Meteor: Kansas City, Mo./Topeka, Kans. (1937 August 4), 1937

This collection houses research notes, correspondence, newspaper clippings, receipts, invoices, drafts and final versions of books and articles, photographs, and other materials documenting H. H. Nininger’s fieldwork, research on meteoritical and biological topics, professional publications, personal writings, participation in professional organizations, and personal life. It has been divided into eight series.

The bulk of Series I: Research and Fieldwork is composed of Nininger’s research into meteoritic falls in the United States. Folder titles for the files containing this research begin with Meteor and include a brief description of the meteor’s geographic location and the date(s) the meteor was sighted on. These files commonly contain copies of the announcements that Nininger ran in local newspapers soliciting information about recent meteoritic falls, correspondence received from witnesses, notes regarding other potential sources of information, and maps and/or notes describing the meteor’s flight path. This series also houses the results of chemical analyses performed on meteoritic specimens, materials documenting explorations of meteorite impact sites, notes on possible meteoritic falls requiring further investigation, and correspondence between Nininger and his field man, Alex Richards.

Series II: Professional Correspondence and Notes consists primarily of Nininger’s correspondence (incoming and outgoing) with fellow researchers regarding meteoritical subjects and with non-scientists who believed that they had found a meteorite. Additional notes regarding meteoritical subjects are also included. In some cases, these notes appear to be typed compilations of field notes and excerpts from letters regarding specific meteorites. The original folder titles, which list either the person or institution Nininger was corresponding with or the subject they were corresponding about, have been retained.

Series III: Meteorite Laboratories and Museums has been divided into two sub-series. Sub-Series A: Business Records houses correspondence, invoices, and receipts documenting meteorites that Nininger bought from, sold to, or exchanged with other individuals and organizations. Nininger even arranged to pay his children’s college tuition in meteorites (see box 29, folder 4; box 33, folder 26; and box 36, folder 12). Personal correspondence can occasionally be found in these files. For example, box 34, folder 1 houses a series of letters documenting F. W. Cassirer’s escape from Nazi-occupied Europe with his family. Sub-Series B: Other Papers houses additional materials documenting the Nininger Laboratories, the American Meteorite Laboratory, and the American Meteorite Museum. Among these papers are publicity materials, sales records, and reports of supposed meteorites.

Series IV: Publications has been divided into five sub-series. Sub-Series A: Books houses illustrations, drafts, copyright information, correspondence, and other pre-publication materials documenting several of Nininger’s published monographs and an unpublished autobiography titled Follow Thy Star. Although the unidentified publication housed in boxes 54-57 could not be identified definitively, the similarity between the materials used in its page mock-ups and those used in the mock-ups for Meteorites: A Photographic Survey of Surface Features indicate that this item is most likely either a draft of Part I that was cut substantially prior to publication or a draft of an unpublished Part III.

Sub-Series B: Published Articles by H. H. Nininger houses drafts and final versions of articles that appeared in a variety of journals. Although most of these articles discuss meteoritical topics, a few deal with biology. Sub-Series C: Unpublished Articles by H. H. Nininger houses hand- and typewritten versions of articles and essays that did not appear in published form. These articles discuss a wide variety of topics, including meteorites, nature, religion, education, tobacco use, gun laws, travel, inaccuracies in textbooks, the importance (or lack thereof) of academic degrees, Nininger’s interactions with and opinions of professional scientists, prehistoric animals, early man, and other subjects.

Sub-Series D: Correspondence Regarding Articles houses letters exchanged between Nininger and representatives of various journals and magazines regarding manuscripts that Nininger submitted for consideration and articles scheduled to appear in the near future. Sub-Series E: Articles by Other Authors houses copies of articles written by others that Nininger collected. In some cases, the article’s author sent a courtesy copy to Nininger.

Series V: Teaching and Lectures has been divided into two sub-series. Sub-Series A: Teaching houses correspondence and other materials documenting Nininger’s work with the Kansas Extension Service, the University of Denver, and the Rocky Mountain Summer School. Sub-Series B: Lectures and Talks houses Nininger’s notes for lectures and letters of appreciation received from attendees. It is arranged alphabetically by lecture title (where available) and then by the name of the group Nininger presented to. Nininger did not keep a comprehensive lecture file, but lists of the lectures he recalled are available in Box 68, Folder 59.

Series VI: Professional Organizations and Conferences consists primarily of correspondence and conference programs documenting Nininger’s membership in and activity with various professional organizations, including the Society for Research on Meteorites. In some cases, drafts of conference papers that Nininger presented are present.

Series VII: Personal Papers has been divided into two sub-series. Sub-Series A: Correspondence houses letters that Nininger exchanged with friends and family members. Most discuss family news and local events. Sub-Series B: Other Materials includes such records as biographical information regarding H. H. Nininger, funeral announcements and obituaries, receipts from research trips to Europe and Asia, interviews that George A. and Connie Boyd and Kristine Haglund conducted with Nininger, items documenting awards and honors conferred on Nininger, and other papers.