of Technology, 1953-191966
- Care, Inc., 1964-1968
- Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, 1965-1968
- Center for the Study of Research and Education in American Liberties, 1963-1966
- Chapel House, Colgate University
- Choi, Bishop John A., 1965-1969
- City College of the City of New York, 1965-1968
- Clear Water Ranch Children's House, Inc., 1962-1968
- Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic, 1962-1969
- Committee on Free Elections in the Dominican Republic, 1966
- Committee for Intercultural Education, Inc., 1968
- Committee for Nonviolent Action, 1964-1966
- Community Chest, 1960-1969
- Community Cooperative Center Research and Development Corp., 1967-1968
- Congress of Racial Equality, 1960-1967
- Council for A Livable World, 1963-1968
- Crippled Children's Society of Monroe County, 1965-1967
- D
- Delson, Max, 1964-1968
- Docley, Thomas A. Foundation, Inc., 1965
- E
- Educational Products Information Exchange, 1968
- Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial Foundation, 1965-1966
- Epilepsy Foundation, 1965
- Evangelical Free Church of America, 1963
- Evers for Congress, 1968
- F
- Farmer, James campaign fund, 1968
- Federation of Churches and Council of Church Women, 1960
- Fellowship of Reconciliation, 1960-1968
- Florida Presbyterian College, 1967
- Foundation for Integrative Education, Inc., 1965-1969
- Free Southern Theatre, Inc., 1968
- G
- Genesee Hospital, 1966-1968
- Gould Farms, 1960
- Greco, Frank, 1955
- Greuning, Ernest campaign fund, 1966-1967
- H
- Hampton Centennial Fund, 1964-1969
- Harlem Education Program, Inc., 1964
- Health Association of Rochester and Monroe County, 1967
- Highlander Folk School, 1960-1968
- Hiroshima House Foundation, 1964-1967
- Hong Kong Hospital, 1964
- Human Betterment Association for Voluntary Sterilization, Inc, 1963
- Human Dimensions Institute, Inc., 1968-1969
- Humane Society of the United States, 1967-1968
- Humanist, 1968
- I
- International League for the Rights of Man, 1966-1968
- International Rescue Committee, Inc., 1965-1967
- J
- Jung Foundation for Analytical Psychology, 1967-1968
- K
- King & King, 1967-1968
- L
- Langer, Nicholas, 1950-1968
- Lauks, Irving F., 1967-1968
- Law Center for Constitutional Rights, 1967
- Lawyers Constitutional Defense Committee, 1967-1968
- Layman's Movement, 1959-1968
- Leukemia Society, 1965
- M
- McCarthy for President, 1967-1968
- McConnell, Robert A., 1965-1968
- Magner, Ken and Jeanadele, 1966-1968
- Maimonides Hospital, 1965-1968
- MANAS, 1967
- Manhattan College Pacem in Terris Institute, 1967-1968
- Marian Davis Scholarship Fund, 1966
- Meals for Millions, 1965-1968
- Meharry Medical College, 1968
- The Minority of One. 1967
- Morgan, Arthur E., 1963-1968
- Mount Hollywood Congregational Church, 1968
- Musso, J. Ricardo, 1965
- N
- Nash, Carroll B., 1965-1968
- National Arts and Recreation Center Ithaca, N. Y.
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1965-1967
- National Businessmen's Council, 1965-1968
- National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing, 1967-1968
- National Committee for a Political Settlement in Vietnam, 1967-1968
- National Committee for an Effective Congress, 1966-1967
- National Sharecroppers Fund, Inc., 1961-1967
- National Wildlife Federation Endowment
- New York Civil Liberties Union, 1959-1968
- New York Public Library, 1965-1968
- New York University Medical Center, 1965-1967
- Norman Thomas 80th Birthday Committee, 1964.
- Norman Thomas Endowment New School for Social Research, 1968
- O
- Operation Freedom, 1968
- P
- Patent Trademark and Copywright Foundation, 1961-1968
- Pearl Buck Center for the Retarded, 1968
- Peninsula Association for Retarded Children, Inc., 1965-1968
- Petal Paper, 1965-1967
- Piney Woods School, 1955-1968
- Planned Parenthood Federation, 1964-1968
- Population Crisis Committee, 1965-1967
- Population Reference Bureau. Inc., 1963-1968
- R
- Radical Education Project, 1967
- Ramakrishna Sarada Mission, 1964-1968
- Ramakrishna-Vivananda Center, 1965-1968
- Ramparts. 1966
- Rangel, Rogelio, 1966-1967
- Recordings for the Blind, Inc., 1965-1969
- Red Cross, 1968
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1963-1968
- Retina Foundation, 1965-1966
- Rochester Area Educational Television Association, Inc., 1965-1968
- Rochester Association for the United Nations, 1961-1968
- Rochester Chamber of Commerce, 1958-1967
- Rochester Civic Music Association, Inc., 1964-1968
- Rochester International Friendship Council, Inc., 1964-1968
- Rochester Institute of Technology, 1963-1966
- Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences, 1964-1967
- Rochester Museum Association, 1966-1967
- Rochester Performing Arts Foundation, 1967
- Rochester Public Library, 1969
- Rosary Hill College, 1967-1968
- Rural Advancement Fund, 1965-1968
- S
- Salem College, 1965-1968
- Sane, 1962-1968
- Sanger, Margaret Research Bureau, 1967-1968
- Schmeidler, Gertrude, 1964-1968
- Scholarship, Education and Defense Fund for Racial Equality, Inc., 1965-1968
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference, 1965-1968
- South Conference Educational Fund, Inc., 1964-1968
- Southwest Georgia Association for Convalescent and Aging Persons, 1967-1968
- St. John's Home for the Aged, 1960
- St. Labre Indian School, 1966-1967
- Stamler, Jeremiah, M. D., Legal Aid Fund, 1966-1967
- Stevenson, Iam, 1968
- Stone, Clement, 1965-1966
- Stone-Brandel Center, 1966
- T
- Temple of Understanding, Inc., 1962
- Temple University, 1966-1968
- Tibet, 1966-1969
- U
- United Nations Association, 1967-1968
- United Nations School, 1967
- United Negro College Fund, 1960-1968
- United World Federalists, 1967
- University of Rochester Summer Theatre, 1969-1970
- V
- Vedanta Societies, 1967-1968
- Vidyatmananda, Swami
- Virginia, University of, 1965-1969
- Volunteers for International Technical Assistance, 1965-1966
- Voters for Peace, 1966-1967
- W
- Wansley Defense Fund, 1964
- Wilderness Society, 1965-1967
- Wilton Park, 1966-1969
- World Peace Study Mission, 1965-1968
- World Wildlife Fund, 1963-1964.
- Z
- Zen Meditation Center, 1966-1967
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Technical Papers consist of technical papers, notebooks and the patent file. The technical papers, A-Z, alphabetically arranged by author and title, concern the development of physics between 1935-1960s. The Laboratory Notebooks were kept by Carlson during the development of xerography. The notebooks are arranged in two series. Series A. 1921-1963 and Series Ep. 1938-1961. The remaining notebooks relate to general laboratory work, 1951-1956, patent department, 1950-1951, the notebook of Carlson's assistant Otto Kornei, 1938 and a notebook titled "Air Dynamics Thermo Kinetic Separator Vertical Levitator". The Battelle Memorial Institute produced the "Electrophotography Progress Report 1944-1947" (2 vols.).
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Subject Papers are basically non-scientific subjects concerned with Carlson's outside interests; for example, the Center for the Study for Democratic Institutions and the American Society for Psychical Research.