Charles A. Kraus Papers , circa 1915-1966

John Hay Library , Special Collections
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Tel: 401-863-2146
email: hay@brown.edu

Published in 2013

Collection Overview

Title:	Charles A. Kraus papers
Date range:	circa 1915-1966
Creator:	Kraus, Charles A. (Charles August), 1875-1967
Extent:	4.25 Linear feet
Abstract:	The Charles A. Kraus papers document a network of professional colleagues and industry affiliations; his patent and consulting work, in particular with the Standard Oil Co.; and research. The collection includes correspondence, patents, and collected reference sources. Materials date from circa 1915 to 1966.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library , Special Collections
Collection number:	OF.1UF.K1

Scope & content

Access Points

Subject Organizations

• Brown University. Chemistry Dept.
• Brown University. Faculty.
• Clark University (Worcester, Mass.).
• Standard Oil Company.

Subject Topics

• Chemical industry--United States
• Chemistry--Patents
• Chemistry--Study and teaching (Higher)

Occupations

• Chemists

Document Types

• Correspondence
• Office files
• Patents

Subject Topics

• Science and Technology

Arrangement

The collection is organized in three series:

• I. Correspondence
• II. Patents
• III. Reference materials

Biographical note

Charles August Kraus (1875-1967), professor of chemistry, was born in Knightsville, Indiana, on August 15, 1875. In 1893 he went to the University of Kansas, where he studied electrical engineering and took his only formal chemistry course in his freshman year. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1898. He did work in physics at John Hopkins in 1899-1900 and at the University of Kansas in 1900-1901, and became instructor in physics at the University of California in 1901, remaining until 1904. From 1904 to 1908 he was a research assistant in physical chemistry at M.I.T., where he received his Ph.D. degree in 1908, after which he was a research associate until 1912, and associate professor of physical chemical research from 1912 to 1914. He became professor of chemistry and director of the chemical laboratory at Clark University in 1914. During World War I, he directed research at Clark for the Chemical Warfare Service. In 1923-1924 he was a lecturer at Brown and the following year became professor of chemistry and director of the chemical laboratories. During World War II he served as consultant to the Manhattan project which developed the atomic bomb. He published more than 225 research papers on such subjects as liquid ammonia, non-aqueous solutions, electrolytic solutions, metals and their solutions, metallo-organic compounds, and conduction in glasses. He was a consulting chemist for the Chemical Warfare Service, U.S.A. and the U.S. Bureau of Mines and Fixed Nitrogen Laboratory. He was awarded the William H. Nichols Medal of the New York section of the American Chemical Society in 1924, the Theodore William Richards Medal of the Chicago section in 1935 and the Northeastern section in 1936, the Willard Gibbs Medal of the Chicago section in 1935, the Franklin Medal in 1938 and the Priestly Medal in 1950. In 1948 he was awarded the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest honor which the Navy can confer upon a civilian. Kraus retired in 1946. He published his last research paper in 1967, and died on June 27, 1967 in East Providence at the age of 91.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Charles A. Kraus Files, OF-1UF-K1, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library , Special Collections Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2146 email: hay@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Brown University Library staff.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013 January 18
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)
Sponsor:	Processing funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Additional Information

Inventory

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