MS030: Leslie J. Hooper Papers
Scope and Contents
The Leslie J. Hooper papers span the years 1927-1977. The primary parts of the collection include Mr. Hooper’s correspondence with various institutions his work for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the consulting work and tests he did for various companies.
The correspondence in Series 1 is arranged chronologically by organization. The letters span the whole time period of the collection. The organizations that Mr. Hooper primarily corresponded with were the Worcester Engineering Society, International Electrotechnical Commission/ Technical Committee #4, and the Massachusetts Special Commission. This section also contains both professional correspondence from after his retirement and personal correspondence.
There are two copies of the report he made in 1937 regarding Hydraulic Laboratories in the United States and Canada to the Boston Society of Engineers from when he worked as a Freeman Scholar.
There is extensive correspondence regarding the work he did for ASME, covering the span of 1941-1946. The documents are arranged chronologically with some division for various committees he served on. During this time he worked as secretary and later chairman to the ASME Hydraulic Division, and also served on the nominating committee. There is a lot of correspondence regarding the organization of meetings and the presentation of papers. Mr. Hooper also acted as a consultant to other engineers in preparing the papers they were to present, and there is much correspondence in regards to this. Mr. Hooper also wrote a few of his own papers for ASME; included here are copies of these papers and the correspondence pertaining to them. There is also one folder dating from 1976-1977 which contains correspondence regarding the revision of the Cole Pitometer Method which he had assisted in revising in the 1940’s and was acting as a consultant to the later revision.
From 1954-1973 Mr. Hooper worked as a consultant to many pumping and power across the United States. These documents are arranged by power plant and chronologically. This collection includes some correspondence regarding the tests. Mostly this series is made up of the tests he ran on site and the resulting reports made to the company.
In the final series there are documents regarding various recognitions he receives and information from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Alumni Association. Also here is Mr. Hooper’s signature stamp.
Dates
- 1927 - 1977
Conditions Governing Access
Permission from Archivist required.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright: The donors have transferred any copyright held in these materials to Worcester Polytechnic Institute for the WPI Archives and Special Collections.
Copying: Papers may be copied with the consent of the WPI Archivist.
Biographical / Historical
Leslie Hooper was born in 1903 in Millbury, Massachusetts. He graduated from Millbury High School in 1920. He then went on to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute and graduated in 1924 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He married in 1930 and four children.
After graduating from WPI he worked for the Canadian General Finance Co. of Brazil until 1927. He then came back to WPI and worked as an assistant for Professor C.M. Allen. In 1931 he became a part time teacher at WPI. From 1934-1936 he was a Freeman Scholar for the Boston Society of Civil Engineers in which he traveled through the U.S. and Canada and reported on the Hydraulic Laboratories around the two countries. He received a Junior Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for his reports. He then returned to WPI and became an Assistant Professor in 1938, and then a full professor in 1945. During World War II he worked on secret projects for the Navy and helped to develop the Navy’s Underwater and Sound Laboratory in New London, Connecticut. In 1952 he became director of the Alden Laboratory at WPI. In September of 1954 he did a European Tour of Hydraulic Laboratories there. Then in 1964 he received an honorary doctorate degree in engineering from WPI.
During his lifetime he served as director of Boston Society of Civil Engineers. He was very involved in ASME, he served as secretary and then chairman of the Hydraulics division, and he also served on the nominating committee. He wrote papers for publication with ASME and also assisted others in writing papers to be presented to ASME. He was elected a fellow of ASME in 1960. Also in 1976 he received the Goddard Award from WPI. He died while visiting friends in Millington, Maryland in 1977.
Extent
4 Linear Feet (8 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Series 1: Correspondence
Series 2: Boston Society of Civil Engineers
Series 3: American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 1941-1946
Series 4: Consulting/Tests
Series 5: Miscellaneous
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers were transferred from the Alden Laboratory.
Bibliography
- Title
- Leslie J. Hooper papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Carolyn Child
- Date
- 03/2007
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the WPI Manuscript Collections Repository
