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Bill Nye Papers

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Creator
Nye, Bill
Topic
Science -- Study and teaching
Television -- educational shows
Television personalities
Provenance
Collection donated by Bill Nye, April 28, 2016.
Creator
Nye, Bill
See more items in
Bill Nye Papers
Summary
The collection documents Bill Nye's early life, his Science Guy persona and its development for his television program Bill Nye the Science Guy.
Biographical / Historical
William Sanford "Bill" Nye, (November 27, 1955-), was born in Bethesda, Maryland to Edwin D. Nye and Jacqueline B. Jenkins. Nye graduated from Cornell University (1977) with a degree in mechanical engineering and moved to Seattle to work for Boeing as a mechanical engineer (1977-1985). Nye also worked stand-up comedy and in 1985 joined Seattle's local comedy show Almost Live! During a 1987 episode of Almost Live! Nye wore a science lab coat and conducted an experiment launching the "Bill Nye the Science Guy" persona. From 1993-1998 Nye hosted Bill Nye the Science Guy. The show aired on PBS and was later syndicated to local television stations.
Extent
12 Cubic feet (28 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Date
1970 - 2014
Archival Repository
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier
NMAH.AC.1383
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Clippings
Photographs
Letters (correspondence)
Laboratory notebooks
Citation
Bill Nye Papers, 1970-2014, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into eight series. Series 1: Personal Materials, 1964-2014 Series 2: Subject Files, 1971-2009 Series 3: Scrapbooks, 1981, 1987-2003 Series 4: Bill Nye the Science Guy, 1989-1998 Series 5: The Eyes of Nye, 1998-2003 Series 6: Fan Mail, 1995-2001 Series 7: Photographs, 1969-2000 Series 8: Press Clippings, 1973, 1988-2004
Rights
Reproduction restricted due to copyright or trademark. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Genre/Form
Clippings -- 20th century
Photographs -- 20th century
Letters (correspondence) -- 20th century.
Laboratory notebooks -- 1970-2000
Scope and Contents
The collection documents Bill Nye's early life, his Science Guy persona and its development for his television program Bill Nye the Science Guy. Included in the collection are patents, awards, speeches, subject files, correspondence, email, fan mail, photographs, scripts and promotional materials for television shows, and video recordings.
Restrictions
Collection is open for research. Reference copies for audio and moving images materials do not exist. Use of these materials requires special arrangement. Gloves must be worn when handling unprotected photographs and negatives. Social Security numbers and other personally identifiable information has been rendered unreadable and redacted. Researchers may use the photocopies in the collection. The remainder of the collection has no restrictions.
Related Materials
Materials in the Archives Center Mr. Wizard Papers (AC1326)
Separated Materials
Artifacts related to Bill Nye are located in the following curatorial divisions: Division of Home and Community Life; Division of Work and Industry; Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) and the Division of Medicine and Science.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1562767855543-1562767856089-0
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep88d49dd39-125b-4edf-bcc4-7eeba4bf847e

In the Collection

Pages

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  • Miscellaneous

  • Photographs

  • National Science Foundation (award)

  • Rules for the show

  • Fan mail

  • Jake's Attic (reprise of Mr. Wizard)

  • Great Big Book of Tiny Germs

  • Joke (base information)

  • Press Clippings

  • Star Trek Convention

  • Show topics

  • #103, Global Climate Change

  • Promotional posters

  • Scrapbook

  • Comedy Clubs

  • First Night Erie

  • Simone Enterprises, Inc. (Gameday newspaper column)

  • Resumes and references

  • Daytime Emmy Awards

  • Clinton, William

  • #2-26, Ocean Life

  • TV Ontario

  • #2-31, Wetlands

  • State of Washington, Department of Licensing (professional engineer)

  • Science education policy

  • Fan mail (Tillamook Junior High School, Tillamook, Oregon)

  • Young American

  • Commencement speeches

  • The Eyes of Nye

  • Press Clippings

  • Fan mail (bow tie)

  • Budget (pilot)

  • Wetlands (script)

  • Nye, Bill (head shots)

  • Boeing Company (job offer)

  • 60 Seconds of Science (scripts)

  • Nye, Bill

  • Siskel, Gene and Ebert, Roger

  • Institute for Civil Infrastructure Systems Conference (New York University)

  • Philbin, Regis and Kathy Lee Gifford

  • Steane, Douglas (S.P.E.L.L. Bound, Inc.)

  • King's Broadcasting Company (Almost Live!)

  • Comedy (notes)

  • White House Conference on Children's Television

  • Transportation, episode 6 (final)

  • Agreements

  • #2-24, Climate

  • Kalakala Foundation

  • Teachers Guide

  • Demonstrations and notes

  • Uncle (negative)

  • Bill's goals

  • Mars sundial

  • Press Clippings

  • Producers, prop makers (resumes and notes)

  • Scrapbook

  • Great Dig Dinosaur Dig

  • #2-32, Birds

  • 107, Antibiotics

  • NRG Pictures, Ellen's Energy Crisis (show proposal for EPCOT Center)

  • #103, Global Climate Change

  • Scrapbook

  • Film production costs

  • Briefcase design

  • Playing cards

  • Earth science design specifications

  • Fan mail (Jeffreson Elementary School, Allentown, Pennsylvania)

  • #2-27, Mammals

  • Environmental Media Awards

  • #2-16, Pressure

  • Nye Laboratories (teachers kit)

  • Elklen's Energy/Universe of Energy

  • #2-15, Planets and Moons

  • #2-38, Earthquakes

  • #2-07, The Sun

  • Earth Maui Nature Summit

  • R.M.S. Queen Mary

  • #2-28, Spinning Things

  • Disney (Buena Vista television)

  • Press Clippings

  • Scrapbook

  • Almost Live! Win a date with Bill Nye Contest

  • Glass blowing

  • Press Clippings

  • National Information Infrastructure (video)

  • Logos for show

  • Transportation, episode 6 (learning objectives and notes)

  • Cloning episode (scripts)

  • Fan mail

  • 112, Race (notes)

  • Sidwell Friends School diploma

  • #2-03, Oceanography

  • Lab Book of Science

  • Science Party (book manuscript) notes

  • Schedule

  • LA's Best (science program)

  • Fan mail

  • Press kit

  • #2-35, Rivers and Streams

  • Outreach, image and focus research

Pages

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Miscellaneous
View Slideshow
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
View Finding aid

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