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Robert H. Burns papers, 1848-1982

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Burns, Robert H. (Robert Homer), 1900-1973
Title
Robert H. Burns papers
Dates
1848-1982 (inclusive)
1907-1973 (bulk)
Quantity
34.37 cubic ft. (31 boxes)
Collection Number
400002
Summary
Robert H. Burns served as the head of the Wool Department at the University of Wyoming, as well as a wool specialist with the United States government and an author of Albany County ranch histories. This collection contains publications, correspondence, audio-visual material, and extensive research materials.
Repository
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu
Access Restrictions

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

Languages
English
Sponsor
The creation of the EAD-version of this finding aid was made possible through a grant from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission.
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Historical Note

Robert H. Burns, a wool specialist and University of Wyoming faculty member, was born August 23, 1900, on the Flag Ranch nine miles south of Laramie, where his father was foreman. He attended the University of Wyoming from 1916-1920 and then obtained his M.A. from Iowa State in 1921 and his Ph.D. in 1931 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He began teaching at the University of Wyoming in 1924 and later served as head of the Wool Department. From 1937-1939 Burns worked with the United States Department of Agriculture as a wool shrinkage researcher and senior marketing specialist. In 1946 he was loaned to another college to participate in a mission in China to study carpet-wool. In 1949, Dr. Burns served as consultant to the Iranian government in New York. He had numerous publications over the years, including writing articles for the Laramie Republican-Boomerang on the ranches in Laramie as well as the ranch industry as a whole.

Other publications include Articles and Data on Wyoming Wool, Clean Values from Wool Shrinkage, Relation of Body Surface to Pelt Size in Sheep, Types and Breeds of Sheep, Variation in the Shrinkage of Wyoming Wools, The Wyoming Wool-Scouring Plant, and Wyoming's Pioneer Ranches. He was also the founder of the annual old time ranch tour held in July of each year. Dr. Burns died in an automobile accident on June 14, 1973.

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Content Description

This collection contains material related to Burns' service with the University of Wyoming including wool and agriculture research. This collection also includes personal and professional correspondence, photographs, manuscripts, publications on Albany County ranch history, and other historical materials.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Copyright Information

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

Restrictions on Use

Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in Collections

The American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.

Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event. Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form. For more information, read our full statement.

Preferred Citation

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

Alternative Forms Available

Existence and Location of Copies

Digital reproductions of select material from this collection are available at https://digitalcollections.uwyo.edu/luna/servlet/uwydbuwy~162~162.

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Administrative Information

Related Materials

The University of Wyoming Department of Animal Science records, 548005, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. Contains correspondence with wool buyers from around the globe, as well as correspondence with Robert Burns about his travels in the Middle East and China.

H.L. Newman papers, 02240, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Robert H. Burns Memorial collection material in the Westerners, Laramie Corral Records collection, 05925, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.

Acquisition Information

The material was donated by Robert H. Burns and Adelaide Burns (mother), 1947-1973; the University of Wyoming Wool Department, 1971-1984; Jack Ravage, 2007; Kathleen B. Moore, Trustee for Margaret Page, 2018-2023.

Processing Note

The collection was processed by Misti Stangel in September 1999. The collection was reprocessed by D. Claudia Thompson in November 2016 and updated by Krist Jessup in December 2018, Alexandra Cardin in July 2022, and Erin Shadrick in February 2024.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Processed by Misti Stangel, D. Claudia Thompson, and Erin Shadrick
1999;2016;2024

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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