"Murphy's law" interview, likely early 1949

[Jonathan Lighter]

Sounds like we're getting close.

JL

On Tue, Jun 9, 2009 at 8:04 AM, Stephen Goranson <goranson at duke.edu> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Stephen Goranson <goranson at DUKE.EDU>
> Subject:      "Murphy's law" interview, likely early 1949
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> As previously noted, a Murdoc/Edwards AFB "Murphy's Law" origin scenario
> was
> said (by Nick T. Spark) to be dated (about) June or later, 1949.
> The interview by Anne Roe with the theoretical physicist who is now
> identified
> (thanks to American Philosophical Society archives) as Howard Percy "Bob"
> Robertson apparently took place in early 1949, probably before the above
> scenario. Roe wrote Robertson on Dec. 13, 1948, requesting an interview.
> Robertson replied on Dec. 16, 1948 affirmatively and said she will find him
> at
> her disposal in the next three months. So, probably, he spoke about
> Murphy's
> law and said "I always liked Murphy's law" in early 1949.
> This new information comes thanks to Shelley (Charlotte) Erwin, PhD, Senior
> Archivist, California Institute of Technology.
> Perhaps worth noting: Robertson's sometime mentor at U. of Washington and
> later
> colleague at CalTech was E.T. Bell, also known to science fiction readers
> as
> John Taine. Science fiction is one of the realms where the named "law"
> appeared
> relatively early. Besides Taine, physicist George Moseley Murphy (who wrote
> much on thermodynamics) is a potential namer or source.
>
> Stephen Goranson
> http://www.duke.edu/~goranson
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org