Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Bushman, Edwin F.
Title:	Edwin F. Bushman Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1946-1992
Quantity:	10 linear ft.
Abstract:	Collection contains correspondence, technical reports, product literature, photographs, hand drawings, technical drawings and blueprints that relate to acrylic and fiberglass production.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Edwin F. Bushman (1919-2003) was an American engineer and consultant in the plastics field.

Born in Aurora, Illinois, to George J. and Emma Gengler Bushman, Edwin F. Bushman received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois in 1941. In 1941 and 1942, he did postgraduate study at the California Institute of Technology. He married Louise Kathryn Peterson on January 3, 1946. Mr. Bushman lived and worked primarily in southern California.

Bushman was involved in the plastics industry beginning in the late 1930’s. He designed and co-teamed numerous projects. During his early career, he assisted in the design and development of overhead storage compartments and lighting areas in commercial aircraft and airline food carts. During World War II, he served in the War Department working on military projects. In the early 1960’s, he assisted in the design and development of helmets for the US military and NASA, and worked on the design of fiberglass survival kits for Boeing Airplane Company.

A pioneer in the fields of acrylic and fiberglass products, he obtained eight U.S. patents in plastic products, carbon, colored glass fibers, process and applications. He actively promoted the plastics field and was a speaker at and organizer of numerous professional conferences. He received numerous awards including SPE’s Lundberg Award in 1981 and was named Western Plastics Man of the Year in 1972. In 2005 he was posthumously inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Edwin F. Bushman Papers span the period 1946-1992 and focus primarily on research and documentation for projects conducted over the course of his career. The records consist of correspondence, technical reports, product literature, photographs, hand drawings, technical drawings and blueprints that relate to various projects with which Mr. Bushman was associated.

Bottle holder materials consist of correspondence and drawings relating to various bottle holder models designed by Edwin Bushman. Documents include three illustrative drawings of bottle holders, eight measured drawings, and correspondence relating to the manufacture and sale of the model H6 to the Mountain Valley Water Company.

FLUOR Products Company materials relate to the FLUOR Products Company of Santa Rosa, California, and in particular, to the FLUOR product, "ploy-grid" packing used in cooling towers. The sub-series correspondence includes one report, and two sets of photographs that are attached to the accompanying correspondence and therefore left in place.

Helmet materials relate to the Sierra Engineering Company's development of two types of helmets. The first helmet was developed for the US military for use by armored vehicle crewmembers. Sierra Engineering Company of Sierra Madre, California, manufactured the AVC helmet for the US Army. The second was developed for General Electric Co. and NASA for the Skylab program. Mr. Bushman contributed to these projects as an engineer in Sierra's research and development department. The Sierra Armored Vehicle Crewman's (AVC) Helmet records form the bulk of the correspondence. The records relate to the development, testing and manufacturing of the helmet and associated parts. Much of the correspondence relates to testing and development.

Suitcase materials relate to luggage molded of reinforced plastics developed by Edwin Bushman for the General American Transportation Corp. (GATX) of Chicago, Illinois and Belber Trunk & Bag Co., of Philadelphia. A new firm, Saberly Products Corp., was established to assemble and merchandise the new line of luggage under the Saberly name.

Survival kit materials consist of correspondence, reports, photographs, and technical drawings/blueprints that relate to Mr. Bushman’s work developing a survival kit container for the Boeing Airplane Company of Seattle, Washington while employed as the technical director at General American Transportation Corp. (GATX). The papers consist mainly of sales invoices and testing information for the survival kit. The photographs document testing activities and contain photos with a press release.

Taperflex of America materials relate to Mr. Bushman's work with the company Taperflex of America, a maker of molded water skis in San Fernando, California. The bulk of the series consists of inter-office memos found in the correspondence sub-series. Photographs illustrate the molding process.

Miscellany contains records that relate to professional memberships and social events as well as projects throughout Mr. Bushman's career. The material includes correspondence and reports, newsletters, product literature, photographs, technical drawings and blueprints.

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Arrangement of the Collection

The collection is arranged into seven series by project, as it was received, to preserve the original order and context. The series are arranged chronologically.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has numerous holdings in the areas of plastics and industrial design. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Edwin F. Bushman Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Transfer from National Plastics Center and Museum, 6 Nov 2008. Originally, gift of Joan Bushman, 2007.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MCZ
Date: 2007
Revision history: Feb 2009 - converted to EAD (MRC); 25 March 2011 - enhance description (SDG)

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Inventory

	Bottle holder
Map-Case 97		Blueprints (reprographic copies) 1949
Box 1		Correspondence 1950
Oversize 1		Hand drawings, blueprints 1949, undated (3 folders, 5 blueprints, 6 drawings)
Box 1		Technical drawings 1947-1950

	FLUOR Products Company
Box 3		Correspondence 1957-1962 - includes report, "The Use of FLUOR Poly-Grid in Trickling Filters"
Box 3		Newsletters and product literature 1957, undated - "Fluor-o-scope" (July-August 1957 and September-October 1957); product literature for cooling towels and the poly-grid packing product
Box 8		Photographs undated
Box 3		Technical drawing 1962

	Helmet
Box 5		Correspondence 1971-1979 - some with attached technical drawings and photos (5 folders)
Box 6		Interview script undated
Box 6		Product literature, advertisements, ephemera 1968-1972, undated
Box 8		Photographs 1972, undated
Box 6		Technical reports 1961-1976 (5 folders)
Oversize 1		Technical report, "First Polymide-Fiberglass Composite Bump Helmet for Flight in NASA's Skylab and Space Shuttle Missions"
Box 8		Technical drawings, hand drawings 1971-1972, undated

	Suitcase
Oversize 1		Blueprints, photostats 1952, 1957
Box 2		Correspondence 1953 - includes reprint of an article by Bushman, published in the March issue of Modern Plastics
Oversize 1		Hand drawings undated
Box 2		Photographs 1951-1952
Box 2		Technical report undated - preliminary report to be presented at a meeting of the Reinforced Plastics Division of the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) to be held on February 18-20, 1953

	Survival kit
Oversize 1		Blueprint
Box 1		Correspondence 1955-1984 (6 folders)
Box 2		Newsletter, Convairiety May, 1959
Box 7		Photographs 1957-1967, undated - folder 3 contains a letter and copies of press release from August 10, 1967, announcing that GATX was awarded a Defense Department contract to produce survival kit containers to be used by the air force in Vietnam (3 folders)
Box 2		Product literature (2 folders)
Oversize 1		Product literature, oversize
Box 7		Scrapbook 1957 - photos and one measured drawing for "Proposed Operating Handle for Global Survival Kit"
Box 13		Technical drawings/blueprints 1951-1964
Box 2		Technical reports 1957-1969 - one photo in folder 3 and one bound report (4 folders)

	Taperflex of America
Box 3		Correspondence 1973-1981
Box 3		Drawings undated - molding process and manufacturing set up
Box 8		Photographs 1973-1984
Box 3		Product literature 1973, undated
Box 8		Slides, color 1978 (64 items)
Box 3		Taperpro USA letterhead
Box 3		Technical drawings of ski mold 1974-1979

	Miscellany
Box 4		Calling card file, Sierra Engineering Co. undated
Box 4		Company directory undated
Box 3		Correspondence 1950-1990 (8 folders)
Oversize 1		Correspondence, oversize 1982-1983
Box 4		Newsletters 1980-1981 (2 folders)
Oversize 2		Photo album and notes 1950s
			Agenda, notes and photo album of Corps of Engineers Public Hearing re: “Harbor at Camp Pendleton with a view to shore protection and Agua Hediona Lagoon small boat harbor” (May 21, 1959); Agenda and note re: California Division of Small Craft Harbors Commission meeting (June 8, 1959).
Box 9, 10, 11		Photographs 1952-1992, undated
Box 4		Product literature 1937, 1966, 1968, undated (3 folders)
Box 4		Reports pre-1953, 1982 (8 folders)
		Reprints
Box 4			"An Engineering Interpretation of the Economic and Financial Aspects of American Industry, Volume VII" 1946
Box 4			"Reinforcing Reinforced Plastics" from Modern Plastics Dec. 1952
Box 4			"Role of Plastics in Diversified Western Economy" from Western Plastics June 1966
Box 3, 12		Scrapbooks and contents of photo albums
Box 4		Society of Plastics Industry directory 1957
Box 13		Technical drawings / blueprints 1950s
Map-Case 97		Technical drawings, pencil on plastic 1990
Box 4		Yearbooks, Society of Plastics Engineers directory 1973-1983

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