Lester Paige Breckenridge Papers
UA.17.8

Summary Information

Repository
Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Creator - Donor
Breckenridge, L. P., (Lester Paige), 1858-1940
Title
Lester Paige Breckenridge papers
ID
UA.17.8
Date [inclusive]
1892-1925
Extent
1.0 Cubic feet
Language
English

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: "Item title, Collection title, Collection Identifier, Michigan State University Archives & Historical Collections, East Lansing, Michigan."

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Biographical Note

Lester Paige Breckenridge was born May 17, 1858 in Meriden, Connecticut to Moses P. and Lucretia (Wetherell) Breckenridge. He graduated from Yale's Sheffield Scientific School in 1881. He married May Brown on December 19, 1883 in Memphis, Tennessee. The couple had three children: Blanche F. (born 10-14-1884), Gladys S. (born 5-19-1888), May Harding (born 6-5-1890). Breckenridge was an instructor in the mechanical engineering department at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania from 1882-1884 and from 1886-1891. He was appointed at Michigan Agricultural College on August 24, 1891 as a professor of mechanical engineering and Director of the Shops. While at MAC, he worked on the college's exhibit at the 1893 World Fair in Chicago. In 1893 he left MAC for a position at the University of Illinois' Champaign-Urbana Campus as head of the department of mechanical engineering, where he was instrumental in creating an engineering experiment station in 1903. He served as the first director of the station from 1905-1909. He accepted a position at Yale in 1909 as professor of mechanical engineering, where he remained until his retirement in 1923 as professor of mechanical engineering emeritus. He became the first honorary member of Tau Beta Pi on November 5, 1892 on MAC's campus and later became the president of the organization's executive council. Breckenridge was also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Western Society of Engineers, the Society for Promotion of Engineering Education, the St. Louis Railway Club and the Western Railway Club.

He died August 22, 1940 in Charlotte, Vermont and is buried in Westfield, Massachusetts.

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Scope and Contents note

The collection consists of Breckenridge’s responses to correspondence including information about his attempts to patent an automatic recording machine, his position at Yale, and Jeme Tien Yow, a colleague and friend living in Peking, China.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections

Conrad Hall
888 Wilson Road, Room 101
East Lansing , MI, 48824
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu

Revision Description

 Added related materials note January 2015

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Legal Status note

Copyright: Michigan State University. Property Rights: Michigan State University.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

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Related Materials

Related Archival Materials

See also Moses P. Breckenridge papers (c.00155)

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • Michigan Agricultural College.

Genre(s)

  • Letters (correspondence)

Geographic Name(s)

  • Italy -- Description and travel

Personal Name(s)

  • Breckenridge, Moses P.
  • Dirks, Henry Bernhard
  • Dirks, Henry Bernhard, Mrs.
  • Yow, Jeme Tien

Subject(s)

  • Mechanical engineering
  • Patents
  • Stores, Retail

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Collection Inventory

Correspondence 

Box Folder

To father (M. P. Breckenridge) - 1892-1893 

579 1

Automatic Recording Machine and Miscellaneous 

Box Folder

 1900 - November 1901 

579 2

 December 1901 - August 1902 

579 3

 September 1902-1903 

579 4

Automatic Recording Machine 

Box Folder

 1904 - March 11, 1905 

579 5

 March 13, 1905-1909 

579 6

Turbines, Edward C. Schmidt 

Box Folder

 1904 - June 1905 

579 7

 November 1905-1907 

579 8

Miscellaneous 

Box Folder

 1904 - May 1905 

579 9

 June - October 1905 

579 10

 November 1905 - February 1906 

579 11

 March - June 1906 

579 12

 July - October 1906 

579 13

 November 1906 - January 1907 

579 14

 February - May 1907 

579 15

 June - October 5, 1907 

579 16

 October 8 - November 15, 1907 

579 17

 November 16 - December 1907 

579 18

 January - March 17, 1908 

579 19

 March 18 - June 1908 

579 20

 July - November 1908 

579 21

 December 1908 - January 1909 

579 22

 February - March 18, 1909 

579 23

 March 25 - April 1909 

579 24

 May - July 1909 

579 25

Position at Yale 

Box Folder

 January 1909 

579 26

 February 1-16, 1909 

579 27

 February 17-19, 1909 

579 28

 February 20, 1909 

579 29

 February 21-23, 1909 

579 30

 February 24-27, 1909 

579 31

 February 28 - March 9, 1909 

579 32

 March 11 - May 1909 

579 33

 June - December 1909 

579 34

Jeme Tien Yow in Peking 

Box Folder

 1906 

579 35

 1907, 1908 

579 36

 1909-1911 

579 37

 1913-1917 

579 38

 April - August 1918 

579 39

 September 1918-1925, Undated 

579 40

Professor Henry B. Dirks 

Box Folder

 1915 - March 1919 

579 41

 April - June 1919 

579 42

Tour of Italy 

Box
579
Folder
43
Box Folder

 1924 - February 18, 1925 

579 43

 February 19 - April 1925 

579 44

Miscellaneous 

Box
579
Folder
45

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