Letters of S.P. Timoshenko to V.I. Vernadsky recently discovered at Columbia University’s library, with analysis of his attitudes

Abstract

This paper reproduces the translation of letters sent by Stephen P. Timoshenko—well known specialist in elasticity, vibrations, stability, and structures, in the 20th century—to his colleague Vladimir I. Vernadsky. Letters originated from the USA where Timoshenko resided at the time, and were directed to France, where Vernadsky was working while also looking to come to the USA having left Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution. By a twist of fate, these letters turned out to be housed at the Library of Columbia University, in New York City. This happened since the first five letters were acquired by Bakhmeteff Archive at Columbia University where Boris Bakhmeteff, formerly the Ambassador of the Russian Provisional Government to the USA, was employed as a professor of civil engineering during the years 1931–1951. Timoshenko could not have imagined that these private and candid letters would be available for public viewing at the library, and especially, in the country that he criticized harshly. Each letter is accompanied with a discussion. It appears that these letters shed some light on Timoshenko’s personality in addition to what can be inferred by reading his autobiography As I Remember. The motivation of this study is two-fold: (a) to bring to the attention of readers the translations of letters of S.P. Timoshenko, addressed to V.I. Vernadsky, and to provide (b) discussion on his attitudes, on the one hand, to the Jews, and anti-Semitism in the USA as compared with Ukraine, and on the other, to the USA.