MS 8255
Papers of George Henry Briggs (1897-1987)
Scope and Content Note
Creator: George Henry Briggs
Title: Papers
Date range: 1924-83
Reference number: MS 8255
Extent: 14 cm (1 box)
Administrative Information
Access: Available for reference
Provenance: The collection was donated to the Library by Dr Barbara
Briggs, via the Australian Science Archives Project, in April 1991.
The collection comprises personal and business correspondence and
photographs. They include copies of letters sent by William Briggs (father) to
his father in England (1868-77), correspondence relating to the National
Standards Laboratory CSIR (1938-39), correspondence pertaining to Briggs
work for the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission (1946-47), and
correspondence concerning his retirement dinner (1958).
Arrangement: The papers were described and arranged by officers of the
Australian Science Archives Project.
Biographical note
1893 Born 23rd March in Concord, Sydney, N.S.W. Fort Street
Boys High School (Secondary education)
1916 University of Sydney (B.Sc.)
1918 1927 University of Sydney (Demonstrator and Lecturer in
Physics) Married Edna Dorothy Sayce
1925 1926 University of Cambridge (Ph. D. studying at the
Cavendish Laboratory with E. Rutherford)
1928 1939 University of Sydney (Assistant Professor of Physics
under Professor Madsen)
1937 University of Sydney (D.Sc.)
1939 1945 Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(C.S.I.R.), Physics Section, National Standards Laboratory
(Officer-in-charge)
1945 1958 C.S.I.R. / Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organization (C.S.I.R.O.), Division of Physics (Chief)
1946 1947 Atomic Energy Commission, United Nations, New York,
U.S.A. (Scientific Advisor to the Australian representative)
1950 1952 Institute of Physics, Australian Branch (President)
1950 1958 National Standards Commission
1953 Proposal by Briggs to form independent Australian Institute of
Physics rejected
1958 Retirement from C.S.I.R.O.
1962 Adoption of Briggs proposal for Australian Institute of
Physics and Briggs made Honorary Fellow
1987 Died 24th July, aged 94
Series List
Series
1 Personal Biographical, 1868-77
2 Correspondence, 1924-35
3 Correspondence, 1938-39
4 Correspondence, 1946-47
5 Correspondence, 1958
6 Photographs, 1924-83
Series Description
Series 1 Personal biographical, 1868-77
Folder
1/1 Family History 1868-77
[Photocopies of two letters from William Briggs (father of George) to
his parents, probably in Britain]
Series 2 Correspondence, 1924-35
Folder
2/1 Cavendish Laboratory 1924-35
[Correspondence with E. Rutherford (13 letters) and J. D. Cockcroft (one
letter), Cavendish Laboratory Cambridge. Photocopies of originals donated by
Briggs to Cambridge University Library in 1982]
Series 3 Correspondence, 1938-39
Folder
3/1 National Standards Laboratory CSIR 1938-39
[Correspondence with D. Rivett, R.S. Wallace, M.L. Oliphant and C.D.
Ellis concerning Briggs appointment to National Standards Laboratory of
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research]
Series 4 Correspondence, 1946-47
Folder
4/1 United Nations Atomic Energy Commission 1946
[Correspondence with E. Briggs during visit to USA and Canada as
scientific advisor to H. V. Evatt at the United Nations Atomic Energy
Commission]
4/2 United Nations Atomic Energy Commission 1947
[Correspondence with E. Briggs during second period in USA as scientific
advisor to P.M.C. Hasluck at the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission]
4/3 United Nations Atomic Energy Commission 1947
[Correspondence with A.E.V. Richardson, Chief Executive Officer CSIR,
and J.J. Dedman, Minister-in-charge of Scientific and Industrial Research,
concerning Atomic Energy Commission. Also includes copies of the three reports
made by Briggs]
Series 5 Correspondence, 1958
Folder
5/1 Retirement 1958
[Correspondence concerning retirement dinner for Briggs, December
1958]
5/2 Retirement 1958
[Photocopies of previous file]
Series 6 Photographs, 1924-83
Folder
6/1 Photographs 1924-83
[Two enlarged copies of black and white passport photographs of George
and Edna Briggs, 1924; black and white portrait of Briggs, 1958; colour slide
of
George and Edna Briggs with Alison Wright (granddaughter), 1980; colour
slide of George and Edna Briggs with Margaret Wright (daughter), 1983;
photocopy of letter from Barbara Briggs concerning photographs]
Index
Briggs, B 6/1
Briggs, E 4/1, 4/2, 6/1
Briggs, W 1/1
Cavendish Laboratory 2/1
Cockcroft, J. D. 2/1
C.S.I.R.O./C.S.I.R. 3/1, 4/3, 5/1, 5/2
Dedman, J. J. 4/3
Ellis, C. D. 3/1
Evatt, H. V. 4/1
Hasluck, P.M.C. 4/2
Oliphant, M. L. 3/1
Richardson, A.E.V. 4/3
Rivett, D. 3/1
Rutherford, E. 2/1
United Nations Atomic Energy Commission 4/1, 4/2, 4/3
Wallace, R. S. 3/1
June 1991 Retyped September 2001 |