Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
John W. Townsend, Jr., Papers
Townsend, John W., Jr. (John William), 1924-2011
Ms.1990.068
8.4 Cubic Feet
6 boxes
1949-1990
Please note: This collection is in off-site storage and requires 2-3 days notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives for more information.
This collection contains NASA administrator and physicist John W. Townsend, Jr.'s (1924-2011) personal and professional papers from 1949 until his retirement from corporate and government aerospace work in 1990. In addition to professional correspondence, memos, and subject files, there are extensive travel files from 1949-1968 and 1985-1990, congressional testimony on NASA projects from 1982-1986, and files on the history of the Upper Air Rocket Research Program at the Naval Research Laboratory from about 1956-1958. Throughout his career, Townsend also served on a number of councils, boards, and panels. The collection also includes files from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station Advisory Panel (1966-1968, the International Academy of Astronautics (c. 1981-1987), the NASA Advisory Council (1982-1987), the National Academy of Engineering (1982-1987), the National Research Council Space Applications Board (1983-1987), and the Office of Technology Assessment Advisory Board Panel on International Cooperation and Competition in Civilian Space Activities (1982-1985).
The materials in the collection are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], John W. Townsend, Jr., Papers, Ms1990-068, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
Source of Acquisition
The John W. Townsend, Jr., Papers were donated to Special Collections in 1990.
Processing Information
Some original description of the John W. Townsend, Jr., Papers was completed prior to 2000. A folder list and additional description of the collection was completed in October and November 2018.
Additional arrangement and description of the John W. Townsend, Jr., Papers was completed as part of the project, "Piercing the Veil: Creating Access to the Archives of American Aerospace Exploration at Virginia Tech," funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) in 2024.
Biographical Note
Physicist John W. Townsend, Jr., was born in 1924. He received a B.A. from Williams College in 1947, an M.A. in 1949, and a Sc.D. in 1961. After completing his M.A., Townsend went to work for the Naval Research Laboratory from 1949-1958, spending the last three years as a branch head. In 1958, he moved to NASA for a decade, including three years (1965-1968) as the deputy director fo the Goddard Space Center in Maryland. He left NASA in 1968 to serve as a deputy administrator in the Environmental Sciences Services Administration (1968-1970), and an associate administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (1970-1977). In 1977, he took a break from government work, serving as the president of Fairchild Space and Electronics Company (1977-1982) and, when the company changed names, president of Fairchild Space Company from 1983-1987. In 1987, he returned to NASA as director of the Goddard Space Center until his retirement in 1990. Townsend died in November 2011.
Scope and Content
This collection contains physicist John W. Townsend, Jr.'s personal and professional papers from 1949 until his retirement from corporate and government aerospace work in 1990. In addition to professional correspondence, memos, and subject files, there are extensive travel files from 1949-1968 and 1985-1990, congressional testimony on NASA projects from 1982-1986, and files on the history of the Upper Air Rocket Research Program at the Naval Research Laboratory from about 1956-1958. Throughout his career, Townsend also served on a number of councils, boards, and panels. The collection also includes files from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station Advisory Panel (1966-1968, the International Academy of Astronautics (c. 1981-1987), the NASA Advisory Council (1982-1987), the National Academy of Engineering (1982-1987), the National Research Council Space Applications Board (1983-1987), and the Office of Technology Assessment Advisory Board Panel on International Cooperation and Competition in Civilian Space Activities (1982-1985).
Materials in this collection have been separated into the following series:
Series I: Reading Files, 1958-1967, contains Townsend's reading files for a variety of subjects.
Series II: Organizations and Committees, 1982-1987, n.d., consists of materials from Townsend's involvement in committees, boards, and panels, including the American Geophysical Union, the International Academy of Astronautics, the National Academy of Engineering, NASA Advisory Council, the National Resource Council Space Applications Board, and the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station Advisory Panel.
Series III: Correspondence, 1957-1990, contains professional correspondence, memos, and clippings.
Series IV: Travel, 1949-1990, includes extensive travel documentation.
Series V: Testimonies, 1981-1986, contains files from Townsend's congressional testimonies on NASA projects.
Series VI: Subject Files, 1987-1989, n.d., consists of subject files such as publications, files on the history of the Goddard Space Flight Center and the Rocket-Sonde Research Branch of the Naval Research Laboratory, and Earth observations.
Series VII: Personal Files, 1978-1989, n.d., includes files such as appointment books and performance ratings.
Arrangement
This collection has been arranged into the following series:
Series I: Reading Files, 1958-1967, is arranged chronologically.
Series II: Organizations and Committees, 1982-1987, n.d., is arranged alphabetically according to group. If there is more than one item from a group, they are arranged chronologically. For example, "National Academy of Engineering, 1983" is before "National Academy of Engineering, 1984."
Series III: Correspondence, 1957-1990, is arranged chronologically.
Series IV: Travel, 1949-1990, is arranged chronologically.
Series V: Testimonies, 1981-1986, is arranged chronologically.
Series VI: Subject Files, 1987-1989, n.d., is arranged chronologically.
Series VII: Personal Files, 1978-1989, n.d., is arranged chronologically.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the John W. Townsend, Jr., Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).
Archives of American Aerospace Exploration (AAAE)
Businesspeople
Physicists
Physics
Science and Technology
United States -- National Aeronautics and Space Administration -- Officials and employees
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Series I: Reading Files1958-1967JWT Reading File 1958-10-23-1958-12-30212JWT Reading File 1959-01-01-1959-03-31213JWT Reading File 1959-04-01-1959-06-30214JWT Reading File 1959-10-01-1959-12-31215JWT Reading File 1959-07-01-1959-09-30216JWT Reading File (2 folders)196014-5JWT Reading File196116JWT Reading File (2 folders)196217-8JWT Reading File (3 folders)196319-11JWT Reading File (3 folders)1964112-14JWT Reading File (2 folders)1965115-16JWT Reading File (2 folders)1966117-18JWT Reading File (2 folders)1967119-20Series II: Organizations and Committees1982-1987, n.d.Aerospace America Advisory Board (2 folders)n.d.31-2American Geophysical Unionn.d.33American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronauticsn.d.34Center for Excellence in Government (2 folders)n.d.35-6Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems Meeting Briefing Book1986-04-17-1986-04-18527Commision on Engineering and Technical Systems Miscellaneousn.d.528GARP- Global Atmos. Research Projectn.d.224International Academy of Astro. Committee on Space & Global Changen.d.37International Academy of Astronautics (3 folders)n.d.38-10Maryland Academy of Sciencesn.d.613National Academy of Sciences Nation Weather Observation Systemsn.d.311National Academy of Engineering1983323National Academy of Engineering1984322National Academy of Engineering1985321National Academy of Engineering1986320National Academy of Engineering1987319National Academy of Engineering Finance Committee1982329National Academy of Engineering Finance Committee1983328National Academy of Engineering Finance Committee1984327National Academy of Engineering Finance Committee1985326National Academy of Engineering Finance Committee1986325National Academy of Engineering Finance Committee Correspondence1987324National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmospheren.d.611National Aerospace and Space Administration Advisory Council (2 folders)1986313-14NASA Advisory Council1987312NASA Advisory Council (3 folders)n.d.315-17Committee on NASA Scientific and Technological Program Reviewsn.d.526National Coalition for Science and Technologyn.d.612National Resource Council Space Applications Board (NRC SAB) (4 folders)1983518-21NRC SAB (4 folders)1984514-17NRC SAB (7 folders)198556-9, 11-13Minutes of Space Applications Board Meeting 1985-07-23-1985-07-24510NRC SAB Miscellaneous (4 folders)198652-5National Research Council Board on Mathmatical Sciencesn.d.523National Research Council Space Science Boardn.d.522National Research Council Commission on Engineering and Technical Systems Meeting1985-10-24-1985-10-25525National Research Council-Commission on Engineer. & Technical Systems1987524NRC-Low Level Wind Shear Committeen.d.627Office of Technology Assessment (2 folders)1983616-17Office of Technology Assessment1984615Office of Technology Assessment1985614Office of Technology Assessment Info. Continued (2 folders)n.d.618-19SATSERV (2 folders)n.d.620-21Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) Advisory Panel (4 folders)n.d.21-4Series III: Correspondence1957-1990Up to 1957 Miscellaneous Correspondence2101985 Chron. Correspondence (2 folders)198569-101986 Chron. Correspondence (4 folders)198665-8Space Applications Board -1987 Miscellaneous Correspondence198751Chronological Correspondence198764Memos (6 folders)1988419-24Memos (3 folders)1989416-18Memos & Clippings (2 folders)1990414-15Series IV: Travel1949-1990Travel JWT1949-195425Travel JWT 1955-1957 (2 folders)1955-199027-8Travel JWT1957-196026Travel (2 folders)1963-1968217-18Travel Thru 1973 (3 folders)219-21Travel 1974-197629Travel (2 folders)198741-2Travel (3 folder)198843-5Travel Vouchers (4 folders)198948-11Travel Vouchers (2 folders)1990412-13Series V: Testimonies1981-1986NASA Program Management & Procurement Practices/Procedures Testimony1981-06-25632Testimony-U.S. Senate on NASA Applications Program1982-03-30631Senate Testimony-NOAA Program1982-04-21630Testimony-Commercialization of Civil Space Remote Sensing1983-06-21629Testimony-Space Commercialization1984-06-19628Testimony-Wind Shear Detection Technology (2 folders)1984-07-25625-26Testimony--Shuttle Pricing1985-02-21624Testimony-House Committee on Space Science & Applic.1986-02-27623Testimony-Report "Pioneering the Space Frontier"1986-07-22622Series VI: Subject Files1987-1989, n.d.1987 Chron File (3 folders)1987-06-22-1987-12-3161-3Publications1988425Goddard Space Flight Center History (3 folders)198911-3Rocket Sonde Branch History (2 folders)n.d.222-23Earth Observations: Technology, Economics, and International Cooperationn.d.318Series VII: Personal Files1978-1989, n.d.Appointment Book198746Appointment Books1988-198947JWT Performance Ratingsn.d.211
Some of the arrangement and description of this collection was created as part of the project, "Piercing the Veil: Creating Access to the Archives of American Aerospace Exploration at Virginia Tech," funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) from 2022 to 2024.