Ramsey: The Papers of Frank Plumpton Ramsey

Fonds

Reference Code: GBR/0272/FPR

Scope and Contents

The collection comprises originals and photocopies of personal and family papers, including correspondence with Lettice Ramsey (nee Baker) and her memoir of him, letters from Frank to his parents, his diaries, a paper he read to the Apostles, his parents' scrapbook about him, a [draft] letter from Frank to Ludwig Wittgenstein, a draft article, photographs mostly of Frank, and obituaries.

Dates

Creation: 1903 - 2020

Creator

Ramsey, Frank Plumpton, 1903 - 1930 (mathematician and philosopher) (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

Copyright in the published and unpublished writings of FPR is held by King's College, Cambridge. Please contact the Archivist for further information.

Biographical / Historical

Frank Plumpton Ramsey (1903-30) was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, 1920. He was elected Fellow of King's College, Cambridge and Lecturer in Mathematics in 1924, and University Lecturer and Director of Studies in Mathematics at King's in 1926. His contributions to the fields of mathematics, philosophy and economics were revolutionary.

Extent

3 archive box(es)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Other Finding Aids

This catalogue is available in hard copy in the Archive Centre.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The black and white photocopies in FPR/2 and part of FPR/1 were given by Dr Jane Burch (Lettice and Frank's daughter) in 1987. The letters in FPR/2/2-3, diaries in FPR/1 and scrapbook FPR/5 were loaned by the Burch family to the College for the purpose of additional photo-reproduction, in April 2015. The originals of those items as well as FPR/2/4-5, FPR/3/2, FPR/4/2, FPR/6/1-10 (with packaging), FPR/7, FPR/X/2/CPC,Mellor1990,Mellor1997 were given by the Burch family to the College in December 2022.

Existence and Location of Originals

Originals of the memoir by Lettice, and FPR/2/1, are thought to be held by the Burch family.

Related Materials

A collection of Frank Ramsey papers is held in the Special Collections Department of the Library at the University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Bibliography

For biographical details of FPR, see his obituary in the 'Annual Report of the Council, King's College, Cambridge' Nov. 1930. A copy is available in the Archive Centre. For a full biography see Misak, C.J. 'Frank Ramsey: a sheer excess of powers' (Oxford: OUP, 2020).