Biographical

Title

Biographical

Shelfmark

MS. Coulson 19

Summary

Folder A.19.1: 'Philosophical Transactions of the Avuncular Society. Volume two'. Notes and reflections by Coulson on factors in his own development, and especially on religion; mostly June 1930-June 1932, with one letter from Douglas Lea 1938.

Folder A.19.2: 'Letters to Arthur, Vol. One July 1930-July 1932'. 10 letters, each separately filed and titled by Coulson, on various topics: work and career at Cambridge, politics, Christian marriage, etc.

Folder A.19.3: 'C's ideas', 1931-1932. Notes and reflections on:

'What I believe'

'Free Will'

'How to pray'

'My testimony'

'Draft. Albert Hall Speech'

Folder A.19.4: Sermons, Vol. 1, June 1931-July 1932. 9 sermons, each separately filed and titled by Coulson.

Folder A.19.5: 'Short diary 1933'. Also Coulson's declaration of intent to give 10% of his income throughout his life to religious purposes, 1931.

Folder A.19.6: Miscellaneous press-cuttings, mainly regarding Coulson's religious activities, 1932-1962.

Folder A.19.7: Miscellaneous printed obituaries and tributes to Coulson. Includes a copy of the appeal letter for the Charles Coulson Memorial Fund 'to further study and research in Theoretical Chemistry and related subjects, particularly by providing financial assistance for scholars from abroad who would wish to come to Oxford'.

Folder A.19.8: Correspondence with University Library, Cambridge, regarding Coulson's notes of lectures attended by him as an undergraduate and graduate 1931-1933, and deposited by him in the Library 1970 and 1972.

The notes, 'about 2 feet or a few inches more', are of lectures by J.J. Thomson, Rutherford, Besicovitch, Sir Harold Jeffreys, Eddington, S. Chandrasekhar, R.H. Fowler, Blackett, Cockcroft and others, described by Coulson as 'the greatest collection of physicists ever to be in the same laboratory at the same time... To work in the Cavendish at that time was almost overwhelming'.

Coulson later (1972) added his notes on 'the first set of lectures ever given in this country on quantum chemistry' by Lennard-Jones in Cambridge in 1933. He also gave various reminiscences of lectures and their methods, and an account of his own painstaking system of note-taking and writing up of material.

Folder A.19.9: Miscellaneous printed matter relating to CAC's scientific and religious activities; various dates 1936-1973, and a photocopy of the advertisement for the first appointment to the newly-established Coulson Professorship of Theoretical Chemistry, University of Oxford, 1976.

Date

1930-1976

Language

English

Physical extent

9 folders