Experimental Station, 1908-1912, 1928-1930
Part of collection: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company twentieth century records (0500-II)
Dates
- Creation: 1908-1912
- Creation: 1928-1930
Historical Note
In 1903 the DuPont Company's Executive Committee established the Experimental Station, a research facility located on the banks of the Brandywine Creek across from DuPont's first black powder works. Initially, the Experimental Station was to be a small laboratory to screen inventions that were coming into the company from outside independent inventors, but soon its mission was altered. Both the Army and Navy, major consumers of DuPont powder, were being pressured to develop their own experimental capabilities as well as to build their own manufacturing plants. DuPont's executives saw this as a major threat to the company's smokeless powder business. They resolved to make the Experimental Station an instrument to keep the company well in front of the military. The Executive Committee also intended that the Experimental Station serve as a general laboratory for research on black powder, smokeless powder, and dynamite. During the DuPont Company's 1921 reorganization, the Experimental Station became part of the Explosives Department.
Scope and Contents
This series includes correspondence of Francis I. du Pont (1873-1942), director of the Experimental Station, and Fin Sparre (1879-1944), chief chemist, research reports and test data which document the research, development, manufacture, testing, and storage of dynamite, and the stabilization of smokeless powder, nitroglycerin, and cellulose. The records also document that ballistic research was conducted in cooperation with the government. The collection contains annual reports, reports on patent matters, construction projects, divisional weekly reports, and reports on accounting practices and analytical methods. There are also reports from the Black and Smokeless Powder Divisions, which were part of the Experimental Station files. There is a report index filed along with the reports.
Extent
From the Collection: 416.25 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Additional Description
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
