Ellen Moore was a Geologist for the U. S. Geological Survey from 1950 through 1987, specializing in Tertiary Paleontology with a focus on mollusks. She was a courtesy Research Associate at Oregon State University in the late 1980s through the 1990s. Moore attended Oregon State College and completed her undergraduate degree in geology at Oregon State in the mid-1940s.
Ellen Louise James was born February 6th, 1925 in Portland, Oregon, where she spent her childhood. She graduated from Oregon State College in 1946 with a BA and major in Geology, earned a MS from the University of Oregon in 1950, and studied at Johns Hopkins University from 1953-1954. From 1950-1987 she was employed with the U. S. Geological Survey as a Geologist in Menlo, California. Most of her time at the USGS was spent with the Branch of Paleontology and Stratigraphy where she was assistant Branch Chief from 1979 to 1982; her main scientific area of interest was Tertiary Paleontology with a focus on mollusks. Other jobs include working as a Curatorial Science Advisor for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Deep Sea Drilling Project from 1974 to 1975, and working as an Associate Curator for the San Diego Natural History Museum Department of Invertebrate Paleontology from 1966 to 1967.
She retired from the USGS in 1987, but became a Geologist Emeritus with them that same year. Ellen and her husband George W. Moore moved to Corvallis in 1987 and were involved with OSU and the Corvallis community. From 1990 through 2003 Ellen was an Oregon State University Thrift Store volunteer. Ellen was a courtesy Research Associate at Oregon State University from 1987 through 2003. George Moore was courtesy Professor of Geology at Oregon State University. Ellen and George had two children: Geoff and Leslie.
Moore used several names in her correspondence: Ellen L. (Louise) James, Ellen J. Trumbull, and Ellen J. Moore.
The Ellen J. Moore Papers consist of materials created or assembled by Moore documenting her professional career and personal life. They include professional and personal typed and handwritten correspondence, reports, forms, employment records, publications and research documents, a scrapbook, two autograph books, and certificates. The bulk of the collection is comprised of correspondence.
The main publication of Ellen’s is a copy of her book
There are 217 photographs in the collection, primarily documenting Moore's personal and professional lives. Most of the photographs are color or black-and-white prints; one film negative and one color slide are also included. The photographs depict family members, Ellen at various stages of life, colleagues, Ellen at a USGS open house, and retirement parties.
A scrapbook and two autograph journals document Ellen's childhood and youth in Oregon.
Collection is open for research. One file in Series 1 (A.V. Zhirmunskiy correspondence) and two files in the Employment Records (Series 3) are restricted because they include documents with confidential personal information. Requests for researcher access to those documents will be reviewed by an archivist.
The Ellen J. Moore Papers are arranged in 5 series: 1. Correspondence, 1937-2003; 2. Publications and Research, 1977-2000; 3. Employment Records, 1942-1995; 4. Photographs, 1909-2000; and 5. Personal, 1918-2002.
Ellen J. Moore Papers (MSS MooreE), Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
The Papers were donated to the University Archives by Ellen Moore in 2003 and 2004.
The Special Collections & Archives Research Center's holdings include the papers of Ellen's husband,
Series 1 consists of personal and professional correspondence. The series is arranged alphabetically by correspondent, with professional and personal correspondents interfiled. The bulk of Ellen's professional correspondence is from her time as a U. S. Geological Survey geologist beginning in the 1950s through her time at Oregon State University as a courtesy Research Associate in the 1990s. Correspondents included her current and former colleagues, international colleagues, institutions such as museums, geology and paleontology students, and private corporations. The correspondence itself is related to borrowing and lending types (fossils) from other institutions, meetings with colleagues, the review of scholarly papers and manuscripts, status of and funding for projects, international travel for conferences, lectures and awards, organizational activities, and memorials for deceased colleagues and mentors. Personal correspondence was usually with friends and family members, but also included members of the OSU Thrift Shop and past colleagues. The bulk of it is from the 1990s through 2003. Topics include daily life, travel, health, relationships, and life in Corvallis. Documents typically include typed and handwritten letters, cards, photographs, printouts of e-mails, manuscripts of scholarly work, photocopies of professional publications or articles, and newspaper clippings. The following list provides the names of correspondents grouped by folder.
Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Includes correspondence related to the Raymond C. Moore award.
Includes one photo of Tanya.
Pertaining to the disposition of the S. Stillman Berry collection.
Includes awards for Research Associate positions and an outline of the Earl L. Packard award created by Ellen.
Includes Barron's acceptance of the 1986 Schuchert award.
Includes e-mail exchange with Bob Brown.
Includes photos of Calkins (1 negative, 10 photos) as well as biographical information on Calkins and his memorial by Max D. Crittenden, Jr. Includes letters exchanged with John Turula.
Includes four photos, correspondence and euphemera on Cloud's publications, and the dedication of the Preston Cloud library.
Includeds printouts of photos.
Includes memorial for Robert Coats.
Includes articles cut from newspapers.
Correspondence regarding notices Ellen wrote for the Dictionary of Scientific Biography.
Includes one photograph.
Includes spiral bound booklet.
Includes print outs of oil paintings by Howell.
Pastel Portrait
Includes four photos that go with a story by Isaacs.
Includes three photos.
Includes three photos.
Includes memorials to Keen and one photo.
Includes family tree and Ellen's Curriculum Vitae. Includes one photo.
Includes printouts of Geoffrey's web pages.
Includes printout of photo. Primarily George's, and not Ellen's, correspondence with others.
Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Harvard University.
Located in Washington, D. C.
Includes two photos.
Includes two photos.
Includes small book and copy of photo. Some materials related to Marion's memorial.
Includes one photo. Correspondence with/or about Yangshen Shi, Shu Liangshu, Jianning Shi, and Hauafu Lu.
Clipping of an essay about Ellen as a 15-year-old maid featured in the
One slide included.
One photo included.
Located at Berkeley, California
Located at Los Angeles, California
Located at Riverside, California
Located at Santa Barbara, California
Includes Ellen's correspondence with Courtney Werner.
Includes four photos.
Includes one photo.
This file includes documents with restricted access because of confidential personal information.
Series 2 consists of Moore's work on projects, publications, exhibits, reports on fossils referred to Moore for examination, and responses to requests for fossil identification. Documents include a book, typed manuscripts, letters, and forms.
Materials and communication related to an exhibit prepared by Ellen that featured fossils, rocks, and minerals that could be experienced by touch, and that was featured at a USGS open house.
Book written by Ellen Moore. Title page signed by Ellen.
Project on the synthesis of Tertiary marine mollusks of California worked on by Ellen Moore and W. O. Addicott.
Series 3 consists of records related to Moore's employment. Documents include job applications, notifications of personnel action, performance reports and reviews, quarterly reports and travel vouchers and authorizations. Two of the files in this series include documents with restricted access because of confidential personal information.
Series 4 consists of photographic prints related to Moore's personal and professional lives. Photographs include color and black and white prints depicting family members, Ellen at various stages of life, colleagues, Ellen’s son Geoff, Ellen at a USGS open house, and retirement parties.
46 prints.
42 prints.
6 prints.
Series 5 consists of autograph journals and a scrapbook from Moore's childhood and personal and professional certificates.
Consists of two autograph journals. The first is Kate Greenaway's Birthday Book for Children with verses by Mrs. Sale Barker, published by Frederick Warne and Co., Ltd. in London. The book has blank spaces for names to be written next to birthdates, and Ellen has several friends' and family members' names in it. In the back of the book Ellen pasted clippings of her hair from when she was nine, eleven, twelve, thirteen, and thirty-six years old. The second is a blank autograph book which has been signed by friends and family members.
Nine certificates. Certificate for completion of the Elementary Course of Study, School District No. 1, Multnomah County, Oregon, 1938. Certificate for the College Preparatory Course of Study at the Washington High School, 1942. Certificate of Achievement from the Alumni Campus Abroad~Alumni College in Provence, 2002. Certificate for Oregon State College Bachelor of Arts Major in Geology, 1946. Certificate for The University of Oregon Master of Science, 1950. Certificate for Elderly Nutrition Program, 1990. Two certificates of Appreciation from the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey for contributions to the Volunteer Science Program, 1987 and 1992. Certificate of appreciation and recognition of the Geologic Time of Scientist Emeritus from the Geologic Division, U. S. Geological Survey United States Department of the Interior, 1989.
Scrapbook created by Ellen; documents her childhood in Portland, Oregon. Includes 85 photographic prints. Features newspaper clippings, family photographs, letters, cards and postcards, school grade reports, Ellen's baptismal certificate, childhood drawings, school papers and handwriting practice, items related to the parcel of land Ellen won from a National Housing Show, handwritten notes and copied poems.