MS-1207-Heinlen Hall Collection
MLA Citation
“MS-1207-Heinlen Hall Collection.” Finding Aids. BGSU University Libraries, 7 Feb. 2018, lib.bgsu.edu/finding_aids/items/show/2759. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
Tags
Title | MS-1207-Heinlen Hall Collection |
---|---|
Introduction | MS-1207 Dr. W. Heinlen Hall Collection is comprised of approximately eight linear feet of correspondence and files relevant to Dr. Hall’s years as professor of chemistry at Bowling Green State University. The bulk of records date from 1931-2003. Dr. Hall donated his papers to the Center for Archival Collections in October 1992. A subsequent addition was donated by his son John Hall, August 16, 2016. The processing and finding aid were completed by Eric Honneffer January 2018. |
Biographical Sketch | Dr. W. Heinlen Hall was born June 19, 1910 in Cairo, West Virginia and was a 1928 graduate of McComb High School, McComb, Ohio. In 1932 he received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Muskingum College, New Concord, Ohio and a PhD in chemistry from Ohio State University in 1939. He was a professor of chemistry at Bowling Green State University from 1936 until his retirement in 1976. Dr. Hall served as chair of the department from 1951 to 1971 during a time when the chemistry department modernized and expanded at the close of WW II. In the 1950’s he collaborated with Libbey-Owens-Ford on various research projects and during the summers in the 1960’s and 1970’s oversaw a National Science Foundation Institute which assisted high school science teachers to obtain a Masters degree in chemistry. He served on a variety of university wide committees among them the Committee on Post-War Planning which assisted BGSU in adapting to the challenges of an expanding campus and the needs of veterans returning from World War II service. Dr. Hall had considerable interest in his students’ success and worked closely with them both academically while pursuing their studies and professionally as they built their careers. Many remained in contact with him years after leaving the university. Dr. Hall married Mildred E. Walker and had two sons, John Brown Hall and James Walker Hall. He died in Kutztown, Pennsylvania at the age of 96 on November 22, 2006. |
Scope and Content | The W. Heinlen Hall Collection contains Dr. Hall’s correspondence and files from the years of his employment as a chemistry professor at Bowling Green State University, from approximately 1936 to his retirement in 1976. The documents reveal a detailed researcher, a devoted mentor to fledgling chemists, and a respected colleague within the profession. The Hall correspondence begins in 1931 with a small number of documents (grant related) from his undergraduate student days in chemistry at Muskingum College, his later research, and some congratulatory letters upon his retirement. The majority of the correspondence, however, is from his students and academic colleagues beginning with his employment at BGSU and continuing after he retired in 1976. Since a great deal of the student correspondence is from the World War II period, researchers might find of interest the details of Dr. Hall’s students’ war service as well as how they were creatively applying their chemistry skills learned at BGSU. From the letters one can also discern the strong influence Dr. Hall had on his students and his willingness to help them find jobs in the field. There are some scattered copies of outgoing correspondence from him that reflect this. Letters from colleagues shed some light on changes within the BGSU Chemistry Department over the years as seen from the perspective of mostly retired faculty with whom he taught in the department. The majority of the Hall Collection is devoted to a large number of files relevant to his many activities at BGSU. The Department Files offer a general view of instruction, research, and faculty activities in Chemistry from approximately 1939 until 1996. His Personal Files include credentials, various honors, and recognition upon his retirement. The Class Files document specific courses Dr. Hall was teaching and provide a glimpse into the chemistry curriculum. These can include some of Dr. Hall’s notes and lecture details from the classes. The Special Problems Files are comprised of notebooks in which Dr. Hall describes the kind of research projects the students were completing in the class and the additional work anticipated. These are a nice snapshot from 1945-1966 of the kinds of instruction chemistry students were being given as part of the Special Problems course work. Research files highlight not only Dr. Hall’s scholarship and interests but include some student projects and documents regarding the collaboration between the Chemistry Department and Libbey-Owens-Ford from 1953-1959. The Summer Institute Files include research projects of area high school chemistry teachers pursuing a Masters degree in the field during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Dr. Hall and some students were also doing a survey in the 1940’s on science periodicals available at the BGSU library. Scholars further interested in Dr. Hall’s undergraduate and graduate studies in the 1930’s will find some of this earlier class work and research in his family papers, MS-608 A.B. and Jeanette Hall Collection. The Committee and Civil Defense Files would be an important source of information for researchers interested in changes that occurred at BGSU at the end of World War II and into the approaching Cold War era. It should be noted that some of Dr. Hall’s scientific research was applied in his Civil Defense work and is included in at least one of the collection’s Civil Defense manuals discussing radioactivity. |
Series Description | Correspondence Boxes 1 to 4 1931 to 2002 Arranged chronologically with career and research correspondence Arranged alphabetically by name of sender for the remainder of the correspondence The letters include information about Dr. Hall’s undergraduate and graduate education as well as his active correspondence with former students writing him about their lives and careers after leaving BGSU. There are a few copies of letters sent by Dr. Hall, but the bulk of the content is from the students. There are also letters from mostly former chemistry department colleagues with whom he communicated in retirement. Files Boxes 5 to 20 1939-2003 Arranged by subject The files include such subjects as chemistry department, Dr. Hall -personal, chemistry classes, research, Summer Institute, committees, and Civil Defense. The files can include correspondence, research notes, reports, minutes, agenda, photographs, and the like. Literary Productions Box 14 and Box 20 See also MS-608 A.B. and Jeanette Hall Collection 1935-1951 Documents include a copy of Dr. Hall’s dissertation and various scholarly articles written by him on such topics as heavy water, radioactivity, and chemical separation among others. |
Inventory | Box 1 Correspondence – Career and Research Folder 1 Rhodes Scholarships 1931-1932 2 Ohio State University 1931-1936 3 Ohio State University – fees etc. 1932-1936 4 Other colleges 1932-1934 5 Bowling Green State University 1936 6 Dr. H.L. Johnston (O.S.U.) 1936-1948, nd 7 American Association for the Advancement of Science grant 1940-1948 8 Isotopic Composition Cassitenite 1941-1948 9 Geological Society of America grant 1941-1952 10 Research Corporation grant 1948 11 Congratulations upon Dr. Hall’s Retirement from BGSU 1976-1977 12 Miscellaneous BGSU and Chemistry Department information 1973-1998 13 Miscellaneous letters sent to Dr. Hall 1974-2001 Box 2 Correspondence with colleagues Folder 1 Hans and Edie Anders 1987-1999 2 Arlo and Helen Boggs 1993-1998 3 Sister Marie Cairns 1982-1988 4 Doris Rothenbuhler 1989-2002 5 Joe Weber 1946, 1982-2001, nd 6 Martha Weber 1986-1997 7 Joe and Martha Weber 1986-1996 8 From Dr. Hall to the Webers 1990-1996 Box 3 Correspondence with former students Folder: 1 Mary Ellen Bauman 1938-1944 2 Jean Q. Bellard 1943-1947, nd 3 Phyllis Blosser 1947-1953, nd 4 Warren Brim 1953, nd 5 Charles Cearley 1943-1944 6 Clyde Celark 1942-1944 7 C. Wayne Close 1943-1951, nd 8 Winifred Cole 1946-1951, nd 9 Pauline Curry 1948-1949, nd 10 Charles Drummond 1940-1945 11 Burton Finlay 1943-1951, nd 12 Arthur Gordon 1946-1948 13 Mark Hanna 1943-1944 14 Clarence Hochanadel 1940-1943 15 George John 1941-1952, nd 16 Clifford Jolley 1942-1953, nd 17 Paul H. Lindenmeyer 1943-1951 18 Wade C. McCluggage 1947-1948 19 Earl McFarren 1942-1975 scattered 20 Roland Morris 1944 Box 4 Correspondence with former students and others Folder: 1 William B. Nachtrab 1943-1944 2 John Neptune 1951-1952 3 Joe Nordmann 1952-1998 4 Roger Peatee 1939-1941 5 Preston Pugh Jr. 1951-1952 6 Charles Rankowski 1943-1951 7 James Reid 1943 8 Adelaide Saint 1944-1946 9 Howard Sammetinger 1943 10 William Shumaker 1952 11 J.K. Sherk 1943 12 Jean Sherrard 1947 13 James Synnamon 1942-1944, 1997, 1998 14 G.V. “Glove” Webb 1943-1944, 1990 15 C.E. Welling 1937-1943 16 Harry Young 1942-1944 17 William Zorbach 1947 18 Former students-Misc. 1943-1982, nd 19 Former students -Misc. greeting cards 1973-1976 Box 5 Chemistry Department files Folder: 1 Chemistry Department file 1939-1948 2 Chemistry Department file 1955-1967 3 Faculty evaluations/activities 1944-1967 4 Chemistry Department reports/ Reviews 1967, 1971, 1972 5 Proposal for instructional scientific Equipment 1965-1966 Box 6 Chemistry Department files Folder: 1 Chemistry Department Council – Minutes and correspondence 1971-1972 2 Chemistry Department Council – Minutes and correspondence 1972-1973 3 Student special research awards 1968-1973 4 Chemistry Department information 1976, 1995-1996 5 Chemistry Department news clippings 1941-1978 6 Chemistry Department photos – faculty 1976, nd Box 7 Personal files Folder: 1 Dr. Hall’s credentials 1972-1977 2 Dr. Hall’s retirement dinner 1977 3 Emeritus certificate 1977 4 W. Heinlen Hall Lecture Series 1993-2003 scatt. 5 Misc. chemistry-related printed materials 1947-1951, nd Box 8 Class files Folder: 1 Course planning 1953-1957 2 Course selective sectioning 1958-1959 3 Chemistry 101 and 102 1944-1956 4 Chemistry 103 1959-1964 5 Chemistry 122 1972 6 Chemistry 123 1976 7 Chemistry 201 1972 8 Chemistry 403 nd 9 Chemistry 413 1946-1951 10 Chemistry 413 and 414? 1951-1952 11 Chemistry 413 nd 12 Chemistry 414 1950, 1956 13 Chemistry 414 and Chemical Lit. 310 1950, 1955, 1958 14 Chemistry 414 charts 1904-1953 15 Chemistry 432, 434, 436 1969-1970 Box 9 Class files Folder: 1 Chemistry 310 – Chemical Literature Outline by Dr. Hall 1964 2 Chemistry 310 – Supplemental notes 1949, nd 3 Chemistry 310 – Supplemental notes nd 4 Physical Chemistry notes 1938-1953 scatt. 5 Dr. Hall’s notes Vol. 1 – Experimental studies Of problems arising in courses 1937-1945 6 Dr. Hall’s notes Vol. 2 – Preliminary study of New experiments or new equipment 1945-1951 Box 10 Class files Folder: 1 Special Problems conferences 1945-1946, scat 2 Special Problems conferences 8/3/1948-11/24/1948 3 Special Problems conferences 11/29/1948-5/25/1949 4 Special Problems conferences 5/29/1949-11/11/1949 5 Special Problems conferences 11/15/1949-2/13/1950 6 Special Problems conferences 2/17 1950-4/26/1950 7 Special Problems conferences 4/28/50-11/11/1950 8 Special Problems conferences 11/14/1950-3/5/1951 9 Special Problems conferences 3/5/1951-5/31/1951 10 Special Problems conferences 6/20/51-10/17/1951 11 Special Problems conferences 10/17/1951-12/12/1951 12 Special Problems conferences 12/12/1951-2/27/1952 13 Special Problems conferences 3/3/1952-5/12/1952 14 Special Problems conferences 5/13/1952-2/9/1953 15 Special Problems conferences 2/16/1953-5/27/1953 16 Special Problems conferences Chemical literature conferences 5/27/1953-11/10/1953 Box 11 Class files Folder: 1 Special Problems conferences 11/11/1953-12/9/1953 2 Special Problems conferences 12/9/1953-5/3/1954 3 Special Problems conferences 5/3/1954-5/10/1955 4 Special Problems conferences 5/10/1955-12/5/1955 5 Special Problems conferences 12/5/1955-10/6/1956 6 Special Problems conferences 10/12/1956-5/13/1957 7 Special Problems conferences 11/16/1956-5/29/1957 8 Special Problems conferences Chemical literature conferences 5/27/1957-5/16/1958 9 Special Problems conferences Chemical literature conferences 5/17/1958-2/17/1959 10 Special Problems conferences Chemical literature conferences 3/5/1959-6/1/1959 11 Special Problems conferences Chemical literature conferences 6/2/1959-5/3/1960 12 Chemical literature conferences 6/1/1964-4/21/1965 13 Special Problems conferences 6/1/1965-5/17/1966 14 Chemical literature bibliographies Conferences (Chemistry 310) 5/12/1948-5/21/1949 15 Chemical literature bibliographies Conferences 5/22/1949-5/15/1950 16 Chemical literature bibliographies Conferences 5/15/1950-6/2/1950 17 Chemical literature bibliographies Conferences 5/8/1951-4/23/1952 18 Chemical literature bibliographies Conferences 4/23/1952-5/27/1953 Box 12 Research files Folder: 1 Student research, Special Problems Clarence Hochanadel 1940 2 Student research, Special Problems Donna Stroh 1949 3 Student research, Special Problems Francisco Santacara 1957 4 Student research, upper atmosphere Dr. Lewis E. Miller June 1953 5 Student research, upper atmosphere Dr. Lewis E. Miller September 1953 6 Student research, upper atmosphere Dr. Lewis E. Miller 1953-1954 7 Student research, upper atmosphere Dr. Lewis E. Miller 1954 8 Student research, Cassiterite Mary Jo Boehm 1949 Box 13 Research files – BGSU Chemistry Department and Libbey-Owens-Ford collaboration Folder: 1 Correspondence 1953-1959 2 LOF/BGSU project 1953-1959 3 Project reports Summer 1954 4 Project reports Summer 1955 5 Project reports Summer 1956 6 Project reports Summer 1957 7 Research report: The Light Emitting Characteristics of Electroluminescent Phosphors by Dr. W.H. Hall, Roger T. McBride and Patricia Moore 1954 8 Log book of phosphors used in spectrographic Study 1953-1954 9 Research log book 1953-1955 10 Research log book 1954-1955 11 Laboratory notebook 1957 Box 14 Research files and literary productions Folder: 1 Heavy water research 1938-1941 2 Library survey of science periodicals 1940 3 BGSU library science periodicals 1949 4 Chemistry and physics research materials 1949 5 “Doc” Phillips research “Nature’s Realm” 1986-1987 6 “Doc” Phillips research “Nature’s Realm” 1993 7 Bird sanctuaries (some NW Ohio) 1984-1986 8 Dr. Hall articles 1935-1941 9 Paper presented by Herrick L. Johnston And Dr. Hall on chemical separation 1940 10 Paper presented by Herrick L. Johnston And Dr. Hall on chemical separation, revision 1946 11 Dr. Hall’s dissertation: Influence of Temperature on the Efficiency of the Separation of the Hydrogen Isotopes in Certain Heterogeneous Chemical Reactions 1939, 1941 Box 15 Summer Institute files Folder: 1 Proposals 1966, 1969-1970 2 Final reports 1965-1973 3 Participant packet 1973 4 Seminar papers, Part 1 1966 5 Seminar papers, Part 2 1966 6 Seminar papers 1967 7 Seminar papers 1968 8 Seminar papers 1969 Box 16 Summer Institute files Folder: 1 Seminar papers 1970 2 Seminar papers 1970 3 Seminar papers nd 4 Unidentified photos of banquet nd Box 17 Dr. Hall’s committee files Folder: 1 Committee on Aims and Functions (Curricula) 1939, 1940, 1949 2 Committee on Organization of the University 1942-1950 3 Committee on Organization of the University (Report preparation documents) 1950 4 Committee on Organization of the University (Report part 1, part 2, and appendix) 1950 5 Faculty Advisory Council nd 6 Documents sent to faculty 1943-1950, nd 7 Memos sent to faculty from Dr. Prout 1945-1949 8 General faculty meetings July to December 1952 9 Faculty committees, Faculty Senate 1951-1953 10 University Senate 1948-1950 11 University Senate 1950-1952 12 University Faculty (Senate) – Constitution/Charter 1952 13 Committee on the Functions of the University Senate March 1948 14 Subcommittee on Senate Charter (See also Senate Council 1951-1952) 1952 15 New Charter 1952 16 Presentation of proposed new charter 11/24/1952 17 Senate Council 1949-1952 18 Senate Council 1952 Box 18 Dr. Hall’s committee files Folder: 1 Senate Council January to March 1953 2 Senate Council April to May 1953 3 Presidential search documents 1951, nd 4 Dr. Ralph McDonald 1952-1953 5 Long-Range Academic Planning Committee 1964-1967 6 Committee on the Science-Research Complex 1956 7 Committee on the Science-Research Complex 1963-1965 8 Committee on the Science-Research Complex 1963 9 Committee on Post-War Planning – Minutes 1943 10 Committee on Post-War Planning – Minutes 1943-1944 11 Committee on Post-War Planning – Report 1943-1944 12 Committee on Post-War Planning – Report 1943-1944 13 Committee on Post-War Planning – Final report 4/14/1944 14 Committee on Post-War Planning – Report to BGSU President and Senate 12/4/1944 15 Committee on Post-War Planning – Chemistry Curricula 1943-1947 scatt. 16 Committee on Post-War Planning – Department Reports 1943-1944 17 Committee on Post-War Planning – Printed Materials 1943-1944 Box 19 Dr. Hall’s committee files Folder: 1 Committee on the Promotion of Research 1940-1942 2 Chemistry Department Research 1949-1954 3 BGSU Research and Development Committee 1951-1953 4 Memorandum on Unit A – Science building 1944-May 1949 5 Memorandum on Unit A – Science building June 1949-1950 6 Memorandum on Unit A – Science building Moving old department, includes diagrams and Notes 1947-1950 7 Chemistry Building Dedication Committee 1950-1951 8 Chemistry Building Dedication Committee Guest speaker, E.H. Volwiler 1950-1951 9 Committee for Testing, Clinical, and Counseling Services for Students 1945 10 Rationale of final exams c.1950 11 Committee on Cheating 1945-1948 12 Committee on Curriculum 1947, 1949, nd 13 Gift Committee ( upon retirement of Dr. Prout) 1951 14 Honors Committee 1941, 1948 15 American Chemical Society – Committee on Professional Training – Correspondence 1939-1953 16 American Chemical Society – Committee on Professional Training – BGSU Chemistry Department 1939-1953 17 American Chemical Society – Council Committee on Publications 1954-1957 Box 20 Civil defense files Folder: 1 Monitoring training school - Correspondence 1950-1951 2 Civilian defense correspondence 1950-1952 3 Radiological Defense Institute 1950 4 Dr. Hall’s radioactivity research and Radiological Defense Institute notes 1950-1951 5 Dr. Hall’s radioactivity presentation note cards c. 1950 6 Civil Defense Association members 1955 7 Booklets 1948-1950 8 Booklet - Atomic Energy – Here to Stay 1949 9 Booklets 1951-1952 10 Booklets 1954 11 Booklets 1955-1959 scatt. Nd 12 Booklet – Interim Instructor’s Guide to Radiological Defense for Monitors’ Course nd 13 Booklet – Interim Instructor’s Guide Part 2 nd |