Elmer Sperry: Gyroscopic Compass, 1914

Sticking to the Rules: Rule 1

A recommendation for an award of the premium and medal shall be made only by the Committee on Science and the Arts, on a report of a sub-committee which shall have been appointed to examine such invention.

The thumbnail at top left is a letter from Sperry, agreeing to attend a meeting at The Franklin Institute. The thumbnail at top right is a letter written from Sperry to the Committee on Science and the Arts, sent in hopes of amending his original application for the evaluation of his gyrocompass.

The letters below and at right were written from CSA chairman Hugo Bligram to Sperry himself, and to fellow CSA committee member Professor Barnes, in an attempt to clarify his understanding of the workings of Sperry's gyrocompass. Sperry's responses are also featured.

Letter from Sperry Page 1 (224K)

Amendment to Application
Page 1 (374K)
Page 2 (26K) | (229K)

Letter to Sperry Page 1 (309K)

Letter from Sperry
Page 1 (324K)
Page 2 (83K) | (271K)

Letter to Barnes
Page 1 (292K)
Page 2 (50K) | (242K)

Letter to Barnes
Page 1 (327K)

Letter to Sperry
Page 1 (308K)

Letter from Sperry
Page 1 (262K)
Page 2 (83K) | (271K)
Page 3 (82K) | (282K)
Page 4 (85K) | (296K)
Page 5 (81K) | (271K)
Page 6 (51K) | (194K)

These postcards show the acceptance (and refusal) of appointments to the Committee on Science and the Arts to work on Application No. 2524: the evaluation of Sperry's gyrocompass: