The William C. Parkinson Papers consist of 5.25 linear feet of documents relating to the professional career of physics professor William C. Parkinson, spanning years 1950 through 1990 with the bulk of the material dating from 1950 to 1980. The papers were received in two major accession in July 1991 and May 2012.
The first accession was broken into five series: Cyclotron, Physics Department, Professional Organizations, Swimming Judging and Timing System, and University Committees. There is also a folder entitled "Biographical/Historical Information" at the beginning of the collection which includes a 1974 vita and a publication on the cyclotron laboratory of which Parkinson was director.
The 2012 Accession included additions to the Cyclotron and Physics Department series and two new series: Consulting and Visual Materials.
William C. Parkinson was born February 11, 1918 in Jarvis, Ontario. He received his BSE (1940), Master's (1941), and Ph.D. (1948), all in physics, from the University of Michigan. His professional association with the University of Michigan began in 1936 when he became a research assistant. In 1942, he left Ann Arbor to become a physicist at the Applied Physics Lab at Johns Hopkins University. He also worked at Johns Hopkins' Office of Science Research and Development in 1943-44. Parkinson returned to the University of Michigan in 1946 as a research fellow. In 1947 he joined the faculty as an instructor and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1948 then to professor in 1958. From 1962 to 1977, Parkinson also was the director of the cyclotron laboratory on the Ann Arbor campus.
The cyclotron was an "atom-smasher" that accelerated particles to relatively high energy, and was a principal instrument for research in nuclear structure physics. The University of Michigan cyclotron program dates back to 1935 when what was then the largest cyclotron in the world was constructed. The facility was remodeled and updated in 1950 with help from the UM Phoenix Project. In 1960, a grant from the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) as well as $1.1 million from the Michigan State Legislature provided for the construction of the University-owned building to house both the original 42-inch cyclotron and a new 83-inch cyclotron.
Parkinson has had four patents issued which are associated with various research projects. These include a method and apparatus for measuring the velocity of a projectile (1961), method and apparatus for remotely controlling an airborne vehicle (1950), and two versions of an automatic timing and sequence-indicating system used in swimming (1966, 1967).
His swim judging and timing system came from his own love of the sport and his experiences as a timer at Michigan swimming meets. He felt that the human factor in timing and judging led to too many disputes and uncertainties. His impressions were borne out when there was a controversial decision in the outcome of the 100-meter men's freestyle race in the 1960 Olympics. A more universal need for an accurate system led to more interest in the system Parkinson had been working on since 1958 with Michigan swim coach Gus Stager. Parkinson's system used two electrical circuits and contact plates. The timing circuit, started by the sharp report of the starting gun, was stopped by the first contact plate being touched. The judging circuit gave the order or sequence of finish. "Touch pads" were lowered into the pool at the last lap for swimmers to make contact with and record the times. The system effectively eliminated the human link, except for the placing of the contact pads, and was unaffected by waves and splash.
Parkinson served on various professional and university committees during his lifetime, which highlight his own varied professional and personal interests. He was named a Fulbright Scholar (1952-53) and served as a consultant for Oak Ridge National Lab (1955-1960), Los Alamos National Lab (1958-60), and Argonne National Lab (1959-60). His membership on various university committees ranged from the Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics to Rackham Divisional Board policies and the Biophysics Research Division Executive Committee.
Parkinson retired on May 31, 1988, was appointed Professor Emeritus, and was reappointed to active status for Fall 1989. Parkinson passed away on March 19, 2012.
