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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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  • Science Guy pilot episode

  • Scrapbook

  • Sundial Society

  • Big Foot

  • Notebook about the show

  • Press Clippings

  • #2-31, Wetlands

  • Discovery scope of science

  • Bill Nye the Science Guy's Big Blast of Science

  • Budget (notes and meetings)

  • Family Fun Science (calendar)

  • #2-12, Reptiles

  • Nye, Bill

  • Electric vehicles

  • King-TV

  • Mouse pad

  • Flip your lid demonstration

  • NRG Pictures, Inc. (Universe of Energy) agreements

  • Harlequin Enterprises Limited/Delta Education (Professor Pete)

  • Ballard Computer, Inc. (television spot)

  • Jokes of the Future

  • KXRX Radio and Television of Pasco, Washington (Nye notebook)

  • Scrapbook

  • Nye, Bill

  • Bill Nye the Science Guy/Chrysler, The Back is Where It's At

  • Digital abacus patent (D399,522)

  • #2-14, Respiration

  • Sidwell Friends Bulletin

  • Scrapbook

  • KCTS Television

  • Newsmaker Interviews, Inc.

  • Fan mail

  • Promotional materials (includes Kleenex, cereal boxes and posters)

  • Topics and learning objectives for season two

  • Talking rain (radio spot)

  • Way Cool Moments in Science (brochure)

  • Addiction and Evolution

  • Fabrics educational video (Gore-Tex)

  • #2-29, Fish

  • Greystone Films

  • Seattle Mariners (Junior Mariners) science of baseball with Bill Nye the Science Guy

  • Big Blue Ocean

  • #102, Pseudoscience (online edit)

  • Esoteric Language III

  • #2-04, Heat

  • Paranormal

  • #2-70, Flowers

  • Press Clippings

  • Outreach and promotion kit

  • #2-30, Human Transportation

  • Scrapbook

  • National Science Foundation performance and effectiveness review

  • 104, The Science of Sports

  • Ephemera

  • Miscellaneous notes and clippings

  • #2-18, Rocks and Soil

  • Scrapbook

  • Miscellaneous

  • Target Earth (bag)

  • National Science Foundation proposal for Bill Nye the Science Guy specials

  • Disney, New Mickey Mouse Club

  • Stationery (logo)

  • Press Clippings

  • #2-19, Energy

  • Miscellaneous notes

  • #2-33, Populations

  • Nye, Bill

  • Water for Life

  • The Search for Cures

  • Fan mail

  • Nanotechnology (articles)

  • TV Ontario

  • Fan mail (Sycamore Middle School, Gridley, California)

  • Hovercraft

  • Mckenna/Gottlieb Producers, Inc.

  • Bill Nye's Climate Lab

  • Schedule

  • 111, The Future of Population (learning objectives and notes)

  • Fan mail

  • Press Clippings

  • Photographs

  • 105, Evolution of Sex

  • Popular Science

  • NASA

  • Muse (review by Nye)

  • Press Clippings

  • Fan Mail

  • Seattle Mariners

  • Letters

  • Blue Angles

  • Topics and learning objectives for season two

  • #2-05, Insects

  • Seattle Millenium Project

  • Bow ties

  • Outreach and promotion kit

  • Lab Book of Science

  • 110, Nuclear Energy

  • Christmas cards

  • Lens made from water-filled plastic bag (patentability)

  • Correspondence (television-related)

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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