Whence the eigenstate-eigenvalue link?

•The history of the eigenstate-eigenvalue (E-E) link in quantum mechanics is traced.•The E-E link clearly developed in the historic QM textbooks of 1930-1960.•The E-E link still has an important place in philosophy of quantum mechanics.

David Wallace has recently argued that the eigenstate-eigenvalue (E-E) link has no place in serious discussions of quantum mechanics on the grounds that, as he claims, the E-E link is an invention of philosophers rather than the community of practicing physicists. This raises an historical question regarding the origin of the link. This paper aims to answer this question by tracing the historical development of the link through six key textbooks of quantum mechanics. In light of the historical evidence from these textbooks, it is argued that Wallace provides insufficient grounds for dismissing the E-E link from discussions of quantum mechanics.