Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Lester Paige Breckenridge Papers
UA.17.8
Table of Contents
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."
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.
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.
Administrative Information
Publication Information
Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections
Conrad Hall888 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.
Related Materials
Related Archival Materials
See also Moses P. Breckenridge papers (c.00155)
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
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 |
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| 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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