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Finding Aids to Personal Papers and Special Collections in the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 7096

Ernst, Wallace Roy, 1928-

Wallace Roy Ernst Papers, 1946-1971

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:Ernst, Wallace Roy, 1928-
Title:Wallace Roy Ernst Papers
Dates:1946-1971
Quantity:2 cu. ft. (4 document boxes)
Collection:Record Unit 7096
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

This collection contains papers documenting the professional and personal life of Ernst, especially during his tenure at the Smithsonian Institution. Included are field notebooks, 1956-1961, 1964-1966, documenting his collecting activities in California, Baja California, Dominica, Mexico, and research conducted in Europe in 1964; correspondence with colleagues regarding his work on Papaveracae, Eucnide, Loasaceae, and Fumariaceae; material documenting his collaboration with Albert C. Smith on the Flora of Fiji project; correspondence documenting the Bredin-Archbold-Smithsonian Biological Survey of Dominica; and materials regarding internal disputes in the Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History.

Historical Note

Wallace Roy Ernst (1928-1971) came to the Smithsonian Institution in 1963 as Associate Curator of Phanerogams in the Department of Botany of the United States National Museum. In 1970 he was appointed Curator of Phanerogams. Ernst received his A.B. degree in 1950 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and received his M.A. from the same institution in 1953. He received his Ph.D. degree from Stanford University in 1962. From 1960-1961 he was a Herbarium Botanist at the University of California, and from 1961-1963 was a botanist on the staff of the Gray Herbarium. He served as Professor of Botany in absentia at the University of Kansas from 1965 until his death. Dr. Ernst's field of study was the taxonomy, morphology, and cytology of flowering plants, especially Papaveraceae, Fumariaceae, and Loasaceae, and he published over twenty scholarly papers and reviews. In 1964 and 1965 Ernst journeyed to Dominica as a member of the Bredin-Archbold-Smithsonian Biological Survey to the island. For two months in 1966 he participated in the archeological expedition to the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico under the leadership of Dr. Kent Flannery. Dr. Ernst also collaborated with Albert C. Smith on the latter's flora of Fiji project financed by the National Science Foundation.

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Descriptive Entry

This collection contains papers documenting the professional and personal life of Ernst, especially during his tenure at the Smithsonian Institution. Included are field notebooks, 1956-1961 and 1964-1966, documenting his collecting activities in California, Baja California, Dominica, Mexico, and his researches in Europe in 1964; correspondence with colleagues regarding his work on Papaveraceae, Loasaceae, and Fumariaceae; material documenting his collaboration with Albert C. Smith on the Flora of Fiji Project; correspondence documenting the Bredin-Archbold-Smithsonian Biological Survey of Dominica; and materials regarding internal disputes in the Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History.

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7096, Wallace Roy Ernst Papers

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Container List

Series 1

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE FILES, 1956-1971.

Box 1

Folder 1 Biographical Data: resumes and life histories compiled by Ernst; obituaries of Ernst, including one by Stanwyn G. Shetler.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 2 Committee on International Exchange of Persons, 1964-1965; correspondence regarding the possibility of Ernst lecturing abroad.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 3 Dandy, J[ames] E[dgar], British Museum, 1965-1966: correspondence regarding the Eucnide, the taxonomy and nomenclature of the genus, on which Ernst was working with Henry J. Thompson.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 4 Dominica, 1964: correspondence regarding Ernst's participation in the Bredin-Archbold-Smithsonian biological survey of Dominica. Correspondents include Robert L. Wilbur, Walter H. Hodge, Lyman B. Smith, Richard S. Cowan, Jason R. Swallen.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 5 Dominica, 1965: correspondence regarding follow-up work on Ernst's Dominican trip of 1964, including material regarding the preparation of a flora for Dominica. Correspondents include Clayton A. Shillingford, Robert L. Wilbur, Dan H. Nicolson, Horton H. Hobbs, Jr., C. Dennis Adams, Richard S. Cowan.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 6 Dominica, Lists of Specimens Collected.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 7 Dominica, Miscellaneous.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 8 Employment Possibilities, 1959-1960: correspondence of Ernst in pursuit of employment. Correspondents include Katharine Muller of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Richard A. Howard of the Arnold Arboretum. Includes correspondence regarding stipends for graduate work, 1959.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 9 Employment Possibilities, 1961; correspondents include John M. Tucker of the University of California, C[arl] L[ouis] Wilson of Dartmouth College.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 10 Employment Possibilities, 1962: correspondents include A. Geoffrey Norman of the University of Michigan, Robert L. Hulbary of the State University of Iowa, John R. Millar of the Chicago Natural History Museum.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 11 Employment Possibilities, 1963: Correspondents include Victor A. Greulach of the University of North Carolina, Demorest Davenport of the University of California at Santa Barbara, Arthur Cronquist of the New York Botanical Garden, Charles Heimsch of Miami University, Donald F. Wetherell of the University of Connecticut. Material relating to Ernst's decision to come to the Smithsonian is in box 2, folder 12.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 12 Employment Possibilities, 1965: correspondents include Donald E. Bianchi of San Fernando Valley State College, B[illie] L[ee] Turner of the University of Texas, William B. Drew of Michigan State University.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 13 Fisher, Jack, Correspondence, 1965: material regarding Fisher's trip to Dominica as a Research Assistant to Ernst.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 14 General Correspondence, 1962: correspondents include George Gillett.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 15 General Correspondence, 1963: includes some correspondence of Lyman B. Smith. Other correspondents include Robert L. Wilbur, M. Jacobs, John M. Fogg, Jr.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 16 General Correspondence, 1964: correspondents include H[arold] R[oy] Fletcher, Leonard J. Brass, John H. Beaman, Theodore F. Niehaus, Ernest C. Twisselmann, Richard Brummitt, Robert L. Wilbur, J[ames] E[dgar] Dandy, Lyman B. Smith, Tetsuo Koyama, Richard A. Howard, Paul J. Kramer, E. J. H. Comer, L[awrence] R[ay] Heckard, Harold E. Moore, Jr., F. Ludlow, Richard H. Eyde, Mason E. Hale.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 17 General Correspondence, 1965: correspondents include V[ernon] H[ilton] Heywood, Richard S. Cowan, Sir George Taylor, G. Thanikaimoni, Richard A. Howard, Henri Stehle, Kings ley R. Stern, Albert C. Smith, Mildred E. Mathias, Henry J. Thompson (ref.), Grady A. Webster, Horton H. Hobbs, Jr., Otto T. Solbrig, William L. Stern, Theodore F. Niehaus, George Gillett, Robert L. Wilbur.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 18 General Correspondence, 1966; correspondents include Kenton L. Chambers, Willis A. Eggler, Robert L. Wilbur, William L. Stern.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 19 General Correspondence (Outgoing), 1966-1967: correspondents include Louis O[tho] Williams, Henry J. Thompson, Ira L[oren] Wiggins, Reid [Venable] Moran, Magdalena Cantorini, James Schoenwetter, Ronald L. McGregor, Ernest C. Twisselmann, R[aymond] C[arl] Jackson, Tom Keck Scott, Sir George Taylor, Clayton A. Shillingford, E. Milne-Redhead, Fred R. Ganders, Michael F. Baad, Chris Seidenschnur, L[awrence] R[ay] Heckard, Rogers McVaugh, Richard M[yron] Straw, H. Crane Miller, Michael R. K. Lambert, Paul C. Lemon, Keith Jones, Justus N. Baird, Andrew P. Nelson, Eleonora Francini Corti, A. Lourteig, A. K. Skvortsov, Peter Green, Robert Ross, J. F. M. Cannon, Richard A. Howard, Edward F[rederick] Anderson, Alfred Linn Bogle, John H[omer] Beaman. Includes request for modification of Ernst's grant from the Smithsonian Institution (Sq 0621021) for monographic studies of Papaveraceae: Subfamily Papa-veroideae.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 20 General Correspondence, 1968-1969: correspondents include G. Thanikaimoni, Charles L. Lamoureux.

Box 1 of 4

Folder 21 General Correspondence (Outgoing), 1968: correspondents include Alvin J. Tickner, Robert Ornduff, Peter Davis, Michael F. Baad, Rogers McVaugh, Robert L. Dressier, A[nthony] Orville Dahl, J. F. M. Cannon, Frans Antonie Stafleu, John W[illiam] Thieret, John R[aymond] Reeder, Philip Rundel, Harold E. Moore, Jr., James E. Rodman, Alexander W. Allport, John H[unter] Thomas, M. E. Kirpicznikov. Includes proposal for research support submitted by Ernst (January 1968) for a study of "Floral biology and systematics of Lamourouxia (Scrophulariaceae)."

Box 1 of 4

Box 2

Folder 1 General Correspondence (Outgoing), 1969: correspondents include U. D. Soskov, Albert E[rnest] Radford, Michael F. Baad, Albert Sasson, W. Hardy Eshbaugh, Richard S. Cowan, Clarence Sterling, Kim I. Miller, Mason E. Hale, Jr., Louis O[tho] Williams, J. Mathez, Arturo Gomez Pompa, R[aymond] C[arl] Jackson, Rodman E. Snead, J. Rzedowski, Sir George Taylor, Lee Merriam Talbot, John H[unter] Thomas, Andrew Berger, Bernice G[iduz] Schubert, Elizabeth Muthiani, James S[tewart] Wilson, William C[urtis] Sturtevant, George H[ill] M[athewson] Lawrence, Mario Orsenigo, Michael F. Baad. Includes review by Ernst of Flora Europa, ed. by Thomas Gaskell Tutin, V[ernon] H[ilton] Heywood, N. A. Burges, D. A. Moore, David Henriques Valentine, S. M. Walters, and David Allardice Webb; typescript of paper on Lamourouxia by Ernst.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 2 General Correspondence, 1970: correspondents include Louis O[tho] Williams, Lyman [David] Benson, Duane Isley, Martin A. Piehl, Carl B[arton] Huffaker, Willem Meijer, Dan H. Nicolson, Robert Ornduff, Luis Eduardo Mora Osejo, Paul K. Knierim, William D. Eastman, Richard S. Cowan, Lee W[ayne] Lenz, Jesus M. Idrobo.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 3 General Correspondence, 1971: correspondents include J. Dan Pittillo, Philip A. Munz. Includes review by Ernst of Flora of the Galapagos Islands by Ira L[oren] Wiggins and Duncan M. Porter (Stanford University Press, 1971); a summation of Ernst's activities for 1970-1971.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 4 General Correspondence, undated: correspondents include Robert L. Wilbur.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 5 Grants, Proposals, and Miscellaneous, 1965-1967; includes proposals by Ernst for systematic research in Old World plants, taxonomic research in tropical biology, monographic studies of Papaveraceae: subfamily Papaverocideae, and a cytotaxonomic survey of selected West Indian plants.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 6 Hodge, Walter H. , 1964-1965: correspondence with Hodge of the National Science Foundation regarding the Dominica project. Includes copy of "Flora of Dominica, B.W.I.," Lloydia 17:1-53 by Hodge, with a few marginal notes by Ernst.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 7 Mexico, 1965-1966; correspondence regarding Ernst's trip to Mexico in 1965 as a member of Dr. Kent Flannery's archeological expedition sponsored by the Smithsonian; later correspondence (1966) regarding a second trip planned by Ernst, but not taken.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 8 Organization for Tropical Studies, 1965: correspondence and miscellaneous material relating to Ernst's unsuccessful application for summer coursework in Costa Rica under OTS auspices.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 9 Parham, John W. , 1964: correspondence regarding the Flora of Fiji project (under the leadership of Albert C. Smith) in which Ernst planned to participate; includes a review by Ernst of Parham's book Plants of the Fiji Islands.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 10 Photographs: includes photographs taken by Ernst on Dominica; two photos of Ernst as a Forest Ranger.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 11 Pollen: includes correspondence with G. Thanikaimoni regarding pollen; includes several manuscript articles and papers on pollen.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 12 Shillingford, Clayton A., 1966-1967; correspondence with Shillingford of the Botany Department, University of the West Indies, regarding his collaboration with Ernst on the Dominican project, and Shillingford's efforts to obtain a pre-doctoral research award at the Smithsonian. Other Shillingford correspondence can be found in the General Correspondence files.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 13 Smith, Albert C., Correspondence, 1955-1956: copies of correspondence of Albert C. Smith as Curator, Division of Phanerogams, USNM (United States National Museum), regarding loans of specimens to Smith from other institutions for the early research on his project Flora of Fiji.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 14 Smith, Albert C., Flora of Fiji, 1963-1965: correspondence between Ernst and Smith and with others regarding Smith's Flora of Fiji project in which Ernst collaborated. Includes some lists of specimens. Correspondents include George Gillett, John W. Parham, Walter H. Hodge. Includes copy of Smith's 1960 Flora of Fiji project proposal to the National Science Foundation and a bibliography of Smith's publications through July 1963.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 15 Smithsonian Institution, Employment and Promotion, 1963-1967: includes material relating to Ernst's decision to come to the Smithsonian in 1963, material documenting a controversy between Ernst and his supervisor in 1966. Correspondents include William L. Stern, John J. Wurdack, Lyman B. Smith, Richard S. Cowan. Includes much biographical and bibliographical data on Ernst, including material on his work at the Smithsonian.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 16 Southeastern Flora Project, 1966: small amount of material regarding the project, which was undertaken by several botanists at Southern universities. Ernst was evidently involved in the project, but the records do not document his role. One letter from Albert E. Radford of the University of North Carolina requests Ernst's participation in the project.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 17 Travel to Europe, 1967: small amount of material relating to Ernst's research trip to Europe.

Box 2 of 4

Folder 18 University of Kansas, 1965-1970: correspondence and miscellaneous material documenting Ernst's tenure as Professor of Botany in absentia at the University of Kansas. Correspondents include Ronald L. McGregor, R[aymond] C[arl] Jackson, William L. Stern. Includes copy of cooperative agreement between the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Kansas.

Box 2 of 4

Series 2

FIELD NOTEBOOKS, 1956-1961, 1964-1966.

Box 3

Folder 1 1956-1958, California.

Box 3 of 4

Folder 2 1958-1959, Guadalupe Islands, California, 1958-1959, Crater Lake, Mount Hamilton.

Box 3 of 4

Folder 3 1960-1961, California.

Box 3 of 4

Folder 4 1964, Edinburgh, Kew, British Museum.

Box 3 of 4

Folder 5 1964, Kew, British Museum.

Box 3 of 4

Folder 6 1964, Kew, Paris, Florence, Genoa, Vienna, Stockholm.

Box 3 of 4

Folder 7 1964, Dominica.

Box 3 of 4

Folder 8 1965, Dominica.

Box 3 of 4

Folder 9 1966, Oaxaca. [Removed and located in the National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany]

Box 3 of 4

Folder 10 Lamourouxia, undated.

Box 3 of 4

Series 3

ADD ACQUISITIONS, 1946-1960's.

Box 4

Folder 1 Ernst's M.A. thesis, "The Derivation of Clarkia delicata and Clarkia similis, Two Allotetraploid Species," June 1953, 2 copies, one with a few handwritten notations.

Box 4 of 4

Folder 2 Rough draft with annotations of the thesis listed above.

Box 4 of 4

Folder 3 Ernst's high school diploma and commencement program (1946); diploma from Los Angeles City College (Associate of Arts, 1948); diploma from Stanford University (Ph.D., 1962); membership certificate, Stanford University chapter of The Society of the Sigma Xi.

Box 4 of 4

Folder 4 "Plants, People and Places," unidentified manuscript.

Box 4 of 4

Folder 5 Brochure containing background information concerning members of the 1950 Yosemite Field School, including some biographical data and photograph of Ernst at 21 years of age.

Box 4 of 4

Folder 6 Draft manuscript by Ernst on "Floral Morphology of the Papaveraceae," undated.

Box 4 of 4

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