Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences Audiovisual Collection
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Abstract
This collection includes audiovisual and born-digital recordings of events at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, including lectures given by faculty and guests, symposia, anniversary celebrations, and the Warren Weaver Hall Dedication Ceremony; interviews with scholars and faculty including Ernest Courant, Herbert Morawetz, and Harold Shapiro; early forays into animation, likely by the Computer Science Program; and promotional materials, such as brochures, promotional images, and a 75th Anniversary video. The Courant Institute initially grew from the Graduate School of Arts and Science's Department of Mathematics and serves as New York Unviersity's mathematics research school.
Historical Note
The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences serves as New York University's mathematics research school. It grew from the Graduate School of Arts and Science's Department of Mathematics, which began to focus on research projects following Richard Courant's appointment in 1935. The Institute was named the Institute for Mathematics and Mechanics in 1946. In that year and 1954, research projects led to the establishment of the Division of Wave Propagation and Applied Mathematics and the Division of Magnetofluid Dynamics, respectively. NYU's first computer was installed at the Courant Institute in 1952, and its Computer Science program rapidly developed to include research on programming languages, computer graphics, parallel architectures, and theory. In 1965 the Institute was renamed after Richard Courant and moved to the newly constructed Warren Weaver Hall, where a majority of its activities still take place. The Division of Computational Fluid Dynamics was created in 1978.
Arrangement
This collection has not been arranged by an archivist. The materials are arranged in the order in which they were received from the donor.
Scope and Contents
This collection includes audiovisual and born-digital recordings of events at the Courant Institute, including lectures given by faculty and guests, symposia, anniversary celebrations, and the Warren Weaver Hall Dedication Ceremony; interviews with scholars and faculty, including Ernest Courant, Herbert Morawetz, and Harold Shapiro; early forays into animation, likely by the Computer Science Program; and promotional materials, such as brochures, promotional images, and a 75th Anniversary video. Lectures and discussions explore topics such as improvisational animation, automation and robotics, operating systems, and fractal interfaces.
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Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences are maintained by New York University. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from repository. Please contact New York University Archives, special.collections@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences Audiovisual Collection; MC 387; box number; folder number or item identifier; New York University Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred by Meg Smith to the New York University Archives from the Courant Institute in the summer of 2023 when the Courant Institute Library closed. The accession number associated with this transfer is 2023.052.
Audiovisual Access Policies and Procedures
Audiovisual materials have not been preserved and may not be available to researchers. Materials not yet digitized will need to have access copies made before they can be used. To request an access copy, or if you are unsure if an item has been digitized, please contact [New York University Archives, special.collections@nyu.edu, 212-998-2596] with the collection name, collection number, and a description of the item(s) requested. A staff member will respond to you with further information.
Born-Digital Access Policies and Procedures
Access to born-digital material is available via streaming to the NYU network. Researchers may view an item's original container and/or carrier, but the physical carriers themselves are not available for use because of preservation concerns.
About this Guide
Processing Information
At the time of accessioning, materials were rehoused in archival boxes. File titles are direct transcriptions of item labels. 48 optical discs and one hard drive were forensically imaged, analyzed, and arranged in Forensic Toolkit. New York University Libraries follow professional standards and best practices when imaging, ingesting, and processing born-digital material in order to maintain the integrity of the content.