Paul Webb Collection

The Paul Webb Collection consists of records accumulated by Dr. Paul Webb between the years 1953 and 1993. It is arranged in five series and six subseries. The bulk of the collection consists of the records of Dr. Webb's research firm, Webb Associates, relating to three major calorimetry studies the company conducted for the Air Force, the Office of Naval Research, and the U. S. Department of Agriculture, as well as several smaller projects. These studies measure the amount of body heat given off by a subject, i.e. the energy used, and how it was affected by different variables. The collection also includes correspondence relating to these studies, publications by Dr. Webb, and several suits either used or designed by Webb.

Series I, Experiment Data and Notes, consists of records and information accumulated by Webb Associates during the course of three major contracted studies, as well as scattered data from miscellaneous experiments and work undertaken by Webb and his company. It is divided into four subseries based on the entity that contracted the study.

Subseries IA, Office of Naval Research (ONR) Studies, contains data and experiment summaries for body heat loss studies Webb performed from 1972 to 1982. Dr. Webb describes these studies in Chapter 5 of Human Calorimeters.

Subseries IB, Air Force Sleep Loss Study (AFSL), contains data, as well as the project contract, for a sleep loss study Webb performed in 1978-1979. The data includes graphs, food diaries and printouts for several subjects, both male and female. The variables in these tests are sleep and diet. Progress reports and correspondence for the Navy and Air Force studies can be found in Series II.

Subseries IC, USDA Study (USDA), contains notes and data from calorimetry experiments undertaken by Webb Associates for the USDA. The purpose of the experiments was to examine the effect of different diets on energy use. There were two distinct studies, "Overeating" and "Undereating," carried out from the summer of 1979 to the summer of 1981. Each study was divided into phases based on types of diet, caloric intake, and activity level. The subseries is organized with analyses of food and menu information first, followed by experiment data mostly in the form of graphs of energy expenditure, weight records, and analyses of waste matter, and experiment logs containing hour-by-hour activities, events, and equipment readings. Dr. Webb describes these experiments in Chapter 5 of Human Calorimeters.

Subseries ID, Other Projects, contains data and notes from various smaller projects undertaken by Webb and his company between 1967 and 1984. Projects include a study called CALDEP performed in Paris in 1983, comparing energy use of Asian men to that of American men; tests of a "thermistor harness," a device for measuring temperatures at various points on the body simultaneously; two relatively large but incompletely documented calorimetry studies labeled "AF" and "MSC" Calorimetry. This subseries also contains miscellaneous notes on elements of Webb's research, such as nutritional value of foods, methods of testing certain variables, and equipment used.

Series II, Research Correspondence, is a small series containing correspondence between Paul Webb and several research associates. There is correspondence with individuals in America and Europe. Project correspondence, contracts, and reports for Paul Webb's studies with the Navy and Air Force are also in the series. The series covers the years 1970 to 1993.

Series III, Articles and Publications, consists of published articles by Paul Webb. They cover a date range of 1953 - 1995. There is a draft of Webb's book, Human Calorimeters and preliminary artwork for this title. The book references some of the studies documented in Series I. Correspondence between Webb and his publisher, Praeger Scientific, can be found in Series II.

Series IV, Computer Data Cartridges, contains data collected and programs used in some of the experiments in Series I, including the USDA, ONR, and Air Force studies, as well as data from several smaller studies not documented elsewhere in the collection. It also contains test and calibration programs. The cartridges were probably used with a Hewlett-Packard 9825, an early desktop computer released in 1976, which Webb mentions in his notes for the USDA study. The same or a similar model would be required to read the data on these cartridges.

Series V, Suits, is broken up into two sub-series.

Subseries VA, Vari-Temp Suits, consists of Webb's Vari-temp suits, as well as photographs and specifications for the Vari-temp suits and correspondence between Webb and ILC Dover, the company that manufactured them. There are three suits, two with tubing still attached. These were part of Webb's suit calorimeters, which were used in some of his experiments. They were the water-cooled undergarments. Images of this undergarment, as well as the full suit calorimeter, can be seen in the artwork for Webb's book, Human Calorimeters, located in Series III.

Subseries VB, Unfinished Suits and Materials, consists of what may be prototype suits. Some of the garments seem to be finished while others are in pieces or pinned together and unfinished. The manufacturer of these suits is Jobst, of Toledo, OH.