THOMAS A. EDISON PAPERS: A SELECTIVE MICROFILM EDITION

PART II

(1879–1886)

Thomas E. Jeffrey
Microfilm Editor and Associate Editor

Paul B. Israel
Assistant Editor

Mary Ann Hellrigel    Doug Tarr
David Hutchings Robert Rosenberg
Editorial Associates

Leonard DeGraaf
John Deasey
Joseph P. Sullivan Barbara B. Tomblin
Alan Stein Jacquelyn Miller
Karen Kozak Maria Antonakakis
Granville Miller
Student Assistants

Keith A. Nier
Assistant Editor

Reese V. Jenkins
Director and Editor

Sponsors
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
National Park Service, Edison National Historic Site
New Jersey Historical Commission
Smithsonian Institution

University Publications of America
Frederick, Maryland
1987

Acknowledgments

A project of the scale and complexity of the Thomas A. Edison Papers can only be successful through the encouragement, cooperative endeavor, and support of many people and organizations. The editors of the Edison Papers are fortunate to have the strong backing of its Sponsors: Rutgers, The State University; the National Park Service at the Edison National Historic Site; the New Jersey Historical Commission; and the Smithsonian Institution. Several representatives of the sponsoring institutions have given long-standing personal support and direction to the project. These include Edward J. Bloustein, President of Rutgers University; T. Alexander Pond, Executive Vice-President of Rutgers University; Tilden G. Edelstein, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University; Roy Weaver, Superintendent at the Edison National Historic Site; Edward J. Pershey, Supervisory Curator at Edison National Historic Site; Bernard S. Finn, Curator of Electricity at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution; Bernard Bush, Executive Director of the New Jersey Historical Commission; and Howard L. Green, Research Director, New Jersey Historical Commission.

TThis edition is made possible because of key financial support from Rutgers University, the Edison National Historic Site, public and private foundations, private corporations, and individuals—as acknowledged in the pages preceding this preface. Moreover, this material is based upon work supported by the Program in the History and Philosophy of Science at the National Science Foundation under Grant No. SES 82-13220-04, by the Program in Research Tools in the Division of Research at the National Endowment for the Humanities under Grant No. RE-20341-84, and by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation of New York City. Directors and program officers at these foundations have been especially helpful, particularly Ronald Overmann at National Science Foundation and Katherine Fuller at National Endowment for the Humanities.

The Edison Corporate Associates, a small group of executive leaders, have provided major assistance in obtaining financial contributions and grants from private foundations, corporations, and individuals. William Hittinger, Vice-President for Corporate Research and Development (now retired) at RCA, has exercised significant leadership as chairman of this group. The Rutgers University Foundation, under the direction of Bruce Newman, has worked closely with the members of the Edison Corporate Associates in this campaign. Ronald Miller, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, has exerted special leadership and effort on behalf of the project.

The Edison Papers is fortunate to have outstanding presses for both of its editions: The Johns Hopkins University Press for the book edition and University Publications of America for the microfilm edition. UPA and its staff have responded well to the needs of this unusually complex microfilm edition. Especially notable in their effort for Part II are John and Michael Moscato, Paul Kesaris, Dale Reynolds, James Glover, Risa Jewell, Cynthia Hancock, Laura Harrison, Barbara Stout, Janet Macik, and Treeva Wayne.

Numerous organizations and individuals outside of the project have also contributed to Part II of the microfilm edition. The National Historical Publications and Records Commission has endorsed the Edison Papers project and members of the staff of NHPRC have given important counsel over the years. Brooke Hindle, Melvin Kranzberg, and Edward C. Carter II as well as members of the Editorial Advisory Board have given substantial counsel. Beverly Brown of the Northeast Document Conservation Center provided important technical information about the filming of the Charles Batchelor scrapbooks. Though the names of Leonard S. Reich, Susan Schultz, and Pamela Kwiatkowski—former members of the staff of the Edison Papers—do not appear on the title page, each has contributed to Part II.

Within the institutional settings for the two offices of the Edison Papers, many people have contributed either directly or indirectly. At the Edison National Historic Site—where all of the documents contained in Part II are located—Edward J. Pershey and Mary B. Bowling have been true partners in the editorial process. Others in the curatorial division who have assisted include Eric Olsen, Leah Burt, Marilyn Kyles, and Gladys Kyles. Others at the Edison National Historic Site have also assisted in a variety of capacities, including Roy Weaver, Marjorie E. Taliaferro, Karen Giacobbe, Julie Colatrella, Louis Venuto, and Robert Zimmerman.

Likewise, many people within the faculty, library, and administration at Rutgers University have provided vital assistance and support. Besides President Bloustein and Vice-President Pond, this project is indebted to Provosts Kenneth Wheeler, Jean Parrish, John Salapatas and Robert F. Pack; Vice-Presidents Nathaniel Pallone and Jose Steinboch; David A. Cayer, David Scott, Andrew Rudczynski, Albert Hanna, David A. Rumbo, Donna Estler, Muriel Wilson, Helen Gertler, Joseph Harrigan, Ruth Scott, Barbara Dawson, John Gillis, Richard P. McCormick, Ruth Simmons, Francis Johns, Ron Becker, Leonard Dreifus, and the staff of the Center for Computer and Information Services.

The editors of the Edison Papers conclude their acknowledgments with a special note of appreciation for two people who are absolutely central to the work of this project. Our Assistant to the Director, Helen Endick, and Secretary, Grace Kurkowski, are both highly talented and deeply devoted individuals. They perform their jobs in a truly outstanding manner and do a number of editorial tasks as well. Their talent, devotion, and good humor continue to greatly facilitate the work of this project.

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