Julien M. Christensen Collection

Introduction
Biographical Sketch
Scope and Contents
Box and File List

Introduction

The collection comprises publications and documents related to human factors engineering in both the public and academic spheres, formerly owned by UD professor Julien M. Christensen. The collection includes: journals; newsletters and magazines; design guides, standards, and regulations; Christensen's personal publications; others' publications, sorted by topic; and Christensen's classroom materials and personal correspondence; and miscellaneous additional items. 19 Boxes.

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Biographical Sketch

Julien Martin Christensen was born September 3, 1918, in Capron, Illinois. He attended primary and secondary school in the Capron public school system. In 1940, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois. In 1952, he received a Master of Arts from the Ohio State University. In 1959, Christensen received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the Ohio State University, after submitting his doctoral dissertation, "The Importance of Selected Design Variables in Qualitative Instrument Reading," under the advising of Robert J. Wherry. He completed his Ph.D. with the help of a 1958 National Science Foundation grant.

Christensen was a World War II veteran, having served for four years in the U.S. Air Force. He was a recipient of the President's Distinguished Service Award in 1992. He worked for the Air Force for many years, performing psychological research and applications work. He was Chief of the Engineering Psychology Branch of the Aerospace Medical Laboratory, Wright Air Development Center.

Christensen was a member of the Pole Vaulters Club, having been the first civilian to fly over the North Pole with the Air Force. He also served as an advisor for the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations at Three Mile Island. He held a private pilot's license, as well as a scuba diver's license.

Christensen was a professor in the Psychology Department at University of Dayton from 1956-1966. Christensen served as President of the Society of Engineering Psychologists, Division of Applied Experimental and Engineering Psychology, from 1962-1963. Christensen held a certified license from the State of Ohio, Board of Psychology. He wrote more than 133 books and journals, and the Human Factors Association of Canada gives an annual award in his name.

Julien Christensen died July 10, 1998, at Calvary Hospital in New York City, NY, after a four-year struggle with cancer; he was 79. He was married to Imogene (Willis) Christensen for 44 years, and had three daughters. Christensen was a resident of Bellbrook, Ohio, at the time of his death, and he is buried in Miami Valley Memory Gardens.

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Scope and Content

Series I: Journals
This series includes miscellaneous issues of American Psychologist, Human Factors, J Exper Psychology: Applied, Psychology & Aging, Psychology & Science, CALS Journal, and Current Directions in Psychological Science. Most of the issues are from the mid-late 1990s. 1 Box.

Series II: Newsletters/Magazines
This series includes miscellaneous newsletters and magazine issues, mostly from the 1990s; however, there are a few issues from the 1970s and 1980s. 2 Boxes.

Series III: Design Guides, Standards, & Regulations
This series includes various guides, handbooks, plans, standards, manuals, etc. relative to human factors engineering. Most items in this series are not dated. 1 Box.

Series IV: Personal Publications
This series includes articles; notes; many types of reports; drafts of chapters, books, and proceedings; and many other miscellaneous personal publications. 3 Boxes.

Series V: Others' Publications, by Topic
This series includes publications by persons other than Christensen, and these publications are sorted according to topic. Topics include: Human Factors, Performance Prediction, Space, Training, Work Safety, Auto Safety, Nuclear Safety, Maintenance, Organizations, Sleep, Aviation, Statistics, Product Liability, Cognitive Processing, Transportation Safety, Department of Transportation Research Notes, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Transportation Safety Miscellaneous Reports, Motivation, and Miscellaneous. 4 Boxes.

Series VI: Classroom Materials
This series includes lecture notes, exams, student notes, and other materials for various courses related to human factors engineering. 4 Boxes.

Series VII: Personal Correspondence
This series includes mostly professional and personal correspondence, as well as personal military records and a few photographs. 1 Box.

Series VIII: Miscellaneous
This series includes other miscellaneous items, such as bibliography index file, measurement instruments, Vu-graphs, multi-media materials, etc. 4 Boxes.