Collection ID: LMC 2573
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Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Gest, Howard
Abstract:
The Gest, Howard mss., ca. 1941-2011, consist of the correspondence, papers, reprints and copies of the work of Prof. Howard Gest, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Indiana University Department of Microbiology.
Extent:
3 Boxes (3 standard)
Language:
Materials are in English .
Preferred citation:

[Item], Gest, Howard mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Background

Biographical / Historical:

Professor Gest was born in London, England and emigrated with his family to the US when he was one year old. During undergraduate studies at UCLA (B.A., 1942) he spent two summers assisting Max Delbruck and Salvador Luria doing research on bacterial viruses at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (New York). In 1942, Gest began graduate work with Delbruck at Vanderbilt University, but World War II interrupted his studies. He accepted a position on the Manhattan Atomic Bomb Project with the eminent physical chemist Charles Coryell. Their research focuses on characterization of the radioactive elements formed in uranium fission. After World War II ended, Gest completed graduate work (Ph.D. 1949) at Washington University (St. Louis) as the first student of Martin Kamen, a pioneer nuclear chemist renowned as the co-discoverer of carbon 14. During this period, Gest also did research with Alfred Hershey on the fate of radioactive phosphorus during the multiplication of bacterial viruses. The latter culminated in the discovery of "P-32 suicide" of bacteriophage. Prior to 1950, Gest had worked with Delbruck, Luria and Hershey, who shared a Nobel Prize in 1969. Gest has been on the faculties of Case Western Reserve University and Washington University. He has been a visiting researcher at the California Institute of Technology, Dartmouth Medical School, Stanford University, Oxford University, Tokyo University, and UCLA. Professor Gest has been a Guggenheim Fellow twice and has served on a number of advisory committees of the US Government. He is widely recognized for his research on microbial physiology and metabolism, especially with photosynthetic bacteria. Gest is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Society for Microbiology, American Academy of Microbiology, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Scope and Content:

The Manhattan Project includes all collected materials relating to the Manhattan Project and is organized into the following sub-series: A. Szilard Petition, B. Periodicals, C. Book Extracts, D. Articles, E. Correspondence, and F. Miscellaneous. Astrobiology includes collected materials around the creation of astrobiology as a field and especially the search for extraterrestrial life; it is divided into the following sub-series: A. Extraterrestrial life, B. Mars, C. NASA, and D. Miscellaneous. Microbiology includes collected materials in Gest's field of specialty. Publications includes Gest's own publications about various topics in microbiology and biochemistry. Profiles of scientists consists of Gest's experiment in profiling/collecting biographies of various scientists he knew or worked with. Correspondence includes Gest's correspondence to other scientists and correspondence about various publications. Miscellaneous includes other scientific materials and audio-visual materials.

Acquisition information:
Gift: 2007, 2008, 2011
Arrangement:

This collection is organized into the following series: I. The Manhattan Project, II. Astrobiology, III. Microbiology, IV. Publications, V. Profiles of Scientists, VI. Correspondence, and VII. Miscellaneous.

Physical location:
Lilly - Stacks

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

This collection is open for research.

Many collections are housed offsite; retrieval requires advance notice. Please make an appointment a minimum of one week in advance of your visit.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[Item], Gest, Howard mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
1200 East Seventh Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-5500, USA
CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
CONTACT:
(812) 855-2452
liblilly@indiana.edu