AHJ_ah03015 Inventory of the Paul B. Sears Papers, 1958-1969 Sears (Paul Bigelow) Papers University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center.
American Heritage Center Dept. 3924, 1000 E. University Avenue University of Wyoming Laramie, WY 82071 Phone: 307.766.2574 Fax:307.766.5511 Email:ahcref@uwyo.edu URL:http://ahc.uwyo.edu/
2018

University of Wyoming

 Finding aid encoded by Leslie Waggener. 2018 Finding aid is in English Collection Summary Sears, Paul B. (Paul Bigelow), 1891-1990 Paul B. Sears papers 1958-1969 03015 0.45 cubic ft. (1 box) University of Wyoming. American Heritage Center. English Papers of a writer and botanist who was an authority on pollens, applied ecology, and the historical study of vegetation patterns. Biography of Paul B. Sears

Born in Bucyrus, Ohio, Paul Sears (1891-1990) obtained bachelor's degrees in zoology and economics, then earned a Ph.D. in botany from the University of Chicago. He spent most of his career as professor or head of various botany departments. In these positions, Sears researched changes in native flora resulting from human activities, conducted pioneering studies of fossil pollen, and studied the relationship between vegetation and climatic change. He served as president of the Ecological Society of America (1948) and received the ESA's "Eminent Ecologist Award" in 1965. He spent the last ten years of his academic career as chair of the graduate program in conservation at Yale University and retired in 1960. He authored a biographical piece on botanist Frederic Clements (1874-1945) for the Dictionary of American Biography in 1969.

 Scope and Content

The collection contains correspondence (1968-1969) with editors and Frederic Clements’ family and friends regarding Sears’ search for information about Clements’ family history for his Dictionary of American Biography article about Clements. There is also a typewritten copy of the piece Sears wrote about Clements for the Dictionary in addition to biographical materials on Clements that Sears gathered for the article. There are two letters (1958) between Sears and Edith Clements concerning botanists Henry Chandler Cowles and Arthur George Tansley, as well as about Frederic Clements’ diabetes. Also included is a photocopy of a letter written to Frederic Clements' mother, Mary Angeline Scoggin Clements, from her brother, Civil War soldier Samples Scoggin, in January 1862. Additionally, there are published reprints and articles by Sears.

 Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.

 Copyright Information

The researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

 Related Materials

There are archival collections created by Paul B. Sears at Yale University and at University of Arizona.

 Acquisition Information

This material was received from Paul B. Sears in 1968.

Preferred Citation

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

 Access Terms Clements, Frederic E. (Frederic Edward), 1874-1945. Clements, Edith S. (Edith Schwartz). Botany -- Research -- United States. Ecology -- Research -- United States. Botanists -- Biography. Dictionary of American biography. Agriculture and Natural Resources Education Science, Technology and Health Science Container List

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