urn:taro:utexas.cah.03116 A Guide to the Frank N. Bash Papers Original EAD encoding by Evan Hocker according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing Instructions. November 2011 Finding aid written in English. Descriptive Summary Bash, Frank N. Frank N. Bash Papers ca. 1969-2004 Materials are written in English. 2011-326 29 ft. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin Papers document Bash's career at the University of Texas, and include extensive documentation of his work as director of the McDonald Observatory and his involvement in special telescope projects. Biographical Note

Frank N. Bash, Ph.D., served from 1989-2003 as director of the University of Texas McDonald Observatory, one the world's foremost astronomical research institutions located near Fort Davis, Texas.

A native of Medford, Oregon, Bash earned his bachelor's degree from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon; his master's degree in astronomy from Harvard University; and his doctorate from the University of Virginia. A well-known and widely published specialist in radio astronomy, Bash joined the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin in 1969. He served as Chairman of the UT Department of Astronomy from 1982 through 1986. In 1985, he was named the Frank N. Edmonds Regents Professor of Astronomy. As a researcher, Bash was interested in large-scale star formation processes in spiral galaxies. He won numerous awards for the quality of his teaching, and was named to the teaching excellence Hall of Fame at UT Austin in 1984.

As the director of the McDonald Observatory, Bash led the effort for the design, funding, and construction of the 11-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope, which has the largest primary mirror in the world.

Bash also led the effort to expand the public outreach programs of the McDonald Observatory. These programs included the observatory's Visitors' Center, the Texas Astronomy Education Center, and StarDate radio.

(from the UT Astronomy Department)

Scope and Contents

The Bash Papers reflect his career at the University of Texas at Austin, and include extensive documentation of his work as director of the McDonald Observatory and his involvement in special projects such as the Spectroscopic Survey Telescope (SST) and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET). Also included are his personal research files and collected data, teaching files, correspondence, budgetary files, a small component of photographs, and publications/promotional literature related to the McDonald Observatory.

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

This collection is stored off site and requires advance notice for retrieval. Please contact repository.

Portions of this collection are described by a PDF checklist provided by the donor. Please contact repository.

Preferred Citation

Frank N. Bash Papers, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Papers Inventory 2011-326/1 Research notes, reprints, correspondence, files on colleagues 2011-326/2 Research notes, manuscripts, files on colleagues 2011-326/3 Research notes, conferences, projects 2011-326/4 Research notes, correspondence, papers 2011-326/4 Spectroscopic Survey Telescope project files (SST) 2011-326/5-20 Contact repository for PDF checklist 2011-326/20 ACAST meeting, 1989 2011-326/20 Reprints 2011-326/20 Bash handwritten research notebooks 2011-326/20 "Facts From Figures," 1951, by M.J. Moroney 2011-326/20 Projects 2011-326/21 Project files 2011-326/21 Spectroscopic Survey Telescope project files (SST) 2011-326/22 Project files 2011-326/22 Class notes 2011-326/22 Research notes 2011-326/22 Reprints 2011-326/22 Data 2011-326/23 McDonald Observatory publications, handouts, brochures 2011-326/23 Astronomy transparencies 2011-326/23 Slides and photographs 2011-326/24 Oversize photo prints