Reference Request
Finding Aids to Personal Papers and Special Collections in the Smithsonian Institution Archives
Record Unit 7134
Casey, Thos. L. (Thomas Lincoln), 1857-1925
Thomas Lincoln Casey Papers, 1870-1871, 1873, 1881-1897
Historical Note
Thomas Lincoln Casey (1857-1925) graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1879 and went into the Corps of Engineers. In his early years in the military he was engaged in astronomy, but his interest later turned to entomology, and he became an intense student of the Coleoptera. His first paper appeared in 1884. At first his study was confined to North America, but after 1910 he studied the Coleoptera of Central and South America as well. His collection of specimens and his library were given to the United States National Museum after his death. See Thomas Lincoln Casey and the Casey Collection of Coleoptera, Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Volume 94, Number 3, publication 3330.
Introduction
This finding aid was digitized with funds generously provided by the Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.
Descriptive Entry
These papers concern Casey's work in entomology, especially the creation of his collection of Coleoptera. A fragment of the papers relates to Casey's earlier work in astronomy. Included in the papers are letters from Casey's father, 1870-1871; observations and computations made while accompanying Simon Newcomb on an expedition to observe the transit of Venus, 1882; letters received from entomologists, 1887-1897, regarding specimen identifications, purchase and exchange of Coleoptera specimens, and relating to the publication of Casey's papers; an autograph collection, mostly of public or military figures; and drawings of fossil Diatomaceae done by Casey in 1873.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.
Name
- Casey, Thos. L. (Thomas Lincoln), 1857-1925
- Newcomb, Simon, 1835-1909
- United States Military Academy
- United States National Museum
- United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
Subject
Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7134, Thomas Lincoln Casey Papers