The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the Charles E. Olmsted Papers circa 1880s-1980s
© 2008 University of Chicago Library
| Title: | Olmsted, Charles E. Papers |
|---|---|
| Dates: | circa 1880s-1980s |
| Size: | 62.5 linear feet (88 boxes) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | Charles Edward Olmsted (1908-1976) was a botanist, ecologist, environmental activist, consultant, editor and science educator who worked at the University of Chicago from 1934-1973. He served as chair of the Department of Botany from 1953-1968, edited Botanical Gazette, and was active on university-wide administrative committees. He received attention for both his research on plant ecology and his advocacy for environmental conservation. Material in this collection is concentrated in the 1930s-1970s, and includes correspondence; publications; photographs; research material and drafts of published works; course material and student work; University of Chicago administrative records; and records of Olmsted's involvement with professional organizations, scholarly journals, conservation groups, foundations, government agencies, and science education organizations. |
The collection is open for research, with the exception of Series IX, Restricted. Boxes 89 and 90 contain student papers, evaluations, and grades and are restricted for 80 years from date of record creation.
Series VIII, Box 85, does not include an access copy for the 16-millimenter filmstrip. Researchers will need to consult with staff before requesting this item.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Olmsted, Charles E. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
Charles Edward Olmsted (1908-1976), a native of Colorado, was educated at University of Nebraska, University of Oklahoma, and Yale University. Olmsted came to the University of Chicago as a Coulter Fellow in Botany in 1933. He completed his Yale Ph.D. in 1936 with a dissertation on Connecticut sand plains. Olmsted's research and teaching on botany and ecology continued at the University of Chicago until his retirement.
At University of Chicago, Olmsted's own research focused on plant growth and development, particularly photoperiodism (the response of plants to light) in range grasses and sugar maples. More broadly, Olmsted was concerned with the ecology of grasslands, forests and sand dunes.
Olmsted was named chair of the Department of Botany in 1953, a role he held until 1968, when the department merged with that of zoology. He was also active in university-wide committees and governance, contributing to administrative direction in development, campus housing, admissions and aid, and changes in undergraduate education.
Olmsted was involved with the Botanical Gazette for 26 years, serving alternately as associate editor and editor from 1942-1968. He also served as an editor of Ecology, held leadership roles in professional organizations, and worked as a consultant or advisor for publishers, major science foundations, and the National Park Service.
As a conservation activist, Olmsted sought to educate lawmakers and the public on the value of the Midwest's natural environments, such as prairies, forests, dunes and wetlands. His work with the Save the Dunes Council helped establish the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; he was also involved with the establishments of other preserves in Michigan, downstate Illinois and the Chicago area. He served on the boards of Chicago-area conservation groups, the Illinois State Board of Natural Resources and Conservation, and the Illinois Nature Preserve Commission.
Olmsted retired from the university in 1973, moving to Boulder, Colorado. He died in 1976 at age 68.
This collection documents Charles E. Olmsted's work as a botanist, ecologist, administrator, consultant, and advocate for environmental conservation and science education.
Series I: Correspondence, contains letters and memoranda from the 1930s-1970s, with a concentration of material from 1949-1975. The correspondence in this series discusses scientific research, University of Chicago administrative matters, the editing of scholarly journals, and the administration of professional organizations, conservation groups and government programs. Material in this series includes both incoming correspondence, as well as carbon copies of many of Olmsted's outgoing letters and memoranda.
Series II: Research and Writing, documents Olmsted's work as a botanist and ecologist. Included are materials from Olmsted's education at University of Nebraska, University of Oklahoma, and Yale University; his research on soil moisture, trees and range grasses; and a card file of publications.
Series III: Teaching, contains material from Olmsted's work as an instructor and advisor, circa 1930s-1970s. Material in this series includes lecture notes, syllabi and course outlines, and copies of theses and dissertations. Olmsted also kept material from courses and workshops taught outside the university, as well as files on courses taught by others at University of Chicago.
Series IV: University and Departmental Administration, contains material from Olmsted's service as Chairman of the Department of Botany, as well as his work on university committees and interdisciplinary programs. As department chair, Olmsted also retained selected files of a number of his predecessors, including John M. Coulter and Ezra J. Kraus. Administrative material in this series includes correspondence, meeting minutes, grant proposals, reports and financial documents. Also included are architectural drawings for Barnes Laboratory, and material related to the management of university properties such as Bird Haven and Wychwood.
Series V: Organizations, contains records of Olmsted's involvement with professional organizations and conservation groups, his editorial work for scientific journals, and his advisory role for state and federal agencies. Material in this series includes correspondence, publications, reports, manuscripts, grant proposals and reviews, and conference materials. The bulk of the material in this series dates from the 1950s-1970s. Included in this series are editorial files of the journals Botanical Gazette and Ecology; files from Olmsted's work for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the State of Illinois, the
National Park Service, and the National Science Foundation; and material from several Midwestern conservation groups.
Series VI: Publications and Publicity Material, contains reprints, abstracts, annual reports, pamphlets, newsletters, broadsides and other print material that Olmsted collected on topics related to his interests. Many of these items have only a general or indirect relationship to Olmsted's own research and teaching. Material dates from the late nineteenth century through the 1970s, with a concentration of material from the 1930s-1960s.
Series VII: Personal, contains a variety of material from Olmsted's personal life, as well as small collections of documents related to the life and work of some of his colleagues.
Series VIII: Oversize Material, Audio-Visual Material and Photographs, contains large items transferred from other series, an educational film, and Olmsted's collection of photographs. The photographs include prints, film and glass negatives, and film and glass slides dating from 1904-circa 1950s. Subjects include natural environments such as the Indiana Dunes; portraits of individuals and groups; and documentation of Olmsted's experiments with grasses.
Series IX: Restricted, contains students papers, with grades and feedback. Materials in this series are restricted for 80 years from date of record creation.
The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections:
Henry C. Cowles. Collection
George D. Fuller. Papers
Ezra J. Kraus. Papers
University of Chicago. Department of Botany. Records
Paul D. Voth. Papers
Series I: Correspondence |
This series contains letters, memoranda and other correspondence documenting Olmsted's work as a teacher, administrator, researcher and consultant. Much of the correspondence discusses University of Chicago administrative matters, such as faculty development and departmental operations. Also included in this series are letters of recommendation for students and faculty; editorial correspondence regarding matters such as manuscript review and preparation; discussions of research; and the administration of professional organizations, conservation groups and government programs. Material in this series includes both incoming correspondence, as well as carbon copies of many of Olmsted's outgoing letters and memoranda.
This series is divided into four subseries, in order to distinguish among the organizational schemes Olmsted used for his correspondence files.
Subseries 1: Chronological File, includes correspondence from 1935-1960.
Subseries 2: Alphabetical File, includes material filed by correspondent or sometimes by subject, with the bulk of correspondence from 1949-1975.
Subseries 3: Government Agencies, is organized by subject and spans the years 1965-1974. Correspondence in this subseries is primarily related to Olmsted's advisory work for federal and state agencies, particularly the National Park Service. This subseries also includes correspondence with members of Congress about conservation issues.
Subseries 4: Unsorted, consists of unorganized correspondence on a variety of topics, spanning the years 1947-1974
A large amount of additional correspondence is found in other series of the collection, particularly Series IV, which contains administrative correspondence filed by topic; and Series V, which contains editorial and organizational correspondence, filed by organization.
Subseries 1: Chronological File |
| Box 1 Folder 1-7 | 1935-1945 |
| Box 2 Folder 1-3 | 1946-1948 |
| Box 2 Folder 4-5 | A-L, 1950-1960 |
| Box 3 Folder 1-2 | L-Z, 1950-1960 |
Subseries 2: Alphabetical File |
| Box 3 Folder 3-5 | A, 1949-1974 |
| Box 3 Folder 6 | B, 1949-1955 |
| Box 4 Folder 1-2 | B, 1951-1975 |
| Box 4 Folder 3-5 | C, 1950-1972 |
| Box 5 Folder 1-2 | D, 1950-1974 |
| Box 5 Folder 3-4 | E, 1954-1973 |
| Box 5 Folder 5-6 | F, 1950-1974 |
| Box 5 Folder 7 | Adriance S. Foster, 1930-1943 |
| Box 5 Folder 8-9 | G, 1940-1971 |
| Box 6 Folder 1-2 | H, 1951-1975 |
| Box 6 Folder 3 | I, 1960-1968 |
| Box 6 Folder 4-6 | J, 1946-1971 |
| Box 6 Folder 7-8 | K, 1949-1965 |
| Box 7 Folder 1-2 | L, 1950-1975 |
| Box 7 Folder 3 | Elbert L. Little, 1930-1936 |
| Box 7 Folder 4-6 | M, 1950-1973 |
| Box 8 Folder 1-2 | N, 1952-1972 |
| Box 8 Folder 3 | George E. Nichols, 1930-1941 |
| Box 8 Folder 4-5 | O, 1950-1974 |
| Box 8 Folder 6-7 | P, 1950-1975 |
| Box 8 Folder 8-9 | Q, 1949-1963 |
| Box 8 Folder 10-11 | R, 1949-1975 |
| Box 9 Folder 1-6 | S, 1950-1975 |
| Box 10 Folder 1 | Paul B. Sears, 1928-1942 |
| Box 10 Folder 2-3 | T, 1951-1974 |
| Box 10 Folder 4-7 | U-Z, 1948-1975 |
Subseries 3: Government Agencies |
| Box 10 Folder 8 | Bill S. 2282, Ecological Research and Surveys, 1965 |
| Box 10 Folder 9 | Advisory and conservation activities, 1966-1968 |
| Box 11 Folder 1-2 | Advisory and conservation activities, 1969-1974 |
| Box 11 Folder 3 | Cook Nuclear Power Plant, 1969-1974 |
| Box 11 Folder 4 | Dunes conservation, 1970-1971 |
Subseries 4: Unsorted |
| Box 11 Folder 5-7 | 1948-1966 |
| Box 12 Folder 1-6 | 1954-1974 |
| Box 13 Folder 1-2 | 1947-1974 |
Series II: Research and Writing |
This series contains material documenting Olmsted's work as a botanist and ecologist. The organization of this series generally corresponds to the development of Olmsted's research throughout his career.
This series begins with Olmsted's own education at University of Nebraska, University of Oklahoma, and Yale University; included are course notes, exercises, lab notebooks, and exams, and material for Olmsted's master's thesis and dissertation. Other early material relates to research conducted with Elbert J. Little on vegetation of southeastern Oklahoma, a project that began around 1930, though the two continued preprations for publication into the 1940s.
Material from Olmsted's time at University of Chicago includes documentation of soil moisture experiments; surveys and notes on trees at Wychwood estate in Lake Geneva; research on maple trees, range grasses, and grassland ecology.
Also included in this series are card files, mainly of publications, that may index parts of Olmsted's collections of journals and reprints. The end of this series contains drafts of speeches and statements that Olmsted gave late in his career, as well as small subject files, and several folders of fragmentary, unidentified or unsorted material.
Oversized material from this series has been transferred to Series VIII.
| Box 13 Folder 3-5 | Course notes, papers and exams, 1923-1927 |
| Box 14 Folder 1-5 | Course notes, circa 1927-1929 |
| Box 14 Folder 6 | Laboratory manual, 1930 |
| Box 15 Folder 1-2 | Organography, course notes and exercise books, circa 1930 |
| Box 15 Folder 3 | Plant physiology, course notes, circa 1930 |
| Box 15 Folder 4 | History of scientific thought, course notes, circa 1930 |
| Box 15 Folder 5 | Microchemistry, course notes, circa 1930 |
| Box 15 Folder 6-7 | Course notes and sketches, circa 1931 |
| Box 16 Folder 1-10 | Oklahoma vegetation research with Elbert J. Little, drafts, correspondence, photographs and research data, 1930-1945 |
| Box 17 Folder 1 | Sketch book, 1930-1931 |
| Box 17 Folder 2-3 | "The Morphology and Comparative History of Development of the Cataphylls and Foliage Leaves in Syringa vulgaris L.," master's thesis drafts, 1931 |
| Box 17 Folder 4 | History of botany and botanical literature, notes and drafts, 1931 |
| Box 17 Folder 5 | Organic evolution, course notes, circa 1932 |
| Box 17 Folder 6-7 | Forest soils, notes and experiment data, 1931-1932 |
| Box 17 Folder 8 | Plant physiology, course notes, examinations and exercises, 1932- 1933 |
| Box 18 Folder 1 | Course notes, exercises and tree planting experiment data, circa 1932-1935 |
| Box 18 Folder 2 | Climatology, course notes and exercises, circa 1933 |
| Box 18 Folder 3 | Ecology, course material, circa 1930s |
| Box 18 Folder 4 | Biophysics, course material, circa 1930s |
| Box 18 Folder 5 | Notes and maps, circa 1930s |
| Box 18 Folder 6 | Abstracts, circa 1930s |
| Box 18 Folder 7 | Newton's Woods, clippings and list of collected species, 1933 |
| Box 18 Folder 8-9 | Connecticut sand plains, research data and notes, 1932-1935 |
| Box 19 Folder 1-7 | Connecticut sand plains, research data and notes, 1932-1935 |
| Box 19 Folder 8-11 | "The Vegetation of Certain Connecticut Sand Plains," Ph.D. dissertation drafts and notes, circa 1936 |
| Box 19 Folder 12-14 | Soil moisture, experiment data, notes and equipment specifications, 1936-1940 |
| Box 20 Folder 1-4 | Distribution of forest tree species, drafts, maps and publications, circa 1937-1940 |
| Box 20 Folder 5-15 | Wychwood tree research, quadrat maps and surveys, 1936-1938 |
| Box 20 Folder 16 | Wychwood tree research, specimens of leaves and grasses, 1939 |
| Box 20 Folder 17 | Wychwood tree research, notebook, 1938-1939 |
| Box 21 Folder 1-5 | Wychwood tree research, notebooks, circa 1940-1948 |
| Box 21 Folder 6-8 | Maple trees, experiment data, drafts and notes, 1935-1946 |
| Box 21 Folder 9 | Book review drafts, 1938-1939 |
| Box 22 Folder 1-7 | Grasses research, experiment data, notes, publications and correspondence, 1942-1952 |
| Box 23 Folder 1-8 | Grasses research, correspondence, notes and publications, 1945- 1952 |
| Box 23 Folder 9 | Inquiries about research and requests for reprints, correspondence, 1942-1965 |
| Box 24 Folder 1 | "Integration of Recent Research Findings into the Introductory Training of Scientific Personnel," speech given at the Summer Conference on College Biology, University of Oklahoma, drafts and correspondence, 1953 |
| Box 24 Folder 2 | East Africa ecology, notes, circa 1970 |
| Box 24 Folder 3 | Urbanism and computers, photocopied articles, circa 1970 |
| Box 24 Folder 4 | Statement in support of Bill HR 3571, 1974 |
| Box 24 Folder 5 | "Photoperiodism and Plant Distribution," Minneapolis symposium, drafts and notes, undated |
| Box 24 Folder 6 | "Some Comments on Problems and Gaps in the Study of Physiological Ecology and Genecology, Especially of Autotrophic Terrestrial Higher Plants," drafts, undated |
| Box 24 Folder 7-12 | Correspondence, writing and research material, circa 1930s-1970s |
| Box 25 Folder 1 | Correspondence, writing and research material, circa 1930s-1970s |
| Box 25 Folder 2 | Card catalog guide, undated |
| Box 26 | Card catalog, File A |
| Box 27 | Card catalog, Files A-B |
| Box 28 | Card catalog, File C |
| Box 29 | Card catalog, File D |
Series III: Teaching |
This series documents Olmsted's work as an instructor and advisor, circa 1930s-1970s.
Subseries 1: Courses, includes lecture notes, syllabi, and course outlines. The bulk of material is from courses taught by Olmsted in the University of Chicago's Department of Botany. Olmsted also kept material from courses and workshops taught outside the university, as well as files on courses taught by others (such as a paleobotany class, Geology 280, taught by Adolph C. Noé).
Subseries 2: Graduate Research, consists mainly of drafts and bound copies of theses and dissertations that Olmsted supervised.
Subseries 1: Courses |
| Box 30 Folder 1-2 | Botany 338, 1930-1936 |
| Box 30 Folder 3 | Geology 280, History of Plant Life, circa 1932 |
| Box 30 Folder 4-5 | Botany 206, 1932-1940 |
| Box 30 Folder 6 | Botany 334, 1935 |
| Box 30 Folder 7 | Botany 335, forest ecology, circa 1930s |
| Box 31 Folder 1-2 | Botany 335, forest ecology, 1948-1960 |
| Box 31 Folder 3 | Dendrology, circa 1930s |
| Box 31 Folder 4-8 | Botany 234, fieldwork, circa 1930s-1949 |
| Box 31 Folder 9 | Botany 234, Vascular Plants, circa 1930-1949 |
| Box 32 Folder 1 | Plant nutrition, circa 1940 |
| Box 32 Folder 2-4 | Botany 337, 1940-1954 |
| Box 32 Folder 5 | Botany 170s, University of Wyoming Science Summer Camp, 1941 |
| Box 32 Folder 6 | Botany 331, 1941-1952 |
| Box 32 Folder 7-9 | Botany 330, 1942-1960 |
| Box 33 Folder 1-2 | Botany 336, 1942-1953 |
| Box 33 Folder 3 | Soil and water, 1949-1959 |
| Box 33 Folder 4 | Teaching materials, circa 1940s |
| Box 34 Folder 1 | Soil nutrients, circa 1954 |
| Box 35 Folder 1 | Historic plant geography, 1954-1959 |
| Box 35 Folder 2 | Teaching materials, circa 1950s |
| Box 35 Folder 3 | Nitrogen and other soil nutrients, circa 1950s |
| Box 35 Folder 4 | Patterns of existing vegetation, 1962 |
| Box 35 Folder 5 | Physiology, undated |
| Box 35 Folder 6 | Plant ecology, University of Oklahoma, undated |
Subseries 2: Graduate Research |
| Box 35 Folder 7 | Eleanore Landon, "The Use of Vegetation in Erosion Control on the High Plains," MS paper, 1941 |
| Box 35 Folder 8 | Alba Biagini, "Fire, Its Influence and Effects on Grasses," MS paper, 1947 |
| Box 35 Folder 9 | Priscilla Anne Perry, "Responses of Red Oak Regeneration to Certain Environmental Factors," MS paper, 1960 |
| Box 35 Folder 10 | Herbert Lamp, "Differentiation and Distribution of Soybeans with Relation to Photoperiodism," MS paper, 1947 |
| Box 35 Folder 11 | Dorothy Rothrock, "Some Climatological Factors Limiting the Distribution of the Peach, Prunus Persica" MS paper, 1948 |
| Box 35 Folder 12 | Donald Chapp "The Growth and Development Response of Bromegrass Seedlings (Bromus inermis, Leyse.) to Photoperiod and Temperature," undated |
| Box 36 Folder 1 | Marcella Friedman, "Aspen in the Lake States," MS paper, 1948 |
| Box 36 Folder 2 | Beth Burgess Schuett, "Chilling as a Factor in Breaking the Dormancy of Some Woody Plants," MS paper, 1947 |
| Box 36 Folder 3 | Myron Kirsch, "Flax Production and Its Relationship to Climatic and Soil Conditions" MS paper, 1941 |
| Box 36 Folder 4 | Miriam Louise Church, "Effects of Grazing in Central States Farmwoods and Forests" MS paper, 1944 |
| Box 36 Folder 5 | Florence E. Kubik, "The Ecological Position of White Pine and Hemlock in the Region of Saugatuck, Michigan," MS paper, 1945 |
| Box 36 Folder 6-7 | Albert Smith, "Aspects of Invasion and Ecesis of Some Woody Species in Forest Succession in Northern Illinois," PhD dissertation, 1972 |
| Box 36 Folder 8 | Robert Borg, "Wind as an Ecological Factor," MS thesis 1940 |
| Box 36 Folder 9 | Sture Frederk Anliot, "The Ecology and Flora of Glen Helen, Antioch College, Yellow Springs Ohio," MS thesis, 1962 |
| Box 36 Folder 10 | Robert William Proctor, "Morphological Responses of Chenopodium Leptophyllum to Controlled Photoperiod Regimes," MS thesis, 1962 |
| Box 36 Folder 11 | Magdalena Cantoria, "Effect of Temperature on the Growth and Development of Datura Stramonium L. and Atropa Belladonna L.," PhD thesis, 1961 |
| Box 36 Folder 12 | Nan Allen, "Some Aspects of Air Pollution: An Examination of Some Unresolved Questions," MS thesis, 1966 |
| Box 36 Folder 13 | Merrill Loren Gassman, "Studies on the Photocontrol of Protochlorophyll Synthesis in Leaves of Phaseolus Vulgaris," MS thesis, 1965 |
| Box 36 Folder 14 | Mary Petersen, "Some Effects of Fires on Forests," MS thesis, 1942 |
| Box 37 Folder 1 | Gisela Wohlrab, "An Analysis of Fungal Populations in Indiana Dune Sand," MS thesis, 1962 |
| Box 37 Folder 2 | Gisela Wohlrab, "An Analysis of Fungal Populations from Early Stages of Succession in Lake Michigan Dune Sand," PhD dissertation, 1964 |
| Box 37 Folder 3 | Hezekiah Maloba Openda, "The Vegetation of East Africa, Some Considerations of the Past Changes and Present Vegetational Patterns," MS thesis, 1958 |
| Box 37 Folder 4 | Sylvia Edlund, "Aspects of an Ecological Life History of Corydalis Sempervirens," PhD dissertation,1970 |
| Box 37 Folder 5 | Margaret Dalton Julstrom, "Postglacial Vegetation in Northeastern North America," MS thesis, 1946 |
| Box 37 Folder 6 | Jay Conderman Chapin, "The Natural Vegetation of Northern Illinois," MS thesis, 1951 |
| Box 37 Folder 7 | Lorna Fitz, "The Effects of Photoperiod and Temperature in Rudbeckia Triloba," MS thesis, 1966 |
| Box 37 Folder 8 | Robert William Proctor, "Morphological Responses of Chenopodium Leptophyllum to Controlled Photoperiod Regimes," MS thesis, 1962 |
| Box 37 Folder 9 | Fred Lavin, "Photoperiodic Responses of Geographic Strains of Blue Grama," PhD thesis, 1953 |
| Box 37 Folder 10 | St. Joseph Toy, "Plant Responses to Microclimatic Differences," M.S. paper, 1950 |
| Box 37 Folder 11 | Leon Eric Ericson, "The Relation between Microclimate and Forage Crops," M.S. paper, 1946 |
| Box 37 Folder 12 | J. Patricia Cunnea, "The Effects of Clipping on the Growth, Form and Development of Pasture Grasses," M.S. paper, 1946 |
| Box 37 Folder 13 | Robert A. Wright, "Cattle Industries of the United States and Canada," 1965 |
| Box 38 | Daniel McMahon, "Some Studies of Ribulose 1-5 Diphosphate Carboxylase," PhD dissertation, 1966 |
| Box 38 | Daniel McMahon, "Edaphic Factors Limiting the Distribution of Corispermum Hyssopifolium L.," MS thesis 1962 |
| Box 38 | Willard Van Asdall, "Aspects of the Ecology of Corispermum Hyssopifolium L on the Lake Michigan Sand Dunes," PhD dissertation, 1961 |
| Box 38 | Patricia Kay Armstrong, "Cryptogam Communities on Quartzite of Devil's Lake, Wisconsin," MS thesis 1968 |
| Box 38 | Dorothy Thornthwaite Kupelian, "Some Effects of Photoperiodic Treatment on Andropogon Gerardi," MS thesis 1962 |
| Box 38 | Merrill Loren Gassman, "Studies on the Control of Chlorophyll Synthesis," PhD dissertation, 1967 |
| Box 38 | William Lloyd Foster, "The Effects of Dicotyledonous Weeds on the Establishment of an Artificial Prairie Seeding," MS thesis, 1967 |
| Box 39 Folder 1 | Correspondence, drafts and photographs, circa 1962 |
| Box 39 Folder 2 | Summaries of theses, circa 1940 |
Series IV: University and Departmental Administration |
This series contains material from Olmsted's service as Chairman of the Department of Botany, as well as his work on university committees and interdisciplinary programs. As department chair, Olmsted retained selected files of a number of his predecessors, including John M. Coulter and Ezra J. Kraus.
Olmsted was involved in administrative matters related to development, campus housing, admissions and aid, and changes in undergraduate education. Administrative material in this series includes correspondence, meeting minutes, grant proposals, reports and financial documents. Also included are architectural drawings for Barnes Laboratory, and material related to the management of university properties such as Bird Haven and Wychwood.
Olmsted's research interests often overlapped with university and departmental concerns, such as the management of Wychwood and Bowers' Woods. Research material is occasionally found with these administrative files.
Several files of unsorted material from 1929-1972 are found at the end of the series.
Oversize material from this series has been transferred to Series VIII.
| Box 39 Folder 3 | Hull Botanical Laboratory, 1904 |
| Box 39 Folder 4-8 | Wychwood, 1928-1963 |
| Box 39 Folder 9-10 | Bird Haven, 1929-1931 |
| Box 40 Folder 1-2 | Bird Haven, 1929-1963 |
| Box 40 Folder 3 | Faculty disciplinary measures, 1940-1944 |
| Box 40 Folder 4 | Wallace C. and Clara A. Abbott Memorial Fund, 1941-1959 |
| Box 40 Folder 5 | Undergraduate education, 1944 |
| Box 40 Folder 6 | Faculty Committee on Housing, 1944-1954 |
| Box 40 Folder 7-8 | Committee of the Council of the University Senate, 1946-1963 |
| Box 41 Folder 1 | Division of the Biological Sciences, 1952-1953 |
| Box 41 Folder 2-3 | Committee on the Preparation of Teachers, 1953-1959 |
| Box 41 Folder 4-5 | Committee on Bachelor's Degree Programs, 1955-1957 |
| Box 41 Folder 6 | Faculty Development Committee, 1955-1958 |
| Box 41 Folder 7 | Chiapas, Mexico, interdisciplinary research program, 1956 |
| Box 41 Folder 8 | College Faculty, 1957-1965 |
| Box 42 Folder 1-2 | Committees on financial aid and admissions policies, 1957-1969 |
| Box 42 Folder 3 | Council on Teacher Education, 1958-1959 |
| Box 42 Folder 4 | Subcommittee on Undergraduate Education, 1958-1960 |
| Box 42 Folder 5 | College committees on policy and personnel, 1958-1960 |
| Box 42 Folder 6 | Board of Precollegiate Education, 1958-1962 |
| Box 42 Folder 7-8 | Barnes Laboratory, 1958-1963 |
| Box 43 Folder 1-2 | Controlled Environment Facilities, 1958-1965 |
| Box 43 Folder 3 | Bowers Woods, 1958-1972 |
| Box 43 Folder 4-5 | College Biology Section, 1959-1964 |
| Box 43 Folder 6 | Ezra J. Kraus, 1948-1960 |
| Box 44 Folder 1 | Committee on Curricular Review, 1961 |
| Box 44 Folder 2 | Collegiate Division of Biology, 1965-1969 |
| Box 44 Folder 3 | Committee on Environmental Studies, 1969 |
| Box 44 Folder 4-8 | Unsorted material, 1929-1969 |
| Box 45 Folder 1-10 | Unsorted material, 1950-1972 |
Series V: Organizations |
This series contains records of Olmsted's involvement with professional organizations and conservation groups, his editorial work for scientific journals, and his advisory role for state and federal agencies. Material in this series includes correspondence, publications, reports, manuscripts, grant proposals and reviews, and conference materials. The bulk of the material in this series dates from the 1950s-1970s
Subseries 1: Alphabetical File, is arranged by the names of organizations in which Olmsted was involved. This series contains editorial files of the journals Botanical Gazette and Ecology; files from Olmsted's work for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the State of Illinois, the National Park Service, and the National Science Foundation; and material from several Midwestern conservation groups.
Subseries 2: Unsorted, contains material similar to that found in Subseries 1. These files contain records of several different organizations, particularly environmental and conservation groups active in the 1960s-1970s.
Olmsted's research and teaching overlapped with his advocacy for conservation and science education; some of these files contain research and teaching material. Material related to Olmsted's involvement with organizations other than University of Chicago can also be found in Series I, II, III and VI.
Subseries 1: Alphabetical File |
| Box 46 Folder 1 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, symposium, 1950-1951 |
| Box 46 Folder 2 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, Cooperative Committee on the Teaching of Science and Mathematics, 1959 |
| Box 46 Folder 3 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, Conference of Biological Editors, 1959-1960 |
| Box 46 Folder 4 | American Association for the Advancement of Science-American Council of Learned Societies Conference on Teacher Education, 1962 |
| Box 46 Folder 5 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, Commission on Science Instruction, 1962 |
| Box 46 Folder 6 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, conferences, 1962 |
| Box 46 Folder 7 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, Committee on Education, 1962 |
| Box 46 Folder 8 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, Midwest Regional Conference, 1962 |
| Box 47 Folder 1 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, Midwest Regional Conference, 1962 |
| Box 47 Folder 2 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, Commission on Science Instruction, 1962-1964 |
| Box 47 Folder 3 | American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1966 |
| Box 47 Folder 4-5 | Annual Review of Plant Physiology, 1932-1950 |
| Box 48 Folder 1-5 | Botanical Gazette, 1945-1951 |
| Box 49 Folder 1-7 | Botanical Gazette, 1951-1969 |
| Box 49 Folder 8 | Chicago Academy of Sciences, 1944-1954 |
| Box 50 Folder 1 | Chicago Academy of Sciences, 1959-1967 |
| Box 50 Folder 2 | Chicago Board of Education, high school science curricula, 1961- 1964 |
| Box 50 Folder 3-5 | Committee on Institutional Cooperation, Biometeorology Graduate Program, 1962-1967 |
| Box 51 Folder 1-2 | Committee on Institutional Cooperation, Biometeorology Graduate Program, 1967-1971 |
| Box 51 Folder 3 | Council of Biology Editors, 1956-1966 |
| Box 51 Folder 3 | Ecological Society of America, grasslands conservation, 1933-1934 |
| Box 51 Folder 4 | Ecological Society of America, field trips, circa 1930s |
| Box 51 Folder 5-7 | Ecological Society of America, Ecology, 1940-1943 |
| Box 52 Folder 1-6 | Ecological Society of America, Ecology, 1943-1947 |
| Box 53 Folder 1-3 | Ecological Society of America, Ecology, 1946-1963 |
| Box 53 Folder 4 | Ecological Society of America, vice-presidency, 1948-1949 |
| Box 53 Folder 5-6 | Ecological Society of America, Publications Committee, 1948-1954 |
| Box 53 Folder 7 | Ecological Society of America, George Mercer Award, 1951 |
| Box 53 Folder 8 | Ecological Society of America, symposium on teaching ecology in urban areas, 1952 |
| Box 53 Folder 9-10 | Ecological Society of America, 1959-1960 |
| Box 54 Folder 1-2 | Ecological Society of America, 1959-1961 |
| Box 54 Folder 3-7 | Ecological Society of America, Ecology Study Committee, 1959- 1966 |
| Box 54 Folder 6 | Ecological Society of America, international ecological organizations, 1960 |
| Box 55 Folder 1 | Ecological Society of America, Committee on Education, 1960- 1961 |
| Box 55 Folder 2 | Ecological Society of America, Nominating Committee, 1960-1961 |
| Box 55 Folder 3 | Ecological Society of America, representatives to the National Committee of Plant Science Societies, 1960-1962 |
| Box 55 Folder 4 | Ecological Society of America, 1962 |
| Box 55 Folder 5 | Ecological Society of America, relations with NASA, 1963 |
| Box 55 Folder 6-8 | Gamma Alpha Organization of Chicago, 1930-1973 |
| Box 56 Folder 1 | Grand Mere Conservation and Recreational Association, 1965 |
| Box 56 Folder 2-4 | Grassland Research Foundation, 1939-1966 |
| Box 56 Folder 5 | Illinois Beach State Park, 1954-1964 |
| Box 56 Folder 6 | Illinois Department of Conservation, 1970 |
| Box 56 Folder 7 | Illinois Natural History Survey, 1962-1963 |
| Box 57 Folder 1-6 | Illinois Natural History Survey, 1963-1969 |
| Box 58 Folder 1-3 | Illinois Natural History Survey, 1970-1975 |
| Box 58 Folder 4-5 | Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, 1965-1974 |
| Box 59 Folder 1-2 | Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, 1968-1972 |
| Box 59 Folder 3 | Illinois Prairie Path, 1968 |
| Box 59 Folder 4-5 | International Biological Program, 1974-1975 |
| Box 59 Folder 6 | International Grassland Congress, 1952-1953 |
| Box 59 Folder 7 | Midwest Prairie Conference, 1970 |
| Box 59 Folder 8 | National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, 1960-1961 |
| Box 60 Folder 1 | National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, regional conferences, 1960 |
| Box 60 Folder 2 | National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification, 1960 |
| Box 60 Folder 3 | National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification and American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting, 1961 |
| Box 60 Folder 4 | National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification and American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting, 1963 |
| Box 60 Folder 5 | National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification and American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting, 1962 |
| Box 60 Folder 6 | National Park Service, Park Management for Public Service conference, 1965 |
| Box 60 Folder 7 | National Park Service, management of Yellowstone National Park, 1972-1973 |
| Box 60 Folder 8 | National Park Service, 1967-1972 |
| Box 61 Folder 1 | National Park Service, 1970-1973 |
| Box 61 Folder 2-4 | National Science Foundation, ad hoc reviews, 1958-1973 |
| Box 61 Folder 5 | National Science Foundation, Advisory Panel for Environmental Biology, 1960-1963 |
| Box 61 Folder 6-7 | National Science Foundation, proposal evaluations, circa 1959- 1960 |
| Box 62 Folder 1-7 | National Science Foundation, proposal evaluations, 1960-1963 |
| Box 63 Folder 1 | National Science Foundation, Advisory Committee for Environmental Biology, 1961-1962 |
| Box 63 Folder 2 | National Science Foundation, Division of Biological and Medical Sciences, 1965 |
| Box 63 Folder 3-4 | National Science Foundation, Advisory Committee for Biological and Medical Sciences, 1965-1967 |
| Box 63 Folder 5 | National Science Foundation, visit to Utah State University, 1966 |
| Box 63 Folder 5 | Nature Conservancy, Bird Haven, 1954-1957 |
| Box 63 Folder 6 | Open Lands Project, Beall Woods, 1965-1972 |
| Box 63 Folder 7 | Save the Dunes Council, 1959-1962 |
| Box 64 Folder 1-4 | Save the Dunes Council, 1959-1974 |
| Box 64 Folder 5 | Sigma Xi, 1952 |
| Box 64 Folder 6 | University of Georgia, circa 1968 |
| Box 64 Folder 7 | University of Wyoming, Wyoming Institute of Biology, 1955 |
| Box 64 Folder 8 | Western Michigan University, 1962-1964 |
Subseries 2: Unsorted |
| Box 64 Folder 9 | 1961-1974 |
| Box 65 Folder 1-8 | 1958-1975 |
| Box 66 | THERE IS NO BOX 66 IN THIS COLLECTION. |
Series VI: Publications and Publicity Material |
This series contains a variety of print material that Olmsted collected on topics related to his interests in research, education and conservation. Many of these items have only a general or indirect relationship to Olmsted's own research and teaching.
Subseries 1: Subject File, contains reprints, abstracts, and annual reports, as well as a small number of drafts and manuscripts. This subseries is arranged alphabetically according to subjects that Olmsted devised. Material in this subseries dates from the late nineteenth century through the 1970s, with a concentration of material from the 1930s-1960s. Most of the items in the subseries are the published research of scientists other than Olmsted, although some of Olmsted's publications are also found. Many of the publications were originally collected by Olmsted's colleagues (particularly George D. Fuller), and passed to him later. Unidentified subject files are included at the end of the subseries. Lists of most articles in these files are available in preliminary inventories of the Charles E. Olmsted Papers.
Subseries 2: General, contains material similar to that found in Subseries 1, as well as pamphlets, newsletters, broadsides and other material, mostly from conservation groups.
Oversize material from this series has been transferred to Series VIII.
Subseries 1: Subject File |
| Box 67 | Applied ecology, erosion |
| Box 67 | Applied ecology, ranges and revegetation |
| Box 67 | Autecology |
| Box 67 | Avery lecture |
| Box 68 | Bibliographies |
| Box 68 | Classification of vegetation |
| Box 68 | Colorado |
| Box 68 | Colorado, autecology |
| Box 69 | Competition, community success rates |
| Box 69 | Economic botany and old cultures |
| Box 69 | Factors - photoperiodism, light, allelopathy, nitrogen, water, fire, soil |
| Box 70 | Floras and vegetation - desert |
| Box 70 | Floras and vegetation - Eastern North America |
| Box 70 | Floras and vegetation - montane |
| Box 71 | Floras and vegetation - montane |
| Box 71 | Floras and vegetation - prairie |
| Box 72 | Floras and vegetation - prairie |
| Box 72 | Genecology |
| Box 72 | Global floras and vegetation, English language |
| Box 73 | Global floras and vegetation, English language |
| Box 73 | Global floras and vegetation, foreign language |
| Box 74 | Grazing, clipping and succession |
| Box 74 | Histories and obituaries |
| Box 74 | "Oldies but goodies" |
| Box 74 | Root studies, mycorrhizae and lower plants |
| Box 74 | Paleobotany and migration |
| Box 75 | Quaternary, eastern United States |
| Box 75 | Quaternary, eastern United States, palynology |
| Box 75 | Quaternary, western United States, ecoanatomy, dendrochronology |
| Box 75 | Vegetation, general |
| Box 75 | Vegetation, Eastern North America |
| Box 76 | Vegetation, Eastern North America |
| Box 77 | Unidentified subjects |
Subseries 2: General |
| Box 78 Folder 1-3 | Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 1916-1953 |
| Box 78 Folder 4 | Illinois Natural History Survey, annual report, 1975 |
| Box 78 Folder 5 | Illinois State Geological Survey, annual report, 1974-1975 |
| Box 78 Folder 6 | Illinois State Water Survey, annual report, 1974-1975 |
| Box 78 Folder 7-12 | National Park Service, Natural Resources newsletters, 1967-1971 |
| Box 78 Folder 13-19 | National Park Service, reports, 1966-1970 |
| Box 79 Folder 1 | National Committee for the International Biological Program, report, 1974 |
| Box 79 Folder 2 | Photosynthesis and grasses, reprints, circa 1930s-1960s |
| Box 79 Folder 3 | Forests and fires, reprints, circa 1930s-1960s |
| Box 79 Folder 4 | Climatology, teaching and education, reprints, circa 1930s-1960s |
| Box 79 Folder 5-16 | Unsorted reprints, newsletters and reports, circa 1920s-1970s |
| Box 80 Folder 1-7 | Unsorted reprints and periodicals, circa 1920s-1970s |
| Box 81 Folder 1-4 | Unsorted reprints, periodicals and publicity material, circa 1920s- 1970s |
Series VII: Personal |
This series contains a variety of material from Olmsted's personal life, as well as small collections of documents related to the life and work of some of his colleagues. Of particular interest is a collection of reports and other research material relating to George D. Fuller's research in the Indiana Dunes. Also included is a collection of record books for a herd of dairy cows that Olmsted owned; obituary and memorial material for the biologist Reginald Ruggles Gates; copies of Olmsted's CV; and arrangements for Olmsted's funeral and memorial.
| Box 81 Folder 5 | Collection of Michigan Dunes research material relating to the work of George D. Fuller, 1915-1917 |
| Box 81 Folder 6 | Dairy herd record books, 1926-1928 |
| Box 82 Folder 1-2 | Dairy herd record books, 1929-1934 |
| Box 82 Folder 3 | Correspondence, 1948-1969 |
| Box 82 Folder 4 | Reginald Ruggles Coates, memorial material, 1962-1964 |
| Box 82 Folder 5 | Curricula vitae, 1963-1973 |
| Box 82 Folder 6 | John R. Yaeger, "Lament of a Dying Leaf," 1966 |
| Box 82 Folder 7 | Sale of journal collection, correspondence, 1974 |
| Box 82 Folder 8 | Funeral arrangements and memorial material, circa 1970s-1980s |
Series VIII: Oversize Material, Audio-Visual Material and Photographs |
This series contains oversize material transferred from other series, as well as a film and Olmsted's collection of photographs.
Subseries 1: Oversize Material, contains material transferred from Series II, IV and VI. The original series location can be traced through folder headings. This subseries includes maps of Wychwood and Bird Haven, architectural drawings for Barnes Laboratory, and large proofs and publications.
Subseries 2: Audio-visual Material, contains a 16-millimeter educational film on plant reproduction, for which Olmsted served as an educational consultant. Also included are drafts and copies of the teaching guide for the film.
Subseries 3: Photographs, contains prints, film and glass negatives, and film and glass slides. The images date from 1904-circa 1950s. Subjects include natural environments such as the Indiana Dunes; portraits of individuals and groups; and documentation of Olmsted's experiments with grasses. Other photographs of Olmsted's research are found in Series II, as well as Subseries 1 of this series.
Subseries 1: Oversize Material |
| Box 83 Folder 1 | Research and Writing, proofs, photographs and diagrams for Botanical Gazette articles, circa 1940s |
| Box 83 Folder 2 | University of Chicago, Wychwood estate survey map, 1902 |
| Box 83 Folder 3 | University of Chicago, Bird Haven survey maps, 1932 |
| Box 83 Folder 4 | University of Chicago, Barnes Laboratory architectural drawings, 1958-1963 |
| Box 84 | Publications, paleobotany and migration, reprints, 1925-1966 |
| Box 84 | Publications, Norman Haire, ed., Encyclopedia of Sexual Knowledge, in shipping box, 1936 |
Subseries 2: Audio-Visual Material |
| Box 84 | "Reproduction in Plants," teaching guides, circa 1958 |
| Box 85 | "Reproduction in Plants," Coronet Films, 16 millimeter filmstrip, circa 1958
|
Subseries 3: Photographs |
| Box 85 | John M. Beal, Wychwood estate, box of slides, undated |
| Box 85 | Unidentified microfilm reel |
| Box 86 Folder 1-2 | Indiana Dunes, photographs, circa 1890 |
| Box 86 Folder 3 | Individual and group portraits, 1904-1952 |
| Box 86 Folder 4 | Yellowstone National Park, 1920 |
| Box 86 Folder 5-6 | Grasses experiments, circa 1942 |
| Box 86 Folder 7 | Dunes field trip, 1945 |
| Box 86 Folder 8 | Soil experiments, circa 1945-1946 |
| Box 86 Folder 9 | Environmental photographs, undated |
| Box 86 Folder 10 | Aerial photographs, undated |
| Box 87 | Four boxes of lantern slides and negatives, circa 1940s-1950s |
| Box 88 | Three boxes of lantern slides, circa 1940s-1950s |
Series IX: Restricted |
This series contains student papers with grades and feedback, and is restricted for 80 years.
| Box 89 Folder 1-7 | Student Papers, 1937-1962 |
| Box 90 Folder 1-7 | Student Papers, 1962-1970 |