Archives Center, National Museum of American History

Guide to the William R. Stone Microwave Oven Papers

Summary

Collection ID:
NMAH.AC.1320
Creators:
Raytheon Company
Stone, William R., 1920-2006
Dates:
1967-1989, undated
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.6 Cubic feet
2 boxes
Repository:
Collection primarily consists of drafts, notes, caluations, reports, correspondence, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) materials, record of inventions, and designs from Stone's work for the Raytheon Company involving industrial applications and home use for the microwave. It also includes literature for the trade as well as educational materials for consumers dating from the 1950-1980s.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
Papers documenting William R. Stone's involvement in the invention and development of the microwave for industrial and home use. The collection includes biographical information; patents, and other invention related papers; photographs; design drawings; internal company papers and memoranda; Stone's research and reports, especially on the subject of microwave safety; and trade literature relating to products for both industrial and home use.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The collection is arranged into nine series.
Series 1: Correspondence, 1969-1985
Series 2: Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 1981-1985
Series 3: Conferences and Symposiums Conferences and Symposiums, 1969-1980
Series 4: Literature for the Trade, 1967-1986, undated
Series 5: Consumer Materials Consumer Materials, 1979-1980, undated
Series 6: Notes and Drafts 1971-1981, undated
Series 7: Raytheon Company Matereials, 1969-1989, undated
Series 8: Industrial Reports and Statndards, 1951-1984
Series 9: Other Materials, 1971, undated

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
William Robert Stone (September 24, 1920-October 26, 2006) was an engineer for the Raytheon Company located in Waltham, Massachusetts. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Nathan Stone (June 30, 1900-January 7, 1968) and Ida Davis Stone (August 1, 1899-July 15, 1990). At the age of twenty-one he registered for the United States Army while working for the Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Stone attended Northeastern University where he obtained his Associates of Electrical Engineering degree (A.E.E.) in 1953 and Bachelor of Business Administration degree (B.B.A.) in 1956. He also took classes in the Graduate School of Engineering at Northeastern University from 1956-1958.
In 1951 Stone began working for the Raytheon Company. He was involved in the invention and development of microwave ovens for industrial uses, such as for ink drying, rubber vulcanization, and later for home use. Stone published research on the industrial food applications of microwaves, specifically on oyster shucking and in outer space. In 2006 Stone died in Boca Raton, Palm Beach, Florida at the age of eighty-six.

Administration

Author
Vanessa Broussard-Simmons and Audrey Willius
Ownership and Custodial History
Donated to the Archives Center in 2014 by Robin Hoffman, William Stone's daughter.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist, 2023, and Audrey Willius, intern, 2023.

Using the Collection

Restrictions on Access
Collection open for research on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.
Preferred Citation
William R. Stone Microwave Oven Papers, 1967-1989, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Related Materials
Materials at the Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Product Cookbooks Collection, NMAH.AC.0396
Industry on Parade Film Collection, NMAH.AC.0507
Archives Center Cookbook Collection, NMAH.AC.0510
Servodyne Corporation Records, NMAH.AC.0839
Nordic Ware Collection, NMAH.AC.0980

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Articles -- 1950-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Design drawings -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Engineers -- 20th century Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Graphs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Memorandums -- 1950-2000 Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Microwave equipment industry Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Microwave heating Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Microwave ovens Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Microwave oven industry Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Notes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Patents -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs -- 20th century Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Safety Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Specifications Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Trade literature Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Oysters -- Shucking Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Outer space -- Exploration -- United States Geographic Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hoffman, Robin Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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