Lou Landweber (1912–98) was active at IIHR from his arrival in 1954 until shortly before his death at age 86 (16 years after his retirement). A recruit from the U.S. Navy’s Model Basin (now Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division), he arrived at IIHR as a mature scientist to develop a research program in ship hydrodynamics. His prolific efforts and publications, complemented by his humor and humanity, helped develop this subject area into one of IIHR’s major research fields and firmly established Landweber’s international reputation.

This record group includes 12 boxes of materials, numbered separately within each category: four boxes of Landweber’s research efforts, five of correspondence (both to and from Landweber), one of miscellanea (including teaching materials and paper reviews), and two boxes containing selected writings and personal materials. Research and correspondence files are arranged chronologically, with labels based on Landweber’s original files. Because attempts were made to maintain the organization of the original filing system, items within each file may not be chronological, and some items may seem inconsistent or unrelated to the topic at hand.

Papers in the two “Selected Writings” boxes were collected for possible inclusion in a “Landweber Selected Publications” book. The project was initiated (but not completed) in 1997. The files contain original copies of many of the significant papers authored by Landweber. Because of the large number of included papers, specific publications are catalogued according to potential book chapters (rather than individually listed). Also filed here are items normally included in a “bibliographic materials” box: personal papers, CVs, publication lists, etc. Materials were kept together (even though they might overlap with the “Research” and “Correspondence” files) in case the book project is resumed.

The University of Iowa Special Collections (at the UI Main Library) holds an oral history interview of Landweber, which should also be consulted by persons interested in Landweber and his work. Additional information is also included in IIHR’s Hydraulics Laboratory record group, Boxes 4 and 5, which contains materials on IIHR’s ship model towing tank, a research tool initiated by and crucial to Landweber’s research.

Box 1. Teaching, Reviews of Papers, and Miscellany, 1943–77

• Teaching: PhD exams and thesis topics proposed by Landweber (1955–67)
• Resistance and Propulsion course (1961–62), lecture notes and tests
• Ship Dynamics course (1962), exams and lecture notes
• Water and Wave Theory, CSU Summer Institute (1966), lecture notes, correspondence, and photograph
• Ship Resistance, taught at IIHR and also at St. Anthony Falls (1966), lecture notes and overheads
• Student evaluations (undated)
• Patents for shroud rings and water kites (1943–46)
• Ideas and proposed projects (1949–65)
• Lagally’s Theorem, paper, and calculations (1971)
• Miscellaneous personal items and obituaries
• Review of papers written by others (numerous authors, papers). Three folders:
  • 1958–67
  • 1968–72
  • 1973–77 (undated)
• “Selected Writing of Landweber,” compilation of 15 papers of unknown origin in a bound booklet (1942–92)
• Significant research interests
• Weinblum Lecture, presented in Hamburg, Germany (1981)

Box 1. Research Projects, 1940–68

• Equivalent mass experiment (1940; data and calculations)
• Friction and turbulence (1948–53; memos, papers, and correspondence)
• Skin friction resistance (early 1950s; correspondence, committee reports, computations, and comments)
• Bureau of Ship Hydrodynamics (1950–51; research program outlines, memos, and notes)
• Trip to Paris and England (1950; notes and correspondence)
• Added mass-coefficient of bodies of revolution (1953–55; calculations and correspondence)
• “Tests of a Cavitating Hydrofoil Project” (1957–61; final report, calculations, notes, and correspondence)
• “Surface Waves Due to the Real Flow about a Circular Cylinder in a Channel,” by L. Landweber (1958–61; draft paper, correspondence, calculations, and analysis)
• “Potential Flow about Bodies of Revolution and Symmetric Two-Dimensional Flows” (1959; paper)
• “Vibrations in an Incompressible Fluid” (1963; paper)
• “Variation of Viscous Drag with Froude Number” (1963; paper, with J. Wu)
• “Viscous Drag of Submerged and Floating Bodies” (1962; paper, with J. Wu)
• “The Shape and Tension of a Light Flexible Cable in a Uniform Current,” by Landweber and Protter (1964; paper, correspondence, and calculations)
• “Ship Resistance in Rectangular Channels” and “A Note on Blockage Effect,” by L. Landweber (1964–74; papers, correspondence, data, and notes)
• “Study of Methods of Determining Wavemaking Resistance by Means of Surface Profile Measurements” (1965; progress report by H. Kobus)
• “Evaluation of the Method of Direct Determination of Wavemaking Resistance from Surface-Profile Measurements” (1963; L. Landweber)
• Various contract efforts for Hydro-Space Systems Corporation (1965–69; correspondence, proposals, notes, reports, and photographs; includes decent professional headshot of Landweber)
• “Effect of Walls on Flow About a Hemisphere,” by D. Squarer (1966; paper and data)
• Towing Tank Tests of the ESSO Tanker (1968–69; contract and correspondence)

Box 2. Research Projects, 1968–73

• Thick Boundary Layers Near the Tail of Bodies of Revolution (1968–74; proposals, progress reports, and correspondence)
• Investigation of Performance of Seafac Oil-Drilling Platform (1968–82; correspondence, proposal, and calculations)
• Source Distribution on a Ship-Hull Surface, by L. Landweber (1969; handwritten original and grant information)
• “A Hollow-Vortices Model of Near-Wakes Behind a Wedge” and other papers by A. Lin and L. Landweber (1970–76; correspondence and analysis)
• “Longitudinal-Cut Method for Computing the Wave Resistance of a Ship Model in a Towing Tank,” with D. Moran, and information on American Towing Tanks Conference (Brazil, 1971; conference description, photo of participants, and paper)
• “Drag Reduction by High Polymer Additives” (1971–73; ONR workshop, research contract, proposals, and correspondence)
• “Hull Vibration Studies,” with F. Everett Reed, Littleton Research Corp. (1972; correspondence)
• “Frictional Resistance of Flat Plates in Dilute Polymer Solutions” (1972–73; paper and correspondence)
• “Review of Cable System Dynamics Paper” (for Westinghouse Electric Corp., 1972; contracts, correspondence, and analysis)
• “Drag Reduction,” papers by L. Landweber and others (1973–76; papers and correspondence)
• Review of “The Lift Force due to Von Karman’s Vortex Wake,” by D. Sallet (1973)
• “Force on a Moored Ship Due to a Passing Vehicle” (1972; correspondence and original draft)
• Ship Model Resistance studies (NSRDC contract, 1973–74; proposals, correspondence, reports, and notes). Two folders:
  • 1973–74
  • 1975–76

Box 3. Research Projects, 1974–77

• “Effect of Turbulence in the Wake on Wave Resistance,” by K. Gopalakrishran (1974; handwritten copy, by L. Landweber?)
• Seventeenth American Towing Tank Conference (1974; papers by others with contributions from L. Landweber)
• “Axisymmetric Potential Flow in a Circular Tube,” by L. Landweber (1974; review, correspondence, and data)
• “Study of Equivalent Body of Revolution for Calculation of Drag of Ship Forms” (1975; data, notes, and graphs)
• “Second Order Ship-Wave Theory” (NSF Grant, 1975–76; correspondence, calculations, and final report)
• “Three-Dimensional Boundary Layers and the Origin of Lift on Bodies of Revolution at Incidence” (1975–76; proposal, correspondence, and progress reports)
• “Accurate Parametric Representation of Ship Sections by Conformal Mapping,” by L. Landweber and M. Macagno (1975; paper and calculations)
• Landweber’s notes on papers written by others (1975–77; numerous authors and papers)
• Landweber’s review of Tetra Tech reports (for NSF, 1976; correspondence)
• “Tests of Flow Characteristics of a Fin with Flaps” (for Westinghouse Corp., 1977; correspondence, proposal, calculations, data, report, and photographs)

Box 4. Research Projects, 1978–87 and Undated

• “Effect of Boundary Layer on Thrust Deduction Contract” (1978–81; proposals and correspondence)
• “Viscous Effect on Ship Wave Resistance” (talk at Basic Research Forum, 1980; talk and meeting notes)
• “Ship Wave-Resistance Calculations” (two workshops, 1980–83; correspondence, workshop plans, data, and graphs)
• “Fluid Dynamics of Ship Viscous Flow with 3-D Separation” (U.S.-Japan Cooperative Research Program, 1981–82; planning and correspondence, travel to Japan, proposal, and report)
• Papers with Anton Beringer (1984, correspondence)
• “Hydraulic Analysis of Bypass for Open-Heart Surgery” (for Dr. R.L. Meng), (1987; correspondence, calculations, and analysis)
• “Wall Effect” (undated; calculations)
• “Diagrams of Various Fins Tested at Stevens” (undated; sketches and photographs)
• “Effect of Temperature Gradient on Wave-Making Resistance” (undated; notes and calculations)
• “Added Masses” (undated; paper and calculations)
• “Blockage Effect on Wave Resistance” (undated; charts, calculations, and data)
• “Ellipse-Parabola-Hyperbola Form” (undated; charts and write-up)
• “IIHR’s Towing Tank – Dynamometer and Velocity Measurements” (undated; write-ups on each and Landweber’s notes; photographs)
• “Sea Floats,” by J.G. Thews and L. Landweber (undated; paper and graphs)
• “Curves of Planing, Floats,” by J. Shoemaker (undated; graphs)
• “Bechett’s Notes on Research,” kept by L. Landweber (undated; miscellaneous topics)
• “Wake Behind a Symmetrical Cylinder” (handwritten copy)
• “Submarine Wake” (undated)

Box 1. Correspondence: Mixed, 1960–75

• Regarding Proposals and Reports. Three folders:
  • 1960–66
  • 1967–70
  • 1971–72

• Mixed Topics. Three of four folders:
  • 1961–71
  • 1972–73
  • 1974–75

Box 2. Correspondence: Mixed, 1946–78

• Mixed Topics. Fourth of four folders: (1976–77)
• Regarding ATTC Friction Research Committee and Reports (1946–59)
• With Georg Weinblum, regarding German publications of Landweber’s research (1952–54)
• With Kurt Wendel (1954–67)
• With Society of Naval Architects, regarding a variety of Landweber’s papers published in Journal of Ship Research (1957–64)
• With David Taylor Model Basin, re: DTMB contracts (1958–67)
• With Hunter Rouse, mixed topics (1959–62)
• With John Breslin Davidson Laboratory, New Jersey, mixed topics (1960–78)
• With Lo-Ching Hua (1961–62)

Box 3. Correspondence: Mixed, 1964–94

• Regarding Landweber’s trip to South America (1964)
• Regarding Encyclopedia of Science and Technology entries written by Landweber (1967–68)
• Regarding sabbatical leave at Technion, Israel; 1971 (1969–72)
• With Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (mostly meeting minutes) Two folders:
  • 1970–74
  • 1975–77
• With T. Miloh (1973–80)
• Photo of personnel, from Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (November 1974; photograph)
• Regarding honors L. Landweber received (1977–80)
• Regarding trip to Hokkaido University, Japan, 1979 (1978–79; letters, trip journal, and proposed research)
• Regarding travel to Korea, 1981, in conjunction with Japanese travel (1980–82)
• Regarding Weinblum Memorial Lecture, 1981 (1980–82; letters and overheads)
• With Professor Kazuhiro Mori (1980–83)
• Regarding sabbatical, 1981 (1980–82)
• With Larry Forbes (1981–86)
• With Robert Ettema (1993–94)

Box 4. Correspondence: Office of Naval Research, 1954–82

• With ONR; proposals, letters, research ideas, and reports. Two folders:
  • 1954–61
  • 1962–70
• With ONR; proposals and reports (1974–77)
• With ONR; proposals, letters, research ideas, and reports (1978–82)

Box 5. Correspondence: Recommendations and Student Letters, 1953–94

• Landweber’s letters to/from students and recommendation letters (for previous students and other professionals). Seven folders:
  • 1953–60
  • 1961–66
  • 1967–72
  • 1973–78
  • 1979–81
  • 1982–86
  • 1987–94 and undated
• Landweber’s notes taken for class Dynamics of Viscous Fluids, 1947, from V.C. Patel (2009)

Box 1. Selected Writings Project

(Note: This box and Box 2 contain many publications that are not individually referenced below)

• Index for planned book
• Landweber’s personal and biographical information
• Landweber’s curricula vitae
• Landweber’s publication lists
• Landweber’s notes on hydrodynamics
• Thirteenth International Towing Tank Conference (information and correspondence)
• Fourteenth International Towing Tank Conference (Resistance Committee Report, correspondence, information, and drafts of research papers)
• Seventeenth American Towing Tank Conference (information and correspondence)
• Added mass, force, and moments papers
• Blockage papers
• Boundary layer papers
• Conformal mapping papers
• Ship vibration players
• Towing cable papers
• Viscous-inviscid interaction papers
• Wave resistance papers

Box 2. Selected Writings Project

• General ship hydrodynamics papers
• Potential flow papers
• Two body problem papers
• Viscous drag papers
• Miscellaneous papers / mixed