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ARF/IITRI Office records, 1936-1999

 Collection
Identifier: 031.03.01

Miscellaneous office files of IIT Research Institute, some dated to its prior identity as Armour Research Foundation of IIT. Also includes materials related to Tech Center Club (dining room?), to Corplan, and to A.R.F. Develpment Corporation (as opposed to Armour Research Foundation), which was "...organized for the purpose of engaging in the broadcasting, recording, reproduction or transmission of sound, pictures or other images...." See below for folder titles and dates. NOTE that access to some materials in this collection is restricted. BOX 1 Folder No. 1-Corporate Records: Articles of Incorporation, 1936. 2-Corporate Records: Bylaws, 1989. 3-IIT 19th Floor Lease (Tower Building), 1981. 4-C. G. Conn, Ltd., 1950; includes magnetic recorder patent assignment. 5-Magnetic Recorder [Patent] Assignments, 1944-1947. 6-International Research & Development Corp., 1951-1954; includes magnetic recorder patent assignments. 7-Real Estate Appraisal, 1965, includes buildings (Arcades Building and Binga Bank Building , with photos) and land for site of IIT Tower Building. 8-ARF Development, 1963; includes corporate tax return. 9-ARF Development, 1964; includes corporate tax return. 10-ARF Development, 1965; includes corporate tax return. 11-ARF Development, 1966; includes corporate tax return. 12-ARF Development, 1967; includes corporate tax return. 13-ARF Development, 1968; includes corporate tax return. 14-ARF Development, 196; includes corporate tax return. 15-ARF Development, 1969; includes Illinois corporate tax return. 16-Corporate Tax Return, 1977; includes Form 990. 17-Transition, Inc., 1966; includes tax return. 18-Patent Agreement, 1983; concerns R. H. Snow; J. E. Bridges; A. Taflove. 19-Concept III, 1991. 20-Capital Assets, 1974-1983. 21-Gas Research Institute, 1977-1980; includes lease file. 22-General IIT Land Lease Agreement, 1965-1981. 23-IGT Parking Lot Lease, 1981. BOX 2 Folder No. 24-Riverbank Lease File, 1939-1999; concerns Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories. 25-Professional Engineering License, 1991; includes Richard H. Snow's license (copy). 26-United Computing Systems, Inc., 1981; concerns computer services contract. 27-Engineering Research Building Construction Documents, 1944-1946; aka, ARF's ERB building. 28-Tech Center Club Documents, 1961. 29-ARF Pilot Plant Lease, 1959. 30-Atwell Building Lease and Appraisal, 1951-1954. 31-Donnelley Building, 1963; concerns the lease. 32-[South] Elgin, Ill. Property Lease, 1961; concerns Riverbank laboratory property? BOX 3 Folder No. 33-Physics & Electrical Engineering Research Building Land Lease, 1955; aka, Nuclear Reactor Building. 34-Various Legal Documents, 1940-1948; concerns name changes from 1936 incorporation as Research Foundation of Armour Institute of Technology to Armour Research Foundation [8/26/1940] and from Armour Research Foundation to Armour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology [6/25/1945]. Also concerns ARF Buildings No. 1 (at 35 W. 33rd St.), No. 2 (Engineering Building and Shops at 3312 S. State St.), No. 3 (Metals Research at 3340 S. Federal St., aka, Minerals and Metals Building), and No. 4 (at 3309 S. Dearborn St.). 35-University Computing Corp. Lease, 1970. 36-Price Waterhouse Audit of Magnetic Recording Income, 1969. 37-Miscellaneous Statements, 1943-1944; concerns the Alfred E. Eustice scholarship. Also an Agreement between ARF and Utah Radio Products Co. concerning manufacture of portable magnetic recorders. 38-Leases & Amendments, 1951-1976; concerns various buildings leased by ARF, including Chemistry Research Building and Metals Research Building, AKA Minerals and Metals Building; M&M Building). 39-Grants, Mortgage Releases, Waivers, 1961-1963; concerns contractors and work done by each on Chemistry Research Building and M. E. Building (Mechanical & Electrical Engineering). Also concerns use for the ARF Univac 1105 Computer by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. 40-Corplan Profit Sharing, 1969. RESTRICTED FILE. 41-A. R. F. Development Corporation, Book I, 1954-1979. RESTRICTED FILE. BOX 4 Folder No. 42-A. R. F. Development Corporation, Book II, 1964-1990; continuation of # 41 above. RESTRICTED FILE. 43-A. R. F. Development Corporation Dissolution, 1987-1991. RESTRICTED FILE. 44-A. R. F. Development Corporation Financial Statements, 1960-1985. RESTRICTED FILE. 45-A. R. F. Development Corporation General, 1956-1964. RESTRICTED FILE. 46-IIT/ITRI Land Lease Agreement, 1981. RESTRICTED FILE. 47-Land Leasehold & Appraisals with IIT, 1954-1965; includes building names, locations, square feet, lease costs and building appraisal figures. RESTRICTED FILE.

Dates

  • Creation: 1936-1999

Creator

Language of Materials

Records are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Restricted Collection

Collection Size

4 Box

Biographical Note

Armour Research Foundation (ARF) was one of the first private, not-for-profit contract research laboratories in the United States. Begun in Chicago in 1936 by Armour Institute of Technology (AIT), ARF was acquired by Illinois Institute of Technology in 1940 when IIT was created by the merger of AIT and Lewis Institute. Re-named Armour Research Foundation of Illinois Institute of Technology, it was later reorganized as the IIT Research Institute (IITRI). Under all its iterations, the laboratory conducted research for commercial and government sources, expanding to an international operation. Per IIT President John L. Anderson's April e-newsletter to the campus community, "In 2002, Alion purchased the non-life-science assets of IIT Research Institute.... IITRI remains an IIT-controlled company and is led by David McCormick, who is also professor of biology at the university.... [In March 2010] the university received a cash payment...in exchange for our final holdings of bonds and warrants in Alion...." Source: IIT Archives (Chicago). Please cite source when quoting this information. Please send corrections or additional information about this topic to archives@iit.edu.

Provenance

Materials were transferred to the IIT Archives from Alion Science and Technology, a successor to IITRI.; formerly 2010.012

Appraisal

These materials have not been individually searched, but folder titles suggest the possible inclusion of several significant documents for their historic interest.

Processor

Catherine Bruck, University Archivist April 2010

Part of the Paul V. Galvin Library. University Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
35 West 33rd Street
Chicago IL 60616
(312) 567-5993

Paul V. Galvin Library

35 West 33rd Street | Chicago, IL | 60616
312.567.6847 library@iit.edu