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Finding Aids to Official Records of the Smithsonian Institution Archives

Record Unit 222

United States National Museum. Division of Plants

Correspondence, 1894-1903

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:United States National Museum. Division of Plants
Title:Correspondence
Dates:1894-1903
Quantity:2.08 cu. ft. (3 document boxes) (1 tall document box)
Collection:Record Unit 222
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

These records are the official files of Charles Louis Pollard (1872-1945) as Assistant Curator of the Division of Botany, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1894-1895, and the Division of Plants, United States National Museum (USNM), 1895-1903. Pollard also edited Plant World from 1899 to 1907.

These records document the activities of both divisions, as well as Pollard's scientific and administrative activities from 1894 to 1903. The records of both divisions have been maintained together and contain incoming and outgoing correspondence with botanists, entomologists, horticulturists, USDA and USNM administrative staff; foresters and colleagues; seed laboratories; and natural history and scientific societies. The correspondence chiefly concerns the examination, identification, collection, and exchange of botanical specimens, especially violets, mosses, grasses, ferns, fern-like plants, food plants, herbs, shrubs, and trees.

The correspondence also includes accession lists, annual reports, requests and approvals for field work, nomenclatorial work, and routine correspondence in reference to the publication of Plant World and other publications concerning botanical specimens. Also included are some of Pollard's manuscripts: "New American Specied of Chamaecrista"; "A new Violet from New Jersey"; "The Genus Oxytria of Rafinesque"; and "The Two Violets."

Historical Note

These records document the professional, scientific, and administrative activities of Charles Louis Pollard as Assistant Curator, 1894-1903. Consequently the following biographical sketch of Pollard has been included, rather than an administrative history of the organizations of which he was a part.

Charles Louis Pollard (1872-1945), botanist, was born in New York, New York, and died in Arlington, Vermont. He attended Columbia College where he received the A.B. in 1893 and the A.M. in 1894. He was employed as Assistant Curator of the Division of Botany, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), from 1894 to 1895, and the Division of Plants, United States National Museum (USNM) from 1895 to 1903. On occasion, in the absence of the Honorary Curator, Frederick Vernon Coville, Pollard served as the Acting Curator of the divisions. Pollard's interests were centered on genetics and on the entomology and botany of North America. While working for the USDA and the USNM he specialized in the examination and identification of botanical specimens, especially the various species of the genus Viola (violets).

Pollard served as editor of Plant World, 1899-1907, and contributed botanical terms for the Supplement of Webster's International Dictionary, 1900, Century Dictionary, 1903, and Webster's New International Dictionary, 1903-1906. He also served as consulting botanist for the G. and C. Merriam Company, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1903-1906; Curator-In-Chief of the public museum, Staten Island Association of Arts and Sciences, 1907-1913; and private tutor, 1913-1916. Pollard was an honorary member of the Philadelphia Botanical Club and the Washington Biologists' Field Club.

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Introduction

In 1971, the National Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany, transferred its official records and collections of personal papers relating to the early history of the Department to the Hunt Botanical Library at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. The official correspondence files generated by Charles Louis Pollard during his tenure as Assistant Curator of the Division of Botany, United States Department of Agriculture, 1894-1895, and the Division of Plants, United States National Museum, 1895-1903, were included in the transfer. In December 1977, the Department of Botany records were returned to the custody of the Smithsonian Institution to be maintained in the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

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Descriptive Entry

This record unit consists of the official files of Charles Louis Pollard as Assistant Curator of the Division of Botany, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 1894-1895, and the Division of Plants, United States National Museum (USNM), 1895-1903. These records document the activities of both divisions, as well as Pollard's scientific and administrative activities from 1894 to 1903.

The records of both divisions have been maintained together and contain incoming and outgoing correspondence with botanists; entomologists; horticulturists; USDA and USNM administrative staff; foresters and colleagues; seed laboratories; the Torrey Botanical Club, the Wildflower Club, the Biological Society of Washington, and other natural history and scientific societies. The correspondence chiefly concerns the examination, identification, collection, and exchange of botanical specimens especially violets, mosses, grasses, ferns, fern-like plants, food plants, herbs, shrubs, and trees. The correspondence also includes accession lists, annual reports, requests and approvals for field work, nomenclatorial work for the Botanical Club of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and routine correspondence in reference to the publication of Plant World and other publications concerning botanical specimens. Also included are some of Pollard's manuscripts: "New American Species of Chamaecrista," "A New Violet from New Jersey," "The Genus Oxytria of Rafinesque," and "The Two Violets."

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This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.

Name

Subject

Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 222, United States National Museum. Division of Plants, Correspondence

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Container List

Series 1

INCOMING AND OCCASIONAL OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE, 1894-1903.

Box 1

Folder 1 A-D. Includes a list of grasses collected by Marie Meislahn, 1899

Box 1 of 4

Folder 2 Angell, Lillie, 1899-1902, undated

Box 1 of 4

Folder 3 Ashe, W. Willard, 1895-1898, 1900-1901

Box 1 of 4

Folder 4 Baker, Carl F., 1896, 1899. Includes correspondence concerning plans for field work in the San Juan Region - the extreme eastern extension of the Great Basin Watershed in southwest Colorado and northwest New Mexico

Box 1 of 4

Folder 5 Barbour, William C., 1899-1900

Box 1 of 4

Folder 6 Barnhart, John Hendley, 1896

Box 1 of 4

Folder 7 Beadle, Chauncey D., 1897-1899, 1901-1903

Box 1 of 4

Folder 8 Bessey, Charles Edwin, 1895, 1900

Box 1 of 4

Folder 9 Bethel, E., 1899-1900

Box 1 of 4

Folder 10 Bicknell, Eugene P., 1896-1897, 1899

Box 1 of 4

Folder 11 Blodgett, Frederick H., 1895-1896

Box 1 of 4

Folder 12 Braendle, Fred J., 1898

Box 1 of 4

Folder 13 Brainerd, Ezra, 1902

Box 1 of 4

Folder 14 Bray, William L., 1899, 1903, undated

Box 1 of 4

Folder 15 Britton, Elizabeth Gertrude, 1897-1901, undated

Box 1 of 4

Folder 16 Britton, Nathaniel Lord, 1894-1902. Includes correspondence concerning Pollard's work on the Nomenclature Committee of the Botanical Club, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Decoration Day, and O. F. Cook's Puerto Rican collection

Box 1 of 4

Folder 17 Brown, Addison, 1895-1896

Box 1 of 4

Folder 18 Brown, E., 1902-1903

Box 1 of 4

Folder 19 Brown, Stewardson, 1898-1899. Includes notice of Pollard's Honorary membership in the Philadelphia Botanical Club, and correspondence concerning Decoration Day

Box 1 of 4

Folder 20 Burgess, Edward S., 1896-1897, 1899

Box 1 of 4

Folder 21 Burgess, T. J. W., 1895-1896. Includes correspondence referring to Pollard's paper "Violets of the Atlantic Coast"

Box 1 of 4

Folder 22 Burnham, Stewart H., 1899-1900

Box 1 of 4

Folder 23 Bush B. F., 1895, 1899-1900

Box 1 of 4

Folder 24 Canby, William M., 1896, 1898-1899

Box 1 of 4

Folder 25 Chittenden, F. H., 1903

Box 1 of 4

Folder 26 Clute, Willard Nelson, 1896-1899. Includes correspondence concerning acquisition of "Hill's British Herbal" and Pollard's paper "Families of Flowering Plants"

Box 1 of 4

Folder 27 Cockerell, Theodore D. A., 1900-1902

Box 1 of 4

Folder 28 Collins, J. Franklin, 1898-1899

Box 1 of 4

Folder 29 Comstock, F. M., 1895, 1899

Box 1 of 4

Folder 30 Coulter, John Merle, 1894-1896, 1898-1901. Includes correspondence referring to Pollard's paper "The Genus Achillea in North America"

Box 1 of 4

Folder 31 Coville, Frederick Vernon, 1897-1899, 1902, undated

Box 1 of 4

Folder 32 Crawford, Joseph D., 1897-1900, undated

Box 1 of 4

Folder 33 Curtiss, A. H., 1895, 1900. Includes correspondence concerning publication of Helianthus

Box 1 of 4

Folder 34 Davis, William T., 1899

Box 1 of 4

Folder 35 Deane, Walter, 1895-1899

Box 1 of 4

Folder 36 Dewey, Lyster H., 1897, 1899-1901

Box 1 of 4

Folder 37 Dyar, Harrison G., 1900

Box 1 of 4

Folder 38 E-M

Box 1 of 4

Folder 39 Eames, E. H., 1896-1899, 1902-1903

Box 1 of 4

Folder 40 Earle, F. S., 1896-1900

Box 1 of 4

Folder 41 Eastwood, Alice, 1895-1896, 1899, 1901, undated

Box 1 of 4

Folder 42 Eaton, Alvah A., 1898-1899, 1903

Box 1 of 4

Folder 43 Eggleston, W. W., 1898-1899

Box 1 of 4

Folder 44 Fernald, Merritt Lyndon, 1899-1901. Includes correspondence concerning Helianthus as published by A. H. Curtiss

Box 1 of 4

Folder 45 Ferris, James H., 1901

Box 1 of 4

Folder 46 Fredholm, A., 1895-1897, undated

Box 1 of 4

Box 2

Folder 1 Gilbert, B. D., 1898-1899, undated

Box 2 of 4

Folder 2 Glatfelter, N. M., 1895-1899. Includes correspondence referring to Pollard's papers "Acaulescent Violets" and "Two New Violets" and brochure "Stemless Violets of the Atlantic Coast"

Box 2 of 4

Folder 3 Graves, Charles B., 1898, 1900-1901

Box 2 of 4

Folder 4 Greene, Edward L., 1895-1900

Box 2 of 4

Folder 5 Grinnell, George H., 1895-1896

Box 2 of 4

Folder 6 Harper, Roland M., 1900-1903. Includes correspondence concerning Plant World in reference to remarks on Elliottia

Box 2 of 4

Folder 7 Heller, Amos Arthur, 1896-1901, 1903

Box 2 of 4

Folder 8 Hitchcock, Albert Spear, 1898-1899, 1902

Box 2 of 4

Folder 9 Holm, Theo., 1896, 1898, 1901

Box 2 of 4

Folder 10 Hunter, William, 1897, 1901

Box 2 of 4

Folder 11 Jepson, Willis Linn, 1895-1896, 1899

Box 2 of 4

Folder 12 Jones, L. R., 1898, 1899. Includes postcard concerning State Botanical Club meeting

Box 2 of 4

Folder 13 Jones, Marcus E., 1895-1899. Includes correspondence concerning Jones' opinions on nomenclature

Box 2 of 4

Folder 14 Kearney, Thomas Henry, Jr., 1897-1898, undated

Box 2 of 4

Folder 15 Knowlton, F. H., 1896, 1898, 1903, undated

Box 2 of 4

Folder 16 Koenig (or Koeing), Adolph, 1899-1901

Box 2 of 4

Folder 17 Lamson-Scribner, Frank, 1896-1897, undated. Includes a list of grasses from Aven Nelson

Box 2 of 4

Folder 18 Langley, Samuel Pierpont, 1901

Box 2 of 4

Folder 19 MacDougal, Daniel Trembly, 1898-1900

Box 2 of 4

Folder 20 MacElwee, Alexander, 1899-1900. Includes an invoice of violets for the Smithsonian Institution collected by MacElwee

Box 2 of 4

Folder 21 MacMillan, Conway, 1896, 1899-1900

Box 2 of 4

Folder 22 Macoun, J. M., 1898-1899, 1903

Box 2 of 4

Folder 23 Maxon, William Ralph, 1897-1899. Includes correspondence from William Cox, Chief Clerk, USNM in response to Maxon's request for a leave of absence

Box 2 of 4

Folder 24 Mearns, Edgar A., 1895. Concerns information on plant gathering in the San Luis Mountains area

Box 2 of 4

Folder 25 Meehan, Thomas (and sons), 1897, undated

Box 2 of 4

Folder 26 Merrill, Elmer Drew, 1900

Box 2 of 4

Folder 27 Millspaugh, Charles Frederick, 1897-1900, 1902-1903, undated. Includes a list of plants returned to Pollard

Box 2 of 4

Folder 28 Mohr, Charles Theodore, 1896-1898, 1900, undated

Box 2 of 4

Folder 29 Morris, E. L., 1896-1898, 1902

Box 2 of 4

Folder 30 N-W

Box 2 of 4

Folder 31 Nash, George V., 1896-1897, 1899-1900

Box 2 of 4

Folder 32 Nelson, Aven, 1897, 1899, 1902, undated

Box 2 of 4

Folder 33 Norton, J. B. S., 1899

Box 2 of 4

Folder 34 Olds, Henry W., 1895-1899

Box 2 of 4

Folder 35 Osterhout, George E., 1899

Box 2 of 4

Folder 36 Painter, Joseph H., 1903

Box 2 of 4

Folder 37 Parish, Samuel B., 1894, 1899, undated

Box 2 of 4

Folder 38 Parsons, Isaac D., 1901

Box 2 of 4

Folder 39 Pollard, Charles Louis, 1895, 1897-1903. Correspondence from the administrative staff of the Smithsonian Institution, USNM. Includes salary statements; grants for leave; notices of election as a member to scientific societies; receipt for plants added to the herbarium; travel information; a letter of introduction; and a deed of gift

Box 2 of 4

Folder 40 Porter, Edna, 1899

Box 2 of 4

Folder 41 Price, Sadie F., 1899-1902, undated

Box 2 of 4

Folder 42 Reynolds, Elmer Robert, 1898-1900, 1902

Box 2 of 4

Folder 43 Robinson, Benjamin Lincoln, 1895-1900, 1902

Box 2 of 4

Folder 44 Rose, Joseph Nelson, 1896-1897, 1899, 1901, 1903, undated

Box 2 of 4

Folder 45 Rose, L. S., 1897, 1899, 1901, undated. Correspondence concerns Joseph Nelson Rose

Box 2 of 4

Folder 46 Rowlee, Willard W., 1898-1899, 1902

Box 2 of 4

Box 3

Folder 1 Rusby, Henry Hurd, 1895, 1897-1899

Box 3 of 4

Folder 2 Ruth, Albert, 1899, 1901

Box 3 of 4

Folder 3 Rutter, Cloud, 1895-1896

Box 3 of 4

Folder 4 Rydberg, Per Axel, 1896-1897, 1901-1902

Box 3 of 4

Folder 5 Sargent, Charles Sprague, 1894, 1898

Box 3 of 4

Folder 6 Saunders, W. E. and Co., 1899

Box 3 of 4

Folder 7 Schaeffer, Edward M., 1899

Box 3 of 4

Folder 8 Shear, C. L., 1899, 1901

Box 3 of 4

Folder 9 Shekan, Josephine, 1895

Box 3 of 4

Folder 10 Sheldon, Edmund P., 1896

Box 3 of 4

Folder 11 Small, John Kunkel, 1895-1902

Box 3 of 4

Folder 12 Smith, Jared G., 1895, 1898, 1899

Box 3 of 4

Folder 13 Steele, Edward S., 1900, 1903

Box 3 of 4

Folder 14 Stone, Witmer, 1901-1903

Box 3 of 4

Folder 15 Sudsworth, George B., 1896-1897, 1900, undated

Box 3 of 4

Folder 16 Taylor, Katherine A., undated

Box 3 of 4

Folder 17 Topping, D. Le Roy, 1898, 1903

Box 3 of 4

Folder 18 Tracy, Samuel Mills, 1895-1901, 1903

Box 3 of 4

Folder 19 Trelease, William, 1897-1899

Box 3 of 4

Folder 20 Tyler, A. A., 1899, 1901

Box 3 of 4

Folder 21 Uline, Edwin B., 1895

Box 3 of 4

Folder 22 Umbach, L. M., 1898, 1901

Box 3 of 4

Folder 23 Underwood, Lucien Marcus, 1897-1900

Box 3 of 4

Folder 24 Vail, Anna Murray, 1896, 1902

Box 3 of 4

Folder 25 Van Sickle, William M., 1895-1896

Box 3 of 4

Folder 26 Wadmond, S. C., 1898-1901, 1903

Box 3 of 4

Folder 27 Ward, Lester Frank, 1895-1897, 1902-1903

Box 3 of 4

Folder 28 Waters, Campbell Easter, 1897-1898, 1902-1903

Box 3 of 4

Folder 29 Wheeler, Charles Fay, 1895-1896, 1899

Box 3 of 4

Folder 30 Wheeler, John A., 1897-1899

Box 3 of 4

Folder 31 White, David, 1895-1896, 1898-1899, 1903

Box 3 of 4

Folder 32 Williamson, Charles S., 1897-1899

Box 3 of 4

Series 2

OFFICIAL OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE, 1894-1903.

Box 4

Folder 1 Volume I, 1895-1899. Includes the "Report of the Curator," 1895-1896

Box 4 of 4

Folder 2 Volume II, 1894-1896. Includes specimen lists; a list of plants collected by Pollard in Mississippi, 1896; the "Report of the Assistant Curator," 1896-1897; the "Annual Report of the Department of Botany," 1896-1897; an article by Pollard: "The Genus Oxytria of Rafinesque;" a paper: "Two New Violets;" a species list of viola; and details of a new record system for herbarium accessions

Box 4 of 4

Folder 3 Volume III, 1899-1901. Includes "Report(s) of the Accounts of the Department of Botany;" "Annual Report of the Division of Plants," 1899; Manuscripts: "Descriptions of New Species, Chameacrista Complexe" and "Chameacrista Millespaughii;" a list of plants collected by A. H. Curtiss in Florida in 1900; specimen report; and annual report, 1901

Box 4 of 4

Folder 4 Volume IV, 1901-1903. Includes manuscripts by Pollard: "New American Species of Chamaecrista" and "A New Violet from New Jersey" and a list of plants collected in Arizona by Frederick Vernon Coville

Box 4 of 4