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Edward R. LaChapelle papers, 1899-1994

Overview of the Collection

Creator
LaChapelle, Edward R, 1926-2007
Title
Edward R. LaChapelle papers
Dates
1899-1994 (inclusive)
1950s-1980s (bulk)
Quantity
16.3 cubic feet (36 boxes including 22 film and microfilm reels and 3 tubes, plus 1 oversize folder)
Collection Number
6365 (Accession No. 6365-001)
Summary
Papers of a professor of atmospheric sciences and geophysics
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users, but access to portions of the collection is restricted. No user access copy is currently available for all films. The microfilm is available for previewing onsite in the University of Washington Libraries with advanced notice. Users may obtain a reproduction of the media for a fee by contacting Special Collections.

Request at UW

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

Edward LaChapelle (May 31, 1926 – February 1, 2007) was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. Following high school at Stadium High School, he served in the Navy from 1944 to 1946, and then attended the University of Puget Sound, graduating in 1949 with degrees in physics and math. He studied at the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research in Davos, Switzerland from 1950 to 1951, but returned to the US to work as a snow ranger for the Forest Service in Alta, Utah, starting in 1952.

From 1967 to 1982, LaChapelle was professor of atmospheric sciences and geophysics at the University of Washington, and then professor emeritus following his retirement until his death. From 1973 to 1977, he was involved in avalanche studies at the Institute for Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) of the University of Colorado at Boulder. In 1968, he was involved in the development of the avalanche transceiver, which has since become a standard piece of safety equipment for backcountry skiing. He also travelled extensively to do research on snowfall and glaciers in Greenland, Alaska, and notably the Blue Glacier on Mount Olympus in Washington.

He is the author of 5 books including the “ABC’s of Avalanche Safety” and “The Field Guide to Snow Crystals.”

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_LaChapelle

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Content Description

Research notebooks, photographs, films, maps, correspondence, microfilm, and administrative records. Primarily document LaChapelle's research on Blue Glacier near Mt. Olympus in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Arranged in 19 series.

  • Series 1, Daily Weather Records
  • Series 2, General & Field Notes
  • Series 3, Ablation
  • Series 4, Surface Movement
  • Series 5, Mass Balance
  • Series 6, Water, Snow, Ice
  • Series 7, Micromet Data
  • Series 8, Radiation
  • Series 9, Maps, Graphs, Charts
  • Series 10, Miscellaneous
  • Series 11, Scientific Reports/Studies
  • Series 12, Data Survey Books and Manuals
  • Series 13, Correspondence
  • Series 14, Program Planning
  • Series 15, Budgets, Invoices, and Inventories
  • Series 16, Wind Direction
  • Series 17, Glass Plates
  • Series 18, Film and Microfilm
  • Series 19, Slides and Photographs

Acquisition Information

Howard Conway and Ed Waddington, UW Earth & Space Sciences

Related Materials

Additional Edward LaChapelle papers are available in the Ed LaChapelle Archive and Library at the San Juan County Historical Society.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

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Subject Terms

  • University Archives/Faculty Papers (University of Washington)

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names

    • University of Washington. University Archives


2022 (Last modified: 8/8/2025)

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