Murray Johnson collection on the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report

Murray Johnson collection on the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report, 1946-1978

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Johnson, Murray L.
Title: Murray Johnson collection on the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report
Dates: 1946-1978 (inclusive)
19461978
Quantity: 1.8 cubic feet, (7 boxes)
Collection Number: MSS.056
Summary: Dr. Murray L. Johnson, M.D., was a Professor of Biology at the University of Puget Sound and helped establish the mammalian collections at the Puget Sound Museum (now the Slater Museum of Natural History) in 1948. He was contracted by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), along with Dr. Burton T. Ostenson, a Professory fo Biology at Pacific Lutheran University, and Mr. Myron L. Barbour, a recent college graduate, to conduct a study of marine mammal ecology in the region around Cape Thompson, Alaska between 1960 and 1961. The Murray Johnson Collection on the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Reports consists of correspondence, biological data, and publications from Dr. Murray L. Johnson's work as a marine mammal researcher for the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report.
Repository: University of Puget Sound, Archives & Special Collections

Collins Memorial Library
1500 N. Warner St.
CMB1021
Tacoma, WA
98416-1021
Telephone: 2538792669
archives@pugetsound.edu
Access Restrictions: Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Languages: English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Dr. Murray L. Johnson, M.D., helped establish the mammalian collections at the Puget Sound Museum (now the Slater Museum of Natural History) at the University of Puget Sound in 1948. As a biology researcher, he was contracted by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), along with Dr. Burton T. Ostenson, a Professory fo Biology at Pacific Lutheran University, and Mr. Myron L. Barbour, a recent college graduate, to conduct a study of marine mammal ecology in the region around Cape Thompson, Alaska between 1960 and 1961. This marine mammal study became Chapter 33 of the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report, published in 1965. One of the first environmental impact reports conducted in the United States, the Cape Thompson publication developed out of an AEC nuclear experiment called " Project Chariot."

The Project Chariot proposal would have entailed the use of several nuclear detonations to create a harbor at the mouth of Ogoturuk Creek, between Cape Thompson and Point Hope, in north-western Alaska. This project was part of " Operation Plowshare," a larger U.S. government initiative developed in order to demonstrate peacetime uses of nuclear weapons. However, faculty members at the University of Alaska and members of the native Alaskan communities were concerned about the biological, ecological, and health-related impacts of Project Chariot, and requested that the AEC fund a series of environmental studies which came to be known as the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report. Eventually, public opposition to Project Chariot grew so great that the AEC put the program on permanent hold.

References

Johnson, Murray L., Clifford H. Fiscus, Burton T. Ostenson, and Myron L. Barbour. “Marine Mammals.” Environment of the Cape Thompson Region, Alaska. Ed. Norman J. Wilimovsky, and John N. Wolfe. United States Atomic Energy Commission, Division of Technical Information, 1966. 877-924. Print.

O’Neill, Dan. The Firecracker Boys. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press, 1994. Print.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Murray Johnson Collection on the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Reports consists of correspondence, biological data, and publications from Dr. Murray L. Johnson's work as a marine mammal researcher for the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report, which comprised a series of biological surveys done in anticipation of the Project Chariot nuclear experiment in Alaska. These records show Johnson’s administrative planning and experiment modeling process for his study of marine mammal life as well as his personal relationships with fellow researchers Dr. Burton T. Ostenson, Myron L. Barbour, Don C. Foote, and William O. Pruitt, and correspondence with research institutions and residents of the Alaskan village of Point Hope, near the research site. The biological data generated by Johnson, Ostenson, and Barbour is included, in the form of both rough data and a finished catalogue, demonstrating their biological findings on mainly ringed seals (Pusa hispida), bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus), and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), walrus (Odobenus rosmarus), polar bears (Ursus maritimus), and bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus). A small number of documents in the collection contain information on Johnson’s other professional research, including hospital pathology records on mammal specimens, and later, correspondence and research publications for Johnson’s work on a mammalian parasite text with Chris Maser.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Collins Memorial Library provides access to its collections in order to support research and education. Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the use or reproduction of some items may be restricted by the terms of the gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, or university policy. It is the user's responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or any other use restrictions when publishing or otherwise disseminating materials found in the collections.

Preferred Citation

[Name of document, date.] Murray Johnson Collection on the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report, Mss.056. University of Puget Sound Archives & Special Collections. Tacoma, Washington.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Collection is arranged by format.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

I: Correspondence, 1946-1970Return to Top

The Correspondence series consists of letters written by Murray L. Johnson and his friends and professional associates, both before, during, and after his work on Project Chariot.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	1	General Correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and Eileen M. Bloom; Wayne H. Bohl, a research biologist for the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife at Utah State University; Gary J. Brusca, a researcher at the University of Southern California; Marian C. Fox, an employee of the Editorial Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission’s Division of Technical Information Extension; Ian A. McLaren, an employee of the Arctic Unit of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada; R. W. Meininger, on behalf of Naval Company, Doylestown, PA; Raymond L. Metter, the assistant extension manager for program services in the Atomic Energy Commission’s Division of Technical Information Extension; Robert E. Lewis, on behalf of the American University of Beirut; Robert L. Rausch, a researcher at the Arctic Health Research Center and member of the Zoonotic Disease Section of the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report (also included: two letters between Robert L. Rausch and Ford Wilke, the laboratory director at the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries for the Washington Fish and Wildlife Service, and several letters between Robert L. Rausch and Clifford Fiscus); Ian Stirling, a professor in the Zoology Department at the University of Canterbury; Andrew Starrett, a professor in the Department of Biology at Northeastern University; Milton Swan, a reverend in Kivalina, Alaska; Robert Traub, a research professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine; Francis S. L. “Willie” Williams, on behalf of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare at the Alaska Bureau of State Services; and John. N. Wolfe, the chairman of the Committee on Environmental Studies for Project Chariot at the Atomic Energy Commission. Correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and James W. Brooks, the Director of Game at the Alaska State Department of Fish and Game, as well as between Murray Johnson and Sam Harbo, a biological researcher and employee of the Alaska State Department of Fish and Game.	1959-1969
1	2	Alaska State Department of Fish and Game Correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and James W. Brooks, the Director of Game at the Alaska State Department of Fish and Game, as well as between Murray Johnson and Sam Harbo, a biological researcher and employee of the Alaska State Department of Fish and Game.	1960-1961
1	3	Myron L. Barbour Correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and Myron L. “Ron” Barbour, a graduate student researcher in the Marine Mammal Program for the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report, as well as medical records concerning Barbour’s contraction of hepatitis during his employment at Point Hope. There is also correspondence between Barbour and Robert Rausch. One of the pieces of correspondence from Barbour to Johnson is written in code.	1961-1965
1	4	Canada Department of Agriculture Correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and the members of the Division of Entomology at the Canada Department of Agriculture, including G.P Holland, the head of Insect Systematics and Biological Control; Evert E. Lindquist, on behalf of the Taxonomy Section of the Entomology Research Institute in Ottawa, Ontario; and B.V. Peterson, also on behalf of the Taxonomy Section of the Entomology Research Institute in Ottawa, Ontario. Several letters between B.V. Peterson and G.M. Kohls, and between Evert E. Lindquist and Conrad E. Yunker, are also located in this folder.	1955-1970
1	5	Don C. Foote Correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and Don C. Foote, another researcher employed for the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report, as well as personal communications between the Johnson and Foote families.	1959-1962
1	6	Burton T. Ostenson Correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and Burton T. Ostenson, one of the primary researchers in the Marine Mammal Program for the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report, as well as personal letters written by Mrs. Sherry Johnson and Mrs. Nancy E “Betty” Ostenson. There is also professional correspondence between Ostenson and Robert Rausch, Myrl F. Smith, and Dale W. Rice. Also included in the folder is a telegram from Myrl F. Smith to Murray L. Johnson, to which Ostenson responded.	1960-1961
1	7	Point Hope Residents Correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and residents of the Point Hope Village, including Andrew Frankson, Amos Lane, John Oktollik, Seymour Tuzroyluke, and Antonio Weber, hunters under contract to obtain specimens for the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report; David Frankson, the president of the Point Hope Village Council in 1961; Keith Lawton, the reverend at St. Thomas’ Mission in Point Hope; and Dan Lisburne, the president of the Point Hope Village Council in 1958.	1959-1965
1	8	William O. Pruitt Correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and William O. Pruitt, a biological researcher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, who was also hired to work on the C ape Thompson Environmental Impact Report. Also included is a copy of an article by Pruitt titled, T " he World of the Arctic Wolf."	1959-1961
1	9	Rocky Mountain Laboratory Correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and members of the Rocky Mountain Laboratory, including James M. Brennan, a senior medical entomologist; William L. Jellison, a parasitologist, on behalf of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Glen M. Kohls, an entomologist and sanitarian, on behalf of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare; Betty Locker, assistant to Jellison; R.R. Parker, the director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory; Conrad E. Yunker, a senior scientist in the Department of Health, Education and Welfare Also included are correspondence between the Rocky Mountain Laboratory and Douglas J. Gould, the acting chief of the Department of Entomology at Army Medical Service Graduate School of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center; and Allen McIntosh, the Principal Research Parasitologist at the Beltsville Parasitological Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland; as well as a letter to Johnson from the Rocky Mountain Laboratory of the Public Health Service from 1956, which includes a black and white photograph of a mole’s lungs.	1946-1968

II: Published Materials, 1958-1965Return to Top

The Published Material series contains material collected by Murray L. Johnson from roughly the same time frame as his work on the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report. The material is organized chronologically by publication date and was annotated by Murray Johnson.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	10	Project Chariot Newspaper Clippings	1959-1961
1	11	Project Chariot Publications	1958-1965

III: Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report Administrative Material, 1959-1965Return to Top

The Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report Administrative Material series consists of Murray Johnson’s records on the parameters of the marine mammal investigation for the Cape Thompson Report, including finances, biological data, report drafts, and notes.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	12	Finances This folder contains notes on rough work hours and expenses, formal estimates of time required and cost of work, as well as a Property Action Request filled out by Murray L. Johnson for an audio recorder.	1959-1965
		Biological Data Biological data obtained by Murray L. Johnson’s team for the Cape Thompson Report. The data is organized from rough data to the finished catalogue, showing the processing steps toward the final text. Specimen cards document the marine mammals observed by Murray L. Johnson’s team for the Cape Thompson Report.	1960-1961
Box	Folder
1	13	Biological Data Notes
		Ringed Seal Stomach Examinations The rough data notebooks document the stomach contents of ringed seals (Pusa hispida) obtained during the course of the marine mammal investigation season in 1961.	1961
	Box
		Specimen Cards These specimen cards document the marine mammals observed by Murray L. Johnson’s team for the Cape Thompson Report, mainly ringed seal (Pusa hispida) and bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus).	1960-1961
	Folder
2	2-5	Project Chariot Marine Mammals Catalogue i-iv These catalogue tables were previously held in four binders, two of them unmarked, two labeled with, " Property of Murray L. Johnson University of Puget Sound; Biology Research." Like the specimen cards, this catalogue records all of the individuals observed during the marine mammal investigation for the Cape Thompson report, mainly ringed seals (Pusa hispida) and bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus). At the beginning of the first catalogue is a key showing which contracted hunters obtained which animals.	1960-1961
Box	Folder
2	6	Biological Table Drafts This folder contains drafts of biological data tables for the Marine Mammal chapter of the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report.	1963
3	1	Report Drafts This folder contains several copies of a ringed seal stomach contents research proposal, drafts of the text for Chapter 33 of the Cape Thompson Environmental Impact Report, specimen indexes, and correspondence between Murray L. Johnson, Burton T. Ostenson, Clifford H. Fiscus, and Marian C. Fox concerning proofs of the Marine Mammal chapter.	1962-1965
3	2	Notes and References This folder contains miscellaneous notes made by Murray Johnson for his research model for the Cape Thompson Report, as well as a list of references to be evaluated for data comparison.	undated

IV: Murray Johnson Research, 1948-1978Return to Top

The Murray Johnson Research series contains documents from Johnson’s other research endeavors before, during, and after the Cape Thompson Report.

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
3	3	Hospital Pathology Files This folder holds a number of Pathology Reports from Tacoma General Hospital describing medical conditions seen in mammalian specimens, diagnosed by several pathologists including Charles P. Larson, Merrill J. Wicks, and Clyde O. Hurst. Also included are several pieces of correspondence between Murray L. Johnson and these pathologists on behalf of Tacoma General Hospital.	1948-1976
		Parasite Project This subseries contains documents pertaining to a project on mammalian parasites by Murray L. Johnson and Chris Maser.	1952-1978
Box	Folder
3	4	Parasite Newspaper Clippings	1957-1972
3	5-8	Parasite Publications	1952-1971
3	9	Chris Maser Parasite Specimen Identifications This folder contains specimen identification notes and forms concerning Chris Maser’s parasite publications, as well as correspondence between Maser, Murray L. Johnson, and Conrad E. Yunker, and a US Copyright Office Certificate.	1965-1978

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Biology teachers
Project Chariot

Corporate Names

University of Puget Sound.
University of Puget Sound. Dept. of Biology.
University of Puget Sound. Slater Museum of Natural History.

Geographical Names

Thompson, Cape (North Slope Borough, Alaska)

Form or Genre Terms

Correspondence

Archives West Finding Aid

Table of Contents