Inventor Name
Trigg, Charles W.
Repository
National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Institution
Archives Center
P.O. Box 37012
MRC 601/Room 1100
Washington, DC 20013-7012
202-633-3270
http://americanhistory.si.edu/archives
Physical Description
4.5 cubic ft.
Summary
Charles W. Trigg was born in Baltimore, Md. B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 1917; M.A., 1931, University of Southern California. He was an Industrial Research Fellow at Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, 1916-1920, doing original research on processes for producing instant coffee. In 1920, he joined King Coffee Products Corporation, Detroit, as chief chemist. He later served in various college teaching positions; dean of instruction and lecturer, University of Southern California (1950-1963). During World War II, Trigg served as Lt. Cmdr., USNR. Published numerous articles in trade journals; granted five patents related to coffee processing. Most material in this collection was generated by Trigg early in his career as an industrial research fellow at Mellon Institute, Pittsburgh, 1916-1920 and shortly thereafter. It includes laboratory notebooks; formal weekly reports (typewritten) on his investigations; correspondence with his industrial sponsors; a few personal letters and some correspondence relating to his interest in coffee processing; his patents and correspondence relating to them; clippings and reprints of technical articles on tea and coffee processing and culture, 1883-1963; U.S. patents relating to these subjects, 1834-1921; foreign patents--British, French and German--1855-1918. Pamphlets contain technical articles on coffee and related subjects, including U.S. Department of Agriculture and Canadian government publications. Trigg's personal file of more than 5000 4" x 6" cards (mainly hand-written, arranged chronologically) reflect his extensive reading of technical literature; they contain bibliographical data and Trigg's brief abstractions.
Finding Aid
http://amhistory.si.edu/archives/AC0411.pdf