Inventor Name
Ricker, Norman Hurd
Repository
Rice University
Woodson Research Center, MS 44
Fondren Library
P.O. Box 1892
Houston, TX 77251-1892
713-348-2586
http://www.rice.edu/fondren/woodson/contact_us.html
Physical Description
12 linear feet
Summary
Norman Hurd Ricker (1896-1980) was raised in Galveston and Albany, Texas, and was a member of Rice's first freshman and first graduating class. After receiving his doctorate in 1920 (the first given in Physics by Rice), Ricker remained at the Institute for a year before leaving to pursue his career in industrial research, first at Western Electric (1920-1923), and later at Humble Oil Refining Company (1923-1927), Hughes Tool Company (1927-1938), and Carter Oil Company (1938-1959). He ended his career of seismic and geophysical exploration in 1959 to return to academic life, taking a professorship of physics at the University of Oklahoma at Norman (1959-1980). Listed among his inventions are the paper cone loudspeaker and equipment for Texas's first deep oil wells, including the plunger lift pump for drilling. He is the author of numerous articles and a book, Transient Waves in Visco-Elastic Media. See Sallyport, April 1978. The Ricker Papers include the notes and papers related to physicist Norman Hurd Ricker's work in industrial research and in his academic career. The 25 boxes contain Ricker's autobiography, published papers, photographs depicting his experience at Rice University and many of his field expeditions, as well as notes, calculations, and graphs in various media, used in his research and writing.
Finding Aid
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/ricewrc/00029/rice-00029.html
