Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Olaus Murie Collection, 1954-2001
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Murie, Olaus, Dr., 1889-1963
- Title
- Olaus Murie Collection
- Dates
- 1954-2001 (inclusive)19542001
- Quantity
- 0.5 cubic foot, (1 box)
- Collection Number
- MS.53
- Summary
- Olaus Murie was nationally known as an outstanding naturalist, writer, artist and speaker. This collection includes correspondence, photographs, and various certificates recognizing Murie's work in the conservation field.
- Repository
-
Pacific University, Archives
Pacific University Archives
2043 College Way
Forest Grove, OR
97116
Telephone: 5033521400
archives@pacificu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Sponsored by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
This collection includes correspondence, photographs, and various certificates recognizing Murie's work in the conservation field. There are letters of support pertaining to Murie's nomination to the Honor Roll of the Izaak Walton League of Amerida in Public Information and Conservation Education. There are also letters in support of Murie's nomination for the American Forestry Association's Conservation Award. Included are copies of The Living Wilderness journal, published by The Wilderness Society, and two issues of The Murie Center News newsletter. One file contains correspondence with the donor and the original deed of gift document.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Olaus Murie was nationally known as an outstanding naturalist, writer, artist and speaker. Born in Moorhead, Minnesota in 1889, He grew up exploring the Red River Valley with his two brothers. His college education began in North Dakota at Fargo College, majoring in biology. After one year his mentor, Professor Arthur M. Bean, left and started teaching at Pacific University. Murie followed in 1909 when Bean promised him a job as a paid assistant in the Biology Department. After graduation Murie worked as a field assistant and photographer for the first Oregon State Game Warden. In 1914 Murie accepted a position with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, exploring the Hudson Bay region in Canada. After his WWI Army service, Murie started his 26-year career with the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). In Alaska he studied caribou migration patterns and waterfowl populations. During his time in Alaska (1920-1927) he met and married his wife, Margaret. In 1927 he moved to Jackson, Wyoming, beginning his elk life-history research. During the late 1920s he also earned an M.S. degree from the University of Michigan. When his field career ended in 1946, Murie became the director of the Wilderness Society. He passed away at his Jackson home in 1963.
Olaus Murie exemplified and taught wilderness appreciation and preservation. He was a founding member of the Wilderness Society in Washington, D.C. He received many awards for his efforts in conservation and field work, chief among them was the "Outstanding Service in the Conservation of American Resources" presented by the American Forestry Association. In the fall of 1959 Murie returned to Pacific University to received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree during the University's centennial homecoming celebration. He visited again as a speaker for Homecoming, 1958: "Roosevelt Elk in the Olympic Rain Forest".
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Olaus J. Murie Papers, Pacific University Archives, Forest Grove, Oregon.
Restrictions on Use
Pacific University owns the copyright to some, but not all, of the materials housed in its archives. Copyright for materials authored or otherwise produced as official business of Pacific University is retained by Pacific University and requires its permission for publication. Copyright status for other collection materials varies. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Folder | ||
1 | Certificates | 1952-1959 |
2 | Letter / List of Publications | 1934 |
3 | Photographs | 1954-1960 |
4 | Wilderness Society Letters | 1949 |
5 | American Forestry Association | 1954 |
6 | Publications | 1931-2001 |
7 | Donation Documents | 1982-1991 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Environmentalism
- Naturalists
- Pacific University
Other Creators
-
Personal Names
- Murie, Margaret E. (donor)