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

Record Unit 7234

Bassler, Ray S. (Ray Smith), 1878-

Ray S. Bassler Papers, 1875-1961 and undated

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:Bassler, Ray S. (Ray Smith), 1878-
Title:Ray S. Bassler Papers
Dates:1875-1961 and undated
Quantity:5.22 cu. ft. (9 document boxes) (2 5x8 boxes)
Collection:Record Unit 7234
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

These papers consist of Bassler's incoming and outgoing correspondence and a manuscript on Australian Tertiary Bryozoa with plates created during his tenure at the United States National Museum; and photographs, primarily of his family. Correspondence documents the identification and exchange of specimens; publications of scientific articles; the administration of the Department of Geology; and the effects of World War II on European scientific research, libraries, and museum geological collections. For the earlier years, there are no copies of Bassler's outgoing correspondence. Also included is correspondence addressed to Edward Oscar Ulrich and Charles D. Walcott. The Tertiary Bryozoa manuscript with annotations and plates was written by Bassler and Ferdinand Canu of France.

Historical Note

Ray S. Bassler (1878-1961) was born in Philadelphia. Bassler spent his childhood in Cincinnati where he came into personal contact with some noted geologists, including Charles Schuchert, Carl Ludwig Rominger, and Edward Oscar Ulrich. While in high school, Bassler sold fossils for Ulrich.

In 1902, Bassler received a B.A. degree from the University of Cincinnati and received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 1903 and 1905, respectively, from George Washington University. From 1904 to 1948 he was an Assistant Professor of Geology there.

Bassler joined the United States National Museum staff as Assistant Curator in the Department of Geology's Division of Stratigraphic Paleontology in 1904. Three years later he was promoted to Curator in the Department's Division of Invertebrate Paleontology. From 1910 to 1922 he was Curator of the Division of Paleontology, and from 1923 to 1928, Curator of the Division of Stratigraphic Paleontology. In 1929 he was appointed Head Curator of the Department of Geology, a position which he held until his retirement in 1948 when he was appointed Associate in Paleontology.

Bassler's main interest was with the Tertiary Polyzoa of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. In this study, he collaborated with Ferdinand Canu of France from 1905 to 1931.

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Introduction

This finding aid was digitized with funds generously provided by the Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.

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Descriptive Entry

These papers consist of Bassler's incoming and outgoing correspondence and a manuscript on Australian Tertiary Bryozoa with plates created during his tenure at the United States National Museum; and photographs, primarily of his family. Correspondence documents the identification and exchange of specimens; publications of scientific articles; the administration of the Department of Geology; and the effects of World War II on European scientific research, libraries, and museum geological collections. For the earlier years, there are no copies of Bassler's outgoing correspondence. Also included is correspondence addressed to Edward Oscar Ulrich and Charles D. Walcott. The Tertiary Bryozoa manuscript with annotations and plates was written by Bassler and Ferdinand Canu of France.

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7234, Ray S. Bassler Papers

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Container List

Series 1

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1875-1961 AND UNDATED. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.

Box 1

Folder 1 A, 1901-1956

Box 1 of 11

Folder 2 Aldrich, Henry Ray, 1940-1959

Box 1 of 11

Folder 3 Ba-Bo, 1903-1954

Box 1 of 11

Folder 4 Br-Bu, 1900-1960

Box 1 of 11

Folder 5 Bassler, R.S., biographical data, undated

Box 1 of 11

Folder 6 Bather, F.A., 1906, 1916

Box 1 of 11

Folder 7 Ca-Ch, 1904-1960

Box 1 of 11

Folder 8 Ci-Co, 1905-1959

Box 1 of 11

Folder 9 Cr-Cu, 1902-1960

Box 1 of 11

Box 2

Folder 1 Bassler, Ray S., letters to Canu, Ferdinand, 1911-1932, 1940

Box 2 of 11

Folder 2 Canu, Ferdinand, letters to Bassler, Ray S., 1905-1932, 1940

Box 2 of 11

Folder 3 Carmichael, Leonard, 1959

Box 2 of 11

Folder 4 Cloud, Preston E., 1934-1951

Box 2 of 11

Folder 5 D, 1905-1961

Box 2 of 11

Folder 6 Deiss, Charles F., 1932-1946

Box 2 of 11

Folder 7 E, 1903-1956

Box 2 of 11

Folder 8 Elias, Maxim Kondradovich, 1940-1956

Box 2 of 11

Folder 9 F, 1904-1960

Box 2 of 11

Box 3

Folder 1 G, 1894-1958

Box 3 of 11

Folder 2 Goldring, Winifred, 1924-1949

Box 3 of 11

Folder 3 Ha, 1902-1958

Box 3 of 11

Folder 4 He-Hy, 1906-1959

Box 3 of 11

Folder 5 Hibbard, Raymond R., 1917-1955

Box 3 of 11

Folder 6 Howell, Benjamin, F., 1925-1954

Box 3 of 11

Folder 7 I, 1908-1957

Box 3 of 11

Folder 8 J, 1906-1957

Box 3 of 11

Folder 9 Ka-Ki, 1905-1958

Box 3 of 11

Folder 10 Kl-Ku, 1905-1956

Box 3 of 11

Box 4

Folder 1 La, 1906-1956

Box 4 of 11

Folder 2 Le-Ly, 1902-1959

Box 4 of 11

Folder 3 Loeblich, Alfred R., Jr., 1938-1946

Box 4 of 11

Folder 4 Ma, 1903-1957

Box 4 of 11

Folder 5 Mc, 1906-1953

Box 4 of 11

Folder 6 Me-Mu, 1902-1958

Box 4 of 11

Folder 7 Miller, miscellaneous, 1875-1942

Box 4 of 11

Folder 8 Moore, Raymond C., 1926-1961

Box 4 of 11

Box 5

Folder 1 Na-Ne, 1907-1960

Box 5 of 11

Folder 2 Ni-Ny, 1910-1956

Box 5 of 11

Folder 3 O, 1909-1960

Box 5 of 11

Folder 4 Osborn, Raymond C., 1906-1955

Box 5 of 11

Folder 5 Pa-Pl, 1904-1958

Box 5 of 11

Folder 6 Po-Pu, 1905-1954

Box 5 of 11

Folder 7 Q, 1934-1939

Box 5 of 11

Box 6

Folder 1 Ra-Ri, 1905-1954

Box 6 of 11

Folder 2 Rob-Rod, 1914-1960

Box 6 of 11

Folder 3 Rog-Rom, 1904-1959

Box 6 of 11

Folder 4 Rot-Roy, 1904-1942

Box 6 of 11

Folder 5 Ru, 1905-1947

Box 6 of 11

Folder 6 Recommendation, Letters of, 1934-1952

Box 6 of 11

Folder 7 Reimann, Irving G., 1931-1950

Box 6 of 11

Folder 8 Resser, Charles Elmer, 1923-1931

Box 6 of 11

Folder 9 Richter, Rudolf, 1926-1957

Box 6 of 11

Folder 10 Sa, 1906-1958

Box 6 of 11

Folder 11 Sc, 1901-1959

Box 6 of 11

Folder 12 Se, 1931-1951

Box 6 of 11

Folder 13 Sha, 1905-1951

Box 6 of 11

Folder 14 Si, 1899-1956

Box 6 of 11

Folder 15 Sl, 1905-1951

Box 6 of 11

Box 7

Folder 1 Sm, 1920-1959

Box 7 of 11

Folder 1A Smithsonian Centennial, 1939-1946

Box 7 of 11

Folder 2 Sn-So, 1931-1958

Box 7 of 11

Folder 3 Sp, 1929-1954

Box 7 of 11

Folder 4 Sta, 1934-1949

Box 7 of 11

Folder 5 Ste-Sti, 1920-1945

Box 7 of 11

Folder 6 Sto, 1914-1950

Box 7 of 11

Folder 7 Stu, 1940-1958

Box 7 of 11

Folder 8 Su, 1926-1940

Box 7 of 11

Folder 9 Sw, 1916-1957

Box 7 of 11

Folder 10 Sardeson, Frederick W., 1904-1959

Box 7 of 11

Folder 11 Smith, Stanley, 1925-1950

Box 7 of 11

Folder 12 Springer, Edward T., 1936-1956

Box 7 of 11

Folder 13 Springer, Eva and Ada, 1943-1960

Box 7 of 11

Folder 14 Springer, Frank, 1903-1927

Box 7 of 11

Folder 15 Stach, Leo, 1933-1939

Box 7 of 11

Folder 16 Strange Letters received by Merrill, George P., and Bassler, Ray S., 1901-1955

Box 7 of 11

Folder 17 Strimple, Harrell L., 1934-1954

Box 7 of 11

Folder 18 Swartz, Frank M., 1932-1950

Box 7 of 11

Box 8

Folder 1 Ta-Te, 1907-1958

Box 8 of 11

Folder 2 Th, 1920-1956

Box 8 of 11

Folder 3 Ti-To, 1920-1952

Box 8 of 11

Folder 4 Tr-Tw, 1905-1947

Box 8 of 11

Folder 5 Thomas, H. Dighton, 1932-1959

Box 8 of 11

Folder 6 Train, Agnes and Percy, 1921-1943

Box 8 of 11

Folder 7 Twenhofel, William Henry, 1911-1955

Box 8 of 11

Folder 8 U, 1901-1959

Box 8 of 11

Folder 9 Va, 1905-1959

Box 8 of 11

Folder 10 Ve-Vo, 1909-1952

Box 8 of 11

Folder 11 Voight, Ehrhard, 1922-1960

Box 8 of 11

Box 9

Folder 1 Wad-Wak, 1911-1947

Box 9 of 11

Folder 2 Wal-Wan, 1906-1954

Box 9 of 11

Folder 3 War-Wat, 1905-1950

Box 9 of 11

Folder 4 Web-Wel, 1904-1949

Box 9 of 11

Folder 5 Wen-Wes, 1926-1958

Box 9 of 11

Folder 6 Wh, 1881-1959

Box 9 of 11

Folder 7 Wib-Wie, 1913-1954

Box 9 of 11

Folder 8 Wil, 1912-1948

Box 9 of 11

Folder 9 Win-Wit, 1920-1938

Box 9 of 11

Folder 10 Wo-Wr, 1908-1951

Box 9 of 11

Folder 11 Ward, F.H. (Ward's Natural Science Establishment, Inc.), 1918-1947

Box 9 of 11

Folder 12 Wetmore, Alexander, 1926-1947

Box 9 of 11

Folder 13 W.P.A. (Assistants in Geology), 1936-1940

Box 9 of 11

Folder 14 Y, 1930, 1956

Box 9 of 11

Folder 15 Z, 1930-1946

Box 9 of 11

Series 2

MANUSCRIPT ON AUSTRALIAN TERTIARY BRYOZOA, CIRCA 1935.

Box 9

Folders 16-18 "Observations on the Tertiary Bryozoa of Victoria, Australia," by Ferdinand Canu and Ray S. Bassler, circa 1935

Box 9 of 11

Series 3

PHOTOGRAPHS, 1890-1921 AND UNDATED.

Box 9

Folder 19 Photographs (primarily of family), 1890-1921 and undated (prints)

Box 9 of 11

Box 10

Glass Plates - Most Likely of the Bassler Family, circa 1895-1920

Folder 1 The swimming place, Lebanon, Georgia

Box 10 of 11

Folder 2 Boy reading

Box 10 of 11

Folder 3 Small dog

Box 10 of 11

Folder 4 Woman, boy and dog on porch

Box 10 of 11

Folder 5 Man and woman holding newspaper with "Armistice Signed" headline

Box 10 of 11

Folder 6 Woman and dog on porch

Box 10 of 11

Folder 7 Dog "sits up and begs" for a treat

Box 10 of 11

Folder 8 Woman and dog on porch

Box 10 of 11

Folder 9 Woman and boy

Box 10 of 11

Folder 10 Group, Summer 1912, Long Beach, California

Box 10 of 11

Folders 11-14 Copy of studio portrait of little boy

Box 10 of 11

Folder 15 Mansion or hotel on cliff over looking beach

Box 10 of 11

Folder 16 Two boys - studying and with machinery

Box 10 of 11

Folder 17 Copy of same studio portraits as folders 11-14 sequence - different pose

Box 10 of 11

Folder 18 Woman and boy (same as in folder 9)

Box 10 of 11

Folder 19 Boy in laboratory or darkroom

Box 10 of 11

Folder 20 Harper's Ferry, West Virginia

Box 10 of 11

Folder 21 Specimen cabinets in laboratory

Box 10 of 11

Folder 22 Man examining photographs; microscope in background

Box 10 of 11

Folder 23 Mr. Harper, 1897

Box 10 of 11

Folder 24 Woman and boy on porch

Box 10 of 11

Folder 25 Woman and boy in office

Box 10 of 11

Folder 26 Interior - three women and boy

Box 10 of 11

Folder 27 Woman holding cat

Box 10 of 11

Folder 28 Interior - family group

Box 10 of 11

Folder 29 man at microscope

Box 10 of 11

Folder 30 Boy with dog

Box 10 of 11

Folder 31 Studio portrait of boy

Box 10 of 11

Folder 32 Woman with dog, on steps of house

Box 10 of 11

Folder 33 Two men on porch

Box 10 of 11

Folders 34-35 Man and boy in office

Box 10 of 11

Folder 36 Man, boy and woman in office

Box 10 of 11

Folder 37 Woman and boy in laboratory

Box 10 of 11

Folder 38 Two men collecting rock samples

Box 10 of 11

Folders 39-40 U.S. Capitol, seen through trees

Box 10 of 11

Box 11

Copy Negatives

Box 11 of 11

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