Archives Center, National Museum of American History
William R. Stone Microwave Oven Papers
Hoffman, Robin
Raytheon Company
Stone, William R., 1920-2006
NMAH.AC.1320
Archival Resource Key
0.6 Cubic feet
2 boxes
1967-1989, undated
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.
English
.
Restrictions on Access
Collection open for research on site by appointment. Unprotected photographs must be handled with gloves.
Ownership and Custodial History
Donated to the Archives Center in 2014 by Robin Hoffman, William Stone's daughter.
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
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.
Preferred Citation
William R. Stone Microwave Oven Papers, 1967-1989, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Vanessa Broussard-Simmons, archivist, 2023, and Audrey Willius, intern, 2023.
Related Materials
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Archives Center Cookbook Collection, NMAH.AC.0510
Servodyne Corporation Records, NMAH.AC.0839
Nordic Ware Collection, NMAH.AC.0980
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.
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.
Articles -- 1950-2000
Design drawings -- 20th century
Engineers -- 20th century
Graphs
Memorandums -- 1950-2000
Microwave equipment industry
Microwave heating
Microwave ovens
Microwave oven industry
Notes
Patents -- 20th century
Photographs -- 20th century
Reports
Safety
Specifications
Trade literature
Oysters -- Shucking
Outer space -- Exploration -- United States
Hoffman, Robin
Correspondence
Series 1
Archival Resource Key
1969-1985
Scope and Contents
Contains the incoming and outgoing communications of Stone primarily with colleagues working for the Raytheon Company and others in the field. Most of the communications relate to his publications, conferences, research and/or patents and include invention documentation. The materials are arranged in chronological order.
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1969
1
1
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1970
1
2
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1971
1
3
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1974
1
4
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1976
1
5
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1977
1
6
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1978
1
7
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1980
1
8
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1981
1
9
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1983
1
10
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1984
1
11
Correspondence
Archival Resource Key
1985
1
12
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Series 2
Archival Resource Key
1981-1985
Scope and Contents
Consist of materials created and distributed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an agency within the United States government, that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the country. Materials are arranged in chronological order.
Digest of the 1981 Microwave Power Symposium
Archival Resource Key
1981
1
13
Application for prototype certification for RadarLine model number QMP210A-6
Archival Resource Key
1981 June 17
1
14
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules and regulations Part 18
Archival Resource Key
1981 July
1
15
Electromagnetic interference test report on Model MK50
Archival Resource Key
1982 August 17
1
16
Notice of proposed rule change for FCC
Archival Resource Key
1983 January 21
1
17
Electromagnetic interference test report for FCC compliance
Archival Resource Key
1983 March 14
1
18
Proceedings of hearing to revise part 18 governing industrial, scientific, and medical equipment
Archival Resource Key
1984 December 18
1
19
Application for prototype certification for RadarLine model number QMP2103
Archival Resource Key
1985 January, undated
1
20
FCC compliance test report on tempering tunnel
Archival Resource Key
1985 February 26
1
21
FCC report
Archival Resource Key
1985 August 21
1
22
Conferences and Symposiums
Series 3
Archival Resource Key
1969-1980
Scope and Contents
Include materials either created for or used at various conferences and are arranged in chronological order.
Registrants for Aerospace Food Technology Conference
Archival Resource Key
1969 April 15-17
1
23
Agenda for training program on RadarLine Microwave Tunnel
Archival Resource Key
1976 August 16-18
1
24
The Case for Microwave Safety presented at Microwave Education: How and What to Teach
Archival Resource Key
1980 February 24
1
25
Literature for the Trade
Series 4
Archival Resource Key
1967-1986, undated
Scope and Contents
Include technical materials created for the industry and relating to microwave use and its safety. Materials are arranged in chronological order.
The Electronic Engineer Advertisment
Archival Resource Key
1967 October
1
26
Literature on industrial food applications
Archival Resource Key
1974-1986
1
27
Microwave safety booklet
Archival Resource Key
1975 December
1
28
History of microwave heating applications
Archival Resource Key
1984 September
1
29
Microwave cooking pamphlet
Archival Resource Key
undated
1
30
Microwaves: What Are They? RadarLine report
Archival Resource Key
undated
1
31
Consumer Materials
Series 5
Archival Resource Key
1979-1980, undated
Scope and Contents
Consist of materials directed towards the consumer market as a means of educating it on the use and safety of microwave ovens. Materials are arranged in chronological order.
The Microwave Oven Safety pamphlet
Archival Resource Key
1979
1
32
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consumer memo on microwave radiation
Archival Resource Key
1979 March
1
33
The language of microwave ovens pamphlet
Archival Resource Key
1980
1
34
Dispensing the Myths and Mysteries of Microwave Cooking pamphlet
Archival Resource Key
undated
1
35
Notes and Drafts
Series 6
Archival Resource Key
1971-1981, undated
Scope and Contents
Contains the rough drafts, notes, and calulations of Stone's work before the materials become patents, publications, and conference presentations. The materials are arranged in choronlogical order.
Records and notes
Archival Resource Key
1971-1981, undated
1
37
Plans and drafts
Archival Resource Key
1977, undated
1
38
Power ratio and numbers
Archival Resource Key
undated
1
39
Handwritten notes and calculations
Archival Resource Key
undated
1
40
Circular wave guide mode chart
Archival Resource Key
undated
1
41
Raytheon Company Materials
Series 7
Archival Resource Key
1969-1989, undated
Scope and Contents
Include materials that were created or received by Stone in the course daily work for the company. The materials are arranged in chronological order.
Plant engineering materials and maintenance conference permissions and materials
Archival Resource Key
1969-1979, undated
2
1
Design consideration for Microwave Heating Space Food presentation at the University of South Florida
Archival Resource Key
1969 April 17
2
2
Microwave opening of oysters publication
Archival Resource Key
1969 October 1
2
3
Records and notes on solid state microwave oven
Archival Resource Key
1970, undated
2
4
Record of invention welding plastics
Archival Resource Key
1970 February-May
2
5
Microwave performance and application notes
Archival Resource Key
1971, undated
2
6
Records for RF Absorber
Archival Resource Key
1971, undated
2
7
Record of invention of dry wall absorber
Archival Resource Key
1917 March 12
2
8
Electromagnetic radiation interference with cardiac pacemakers
Archival Resource Key
1971 April
2
9
Microwave systems report
Archival Resource Key
1972 April 26
2
10
Historical profile
Archival Resource Key
1976 November
2
11
Reports on transfer molding in microwave technology
Archival Resource Key
1977, undated
2
12
Microwave processing equipment for foundry industry
Archival Resource Key
1978, undated
2
13
Plant Engineering Council (PEC)
Archival Resource Key
1979
2
14
Raytheon comments on General World Administrative Radio Conference of the International Telecommunication Union
Archival Resource Key
1978 August 8
2
15
Microwaves "What, Where, How" presented at Blue Ridge Rubber Group Fall Technical Meeting
Archival Resource Key
1980 October 24
2
16
Records on attenuator for continuous microwave processing equipment
Archival Resource Key
1982-1983
2
17
Industrial microwave processing equipment information
Archival Resource Key
1982 October
2
18
Osepchuk file
Archival Resource Key
1984-1985
2
19
United States Patent for Leakage Suppression Tunnel
Archival Resource Key
1984 December 11
2
20
Microwave applications in the baking industry
Archival Resource Key
1985 September 16
2
21
Industrial microwave equipment information
Archival Resource Key
1989
2
21
Artwork template for use on VU-Graphs, 35 mm and 3 1/4 x 4 slides
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
23
Comparative technology study on tempering tunnel
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
24
Microwaves - What are they? publication
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
25
Safety of microwave ovens relative to microwave leakage report
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
26
Industrial Reports and Standards
Series 8
Archival Resource Key
1951-1984, undated
Memo on cut-off frequencies
Archival Resource Key
1951 October 31
2
27
Worldwide specifications on waveguides and flanges
Archival Resource Key
1967 July
2
28
Microwaves in food processing publication
Archival Resource Key
1970, undated
2
29
RPN technical notebook
Archival Resource Key
1980 November 10
2
30
Rules and regulations to non-ionizing radiation
Archival Resource Key
1984 December 19
2
31
Basic formulas for calorimetric power measurements
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
32
Considerations for microwave processing application presentation
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
33
Design parameters of microwave equipment for oyster processing
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
34
Microwave heating data
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
35
Tables of Constants for (Industrial, Scientific and Mechanical) ISM waveguides
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
36
The International Systems of Units
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
37
Other Materials
Series 9
Archival Resource Key
1971, undated
Scope and Contents
Contain resumes and images most likely of Raytheon Company employees. In addition, there are magazine articles and newspaper clippings relating to the leather industry and oyster shucking. Materials are arranged in chronological order.
Magazine and newspaper clippings
Archival Resource Key
1971
2
38
Biographical information
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
39
Photographs
Archival Resource Key
undated
2
40