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

Record Unit 7239

Visscher, John Paul, 1895-1950

John Paul Visscher Papers, circa 1922-1945 and undated

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:Visscher, John Paul, 1895-1950
Title:John Paul Visscher Papers
Dates:circa 1922-1945 and undated
Quantity:2.36 cu. ft. (4 document boxes) (1 5x8 box)
Collection:Record Unit 7239
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

These papers document Visscher's investigations on marine fouling of ship bottoms and include general correspondence, 1922-1945; photographs of ship fouling; manuscripts; and research notes and reports on ship fouling.

Historical Note

John Paul Visscher (1895-1950) was born in Holland, Michigan. He received his A.B. degree from Hope College, Holland, Michigan, 1917, and his A.M. and Ph.D. degrees from Johns Hopkins University, 1920 and 1924. Visscher served with the United States Army during World War I, as Lieutenant in the Chemical Warfare Service. His first teaching position was at Washington University, St. Louis, where he served as Instructor of Zoology from 1920 to 1922. In 1924, he joined the staff of Western Reserve University as Assistant Professor of Biology. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1926, Professor in 1931, and Head of the Biology Department in 1937. Visscher remained at Western Reserve University until his death in 1950.

Visscher's primary interest was protozoology. He also did extensive research on marine fouling of ships' bottoms. From 1922 to 1925, Visscher spent his summers as a special investigator for the United States Bureau of Fisheries, examining marine fouling on United States Navy and commercial ships. This research led to the publication of The Nature and Extent of Fouling of Ships' Bottoms in 1928. During 1935 and 1936, Visscher served as special investigator for the United States Navy's Division of Construction and Repair. In 1945 and 1946, he acted as a consultant at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.

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Descriptive Entry

These papers document Visscher's investigations on marine fouling of ship bottoms and include general correspondence, 1922-1945; photographs of ship fouling; manuscripts; and research notes and reports on ship fouling.

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Preferred Citation

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7239, John Paul Visscher Papers

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Container List

Series 1

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1922-1945. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.

This series consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence of John Paul Visscher. Most of the correspondence concerns Visscher's work examining United States Navy ships, for marine fouling as Special Investigator for the United States Bureau of Fisheries, 1922-1925. Also included is correspondence regarding his service as Special Investigator for the Navy's Division of Construction and Repair, 1935-1936 and correspondence with paint companies concerning anti-fouling paints.

Box 1

Folder 1 A-B, general

Box 1 of 5

Folders 2-3 Bureau of Fisheries, United States, 1922-1927. Most of the correspondence concerns Visscher's work as Special Investigator for the Bureau, 1922-1925.

Box 1 of 5

Folder 4 C-F, general

Box 1 of 5

Folder 5 Clapp, William F., 1923-1936

Box 1 of 5

Folder 6 G-I, general

Box 1 of 5

Folder 7 Gardner, Henry A., 1923-1925

Box 1 of 5

Folder 8 J-N, general

Box 1 of 5

Folders 9-10 Navy Department, United States, 1922-1923. The correspondence concerns Visscher's investigation of ship fouling for the Navy.

Box 1 of 5

Folders 11-12 Navy Department, United States, 1924-1931, 1934-1936. Includes correspondence concerning a dispute between Visscher and the Navy over the cancellation of a contract for fouling investigations, 1926-1927. (Folders 1-2 of 6)

Box 1 of 5

Box 2

Folders 1-4 Navy Department, United States, 1924-1931, 1934-1936. Includes correspondence concerning a dispute between Visscher and the Navy over the cancellation of a contract for fouling investigations, 1926-1927. (Folders 3-6 of 6)

Box 2 of 5

Folder 5 P-Z, general

Box 2 of 5

Folder 6 Varrelman, Ferdinand Armin, 1923-1925

Box 2 of 5

Folder 7 Von Schrenk, Hermann, 1927-1933

Box 2 of 5

Series 2

PHOTOGRAPHS, CIRCA 1922-1925.

This series consists of photographs of marine fouling of ship bottoms. Most of the photographs were taken as part of Visscher's work as Special Investigator for the United States Bureau of Fisheries, 1922-1925.

Box 2

Folders 8-12 Photographs of marine fouling of ship bottoms (Folders 1-5 of 9)

Box 2 of 5

Box 3

Folders 1-4 Photographs of marine fouling of ship bottoms (Folders 6-9 of 9)

Box 3 of 5

Folder 5 Eurytha Complanata. Photographs.

Box 3 of 5

Folder 6 Marine Fouling Negatives

Box 3 of 5

Series 3

MANUSCRIPTS, 1928 AND UNDATED.

This series consists of manuscripts and galley proofs of articles on marine fouling written by John Paul Visscher.

Box 3

Folder 7 "Reactions of the Cyprid Larvae of Barnacles at the time of attachment." Biological Bulletin, March 1928. Manuscript and galley proof.

Box 3 of 5

Folder 8 "Reactions of the Cyprid Larvae of Barnacles to Light with special reference to Spectral Colors," by Visscher and Robert H. Luce. Biological Bulletin, April 1938. Manuscript and galley proof.

Box 3 of 5

Folder 9 "A Neuromoter Apparatus in the Ciliate Dileptus." Manuscript, undated.

Box 3 of 5

Folder 10 "Fouling of Ships' Bottoms and its Relation to Electricity." Handwritten and typed manuscript, undated.

Box 3 of 5

Folder 11 "A Study in Ecology: Leptogorgia and its Symbionts and Parasites." Manuscript, undated.

Box 3 of 5

Folder 12 "Factors determining the Attachment of the Cyprid Larvae of the Barnacle, Balanus Galeatus." Manuscript, undated.

Box 3 of 5

Folder 13 "Copper as an Anti-Fouling Agent." Handwritten and typed manuscript.

Box 3 of 5

Series 4

RESEARCH NOTES AND REPORTS ON SHIP FOULING, CIRCA 1922-1925.

This series consists of research notes on ship fouling made by John Paul Visscher in connection with his work as Special Investigator for the United States Bureau of Fisheries, 1922-1925. Also included are reports on ship fouling by Ferdinand Armin Varrelman, who assisted Visscher on the investigation of Navy vessels.

Box 3

Folder 14 Notes on United States Navy Ships examined for fouling, 1922-1923

Box 3 of 5

Box 4

Folder 1 Lists of ships examined and fouling organisms found, 1922-1925

Box 4 of 5

Folders 2-3 Miscellaneous notes on fouling

Box 4 of 5

Folders 4-5 Reports on Ship fouling by Ferdinand Armin Varrelman, 1922-1924

Box 4 of 5

Series 5

COPY NEGATIVES.

Box 5

Copy Negatives

Box 5 of 5

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