Welcome to the Collection of Rev. James J. Ruddick, S.J. chronicling the history of the Canisius University Seismograph Station and seismology at the College.
This Collection is made accessible, in part, through a grant from the American Institute of Physics.
About Rev. James J. Ruddick, S.J., and the Collection
The Reverend James J. Ruddick, S.J. was a Jesuit priest, professor of physics and director of the Braun Seismograph Station at Canisius University, Buffalo, New York from 1974 until his death in March 2007. This collection comprises an early history of seismology and the records of the Jesuit Seismological Association. It includes records of a seismograph station with the distinction of continuous operation in the exact facility and location in which it was originally installed in 1911, on the Onondaga limestone.
The Ruddick Collection documents:
Artifacts include: Historic seismographs, and records of the Cansius College Seismograph Station, one of the earliest seismograph stations in the United States, and one of only four remaining of the original 16 North American Jesuit-run stations.
Scope and Contents of Collection
The Ruddick Collection consists of 32 manuscript boxes and 12 flat files including:
Click the following link for a complete inventory and box list (PDF)
Collection Arrangement
The Ruddick Collection comprises three subgroups:
1. Papers of Rev. James J. Ruddick, S.J.- including the papers of Austin C. McTigue, Ph.D. - 15 Boxes (PDFs)
2. Records of the Jesuit Seismological Association - 7 Boxes
3. Records of the Canisius University Seismograph Station After 1987, the station was known as the Braun Seismograph Station. In 2009, it became the Braun-Ruddick Seismograph Station - 10 Boxes
