A Guide to the Bryce S. DeWitt Papers, 1919, 1946-2006

Biographical Note

Bryce S. DeWitt (1923-2004) was known for his mathematical approach to physics and his work in quantum field theory, supermanifolds, gauge theory, and relativistic astrophysics. DeWitt received all three of his degrees in physics from Harvard University (Ph.D. in 1950). DeWitt was a dedicated teacher and researcher; he held positions at the Institute for Advanced Study, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before beginning his professorship at The University of Texas at Austin in 1972. At UT Austin, DeWitt served as the director of the Center for Relativity (1972-1987), Jane and Roland Blumberg Professor of Physics (1986-2000), and Professor Emeritus (2000-2004).

DeWitt’s awards include a Dirac medal from the Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics in Italy (1987), the Pomeranchuk Prize of the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics in Moscow (2002), the Marcel Grossman Award (with Cecile DeWitt-Morette, 2002), the Einstein Prize of the American Physical Society (2005), and election to the National Academy of Sciences (1990) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2002).

In 1973 DeWitt and his wife, Cecile DeWitt-Morette led a scientific expedition to Mauritania to test Einstein’s general relativity theory of gravity during a total solar eclipse. A series of photographic plates were taken during the eclipse and compared with a set of plates taken six months later. Analysis of these photos later proved that the stars had been pulled out of their original paths by the sun’s gravity, just as predicted in Einstein’s theory.

Sources: Vertical file and Office of Public Affairs files at the Center for American History, including: http://www.utexas.edu/cons/news/dewitt2.html

Scope and Contents

The Bryce S. DeWitt papers (1946-2006) consist of general research files containing handwritten notes, correspondence, and printed material; DeWitt's lecture notes; notes taken by DeWitt as a student of Julian Schwinger; as well as extensive documentation of the 1973 eclipse experiment (described above), including 85 glass photographic plates taken during the period of the experiment and computer print-outs analyzing the data.

The glass plates are organized by size and generally include the inventory number assigned to them at the time of the experiment. These include many practice plates taken before the eclipse itself. The “suitcase plates” are the most valuable of the glass plates and were carefully escorted from the experiment site by Cecile DeWitt-Morette in a foam-padded, metal suitcase for analysis. Note that a complete log of the glass plates is available in the “Eclipse reduction notes” folder. If the dates following the plate number are in brackets, they were taken from the box in which the plate was stored or written on the plate itself, unbracketed dates are from the written log. Due to the fragile nature of the glass plates, they are available by appointment only. Please contact the archivist to set up a research time.

Forms part of the Archives of American Mathematics

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Restricted access to glass plates. All other materials unrestricted. Access to glass plates arranged by appointment only. Contact archivist for details.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

The Bryce S. DeWitt Papers, 1919, 1946-2006 and undated, the Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Papers