Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction .

Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Hartley A. Soule Papers, Ms1987-004, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Hartley A. Soule Papers were donated to Special Collections in 1986.

Processing Information

Initial processing was completed in the late 1980s by Special Collections staff. Additional processing, arrangement, and description of the collection commenced in June 2012 and was completed in October 2012.

Final processing and description was completed in May 2024 as part of the project, "Piercing the Veil: Creating Access to the Archives of American Aerospace Exploration at Virginia Tech," funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) .

Biographical Note

Hartley A. Soule (1904-1988) was an aeronautical engineer and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator. He received his B.S. degree from New York University in 1927 and joined the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA; later NASA) the same year. His list of positions at Langley included head of the Spin Tunnel Section, Chief of the Stability Research Division, and Assistant Director. Soule assisted in establishing the NASA High Speed Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base and the Mercury Ground Tracking and Data Acquisition System, and led development on the X-1 and X-15 experimental jet programs. He retired from NASA in 1962.

Scope and Content

The Hartley A. Soule Papers, 1945-1972, n.d., include notes, memoranda, calculations, and drawings on the High-Speed Flight Research Station (1950-1954); Research Airplane Program (1953-1957); X-15 program (1958-1962); Dyna Soar program (1957-1962); Projects Mercury and Gemini (1961-1962); and history of the high-speed aircraft program (1963-1967).

Materials are arranged in two series. Series I: Papers, 1945-1972, n.d., includes notes, correspondence, memos, subject files, and work projects. Series II: Publications, 1959-1967, n.d., contains bound reports, scientific publications, and journals.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in two series:

Series I: Papers, 1945-1972, n.d., is organized by subject/material type. Files are in alphabetical order.

Series II: Publications, 1959-1967, n.d., is organized chronologically.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Aeronautical engineers
• Archives of American Aerospace Exploration (AAAE)
• Science and Technology
• United States -- National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics -- Officials and employees
• United States -- National Aeronautics and Space Administration -- Officials and employees
• United States. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
• United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Hartley A. Soule Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).