Inventor Name
Atomic Clock
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
5.5 cu. ft.: 15 boxes and 30 oversized folders.
Summary
The first commerical atomic clock was invented by a team of physicists working under J. R. Zacharias at MIT after WWII. They were produced by NATCO, Inc. of Malden, Mass., from 1955-1967. The company also researched other applications for the clocks, including a collision avoidance system. Blueprints, technical drawings, research reports, instruction manuals, photographs, marketing brochures documenting the production of the first commerical cesium beam frequency standard and subsequent models. Other projects and proposals, esp. Collision Avoidance system, are also documented. Richard Timothy Daly, Jr. directed the development of the commercial clock. The papers probably include material created by him and other project personnel.
Finding Aid
http://amhistory.si.edu/archives/AC0547.html