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

Record Unit 7285

Wilson, Archie F., 1903-1960

Archie F. Wilson Papers, 1949-1961

Repository:Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C. Contact us at osiaref@si.edu.
Creator:Wilson, Archie F., 1903-1960
Title:Archie F. Wilson Papers
Dates:1949-1961
Quantity:5 cu. ft. (10 document boxes)
Collection:Record Unit 7285
Language of Materials:English
Summary:

These papers consist primarily of correspondence, 1949-1961, which documents Wilson's activities in the IWCS, the growth of his collection, and his range of contacts with botanists, foresters, and other wood collectors around the world. Topics include collecting trips, specimens, and identifications, as well as IWCS business. Of special interest is Wilson's correspondence with William L. Stern, who became Curator of the Division of Woods at the Smithsonian in 1960. The long association of the two men resulted in Wilson's gift to the Institution, at his death in 1960, of his extensive wood collection. Also included are the constitution and by-laws of the IWCS, much taxonomic data, and specimen lists.

Historical Note

Archie F. Wilson (1903-1960) was a wood enthusiast who assembled the foremost private wood collection in the United States. Although for most of his life he held managerial positions in the manufacturing industry, he devoted most of his free time to his avocation. During the 1950s he was a Research Associate in woods at the Chicago Natural History Museum (now the Field Museum of Natural History) and at various times between 1949 and 1960 he served as Editor, Secretary, Vice-President, and President of the International Wood Collectors Society (IWCS).

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Descriptive Entry

These papers consist primarily of correspondence, 1949-1961, which documents Wilson's activities in the IWCS, the growth of his collection, and his range of contacts with botanists, foresters, and other wood collectors around the world. Topics include collecting trips, specimens, and identifications, as well as IWCS business. Of special interest is Wilson's correspondence with William L. Stern, who became Curator of the Division of Woods at the Smithsonian in 1960. The long association of the two men resulted in Wilson's gift to the Institution, at his death in 1960, of his extensive wood collection. Also included are the constitution and by-laws of the IWCS, much taxonomic data, and specimen lists.

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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 7285, Archie F. Wilson Papers

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Container List

Series 1

CORRESPONDENCE, 1949-1961. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.

This series consists of correspondence between Archie F. Wilson and officers of the IWCS, contacts in botany and forestry departments, and other fellow wood collectors.

Box 1

Folder 1 Dr. M. Acosta-Solis, 1950-1952, 1957, 1960-1961. Includes correspondence with William L. Stern.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 2 Paul H. Allen, 1958.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 3 Todd E. Binford, 1949-1951, 1953-1954. Includes photographs.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 4 (New York) Botanical Garden, 1958-1959.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 5 L. Austin Brasell, 1951-1956, 1958, 1960.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 6 Dennis Brett, 1953-1954, 1959.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 7 Robley M. Broderick, 1949, 1951, 1953-1954, 1958, 1960.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 8 Dillman S. Bullock, 1949-1957, 1960.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 9 Erwin W. Carls, 1949-1951, 1956.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 10 Arcadio Cavazos, 1951-1955, 1957, 1959. Includes identification of specimens collected by Wilson on a trip to Mexico in 1954.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 11 Ceylon, 1951-1954, 1957-1958. Includes correspondence with Dr. C.H. Holmes regarding wood specimens.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 12 Claude C. Clevenger, 1949-1952. President of the IWCS.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 13 Collecting Permits, 1950-1955.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 14 Albert Constantine, Jr., 1957-1958.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 15 William G. Cookman, 1953-1954, 1956, 1958, 1961.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 16 Ray Cottrell, 1949-1954, 1956-1958.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 17 Charles G. Cullen, 1953, 1958-1960.

Box 1 of 10

Folder 18 H.E. Dadswell, 1950-1954, 1957-1958.

Box 1 of 10

Box 2

Folder 1 William A. Dayton, 1949-1954, 1957-1958.

Box 2 of 10

Folder 2 Edward F. Dival, 1949, 1951-1952.

Box 2 of 10

Folder 3 Charles H. Doherty, 1949-1961. Includes correspondence of William L. Stern written after Archie F. Wilson's death.

Box 2 of 10

Folder 4 G. Wade Earle, 1950-1954, 1956-1961. Includes correspondence of William L. Stern.

Box 2 of 10

Folder 5 C. Wesley Ferguson, 1959.

Box 2 of 10

Folder 6 D.J. Ferreira, 1949-1954.

Box 2 of 10

Folder 7 D.J. Ferreira's book, 1950-1952.

Box 2 of 10

Folder 8 Formosa, 1953-1957.

Box 2 of 10

Folder 9 Alberto J. Fors, 1950-1952, 1957-1958.

Box 2 of 10

Folder 10 Chester Frejnik, 1949-1953, 1955, 1958-1960.

Box 2 of 10

Folder 11 Ricardo de Lemos Froes, 1951.

Box 2 of 10

Box 3

Folder 1 V.R. Gardner, 1949-1953, 1955.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 2 Mauricio Germer, 1950-1952, 1954.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 3 Arthur N. Green, 1959-1960.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 4 O. Groedel, 1951-1954.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 5 O. Groedel, 1955-1959.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 6 Robert W. Hess, 1949-1951.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 7 Norman C. Higgins, 1950-1954.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 8 Bernard G. Hildebrand, 1949-1951.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 9 Frank Holland, 1949-1960.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 10 Clay G. Huff, 1951-1954, 1957-1960.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 11 Israel, 1952-1955, 1957-1960.

Box 3 of 10

Folder 12 Colonel C.P. Jayawardana, 1951-1961. Includes correspondence of William L. Stern.

Box 3 of 10

Box 4

Folder 1 Theodor Just, 1949-1960.

Box 4 of 10

Folder 2 Wayne D. Kniffin, 1950-1954, 1957, 1959-1960.

Box 4 of 10

Folder 3 B. Francis Kukachka, 1949-1952.

Box 4 of 10

Folder 4 B. Francis Kukachka, 1953-1955, 1957-1960.

Box 4 of 10

Folder 5 George N. Lamb, 1949-1954, 1957.

Box 4 of 10

Folder 6 William H. Lambert, 1952-1954, 1956, 1959-1960.

Box 4 of 10

Folder 7 J.A. Larralde, 1951-1954, 1958-1960.

Box 4 of 10

Folder 8 R.G. Lawrie, 1957.

Box 4 of 10

Folder 9 Edward H. Long, 1949-1953.

Box 4 of 10

Box 5

Folder 1 David J. Lubell, 1950-1951, 1954, 1958-1959, 1961. Includes correspondence of William L. Stern.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 2 Madagascar, 1958. Includes list of Madagascar woods.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 3 Malaya, 1949-1952, 1957, 1960. Includes list of Malayan woods.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 4 Wolfgang Mautz, 1952-1957.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 5 Earl J. McCrillis, 1952-1954, 1956.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 6 John McNaught, 1951-1954, 1957-1958, 1960.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 7 George L. Miller, 1949-1953, 1957.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 8 Peter J. Moore, 1950-1958.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 9 Claude R. Mowry, 1951-1954, 1958-1960.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 10 O.L. Nel, 1952-1956, 1957-1960.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 11 Nigeria, 1949-1951.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 12 Harold Nogle, 1953-1957.

Box 5 of 10

Folder 13 Harold Nogle, 1958.

Box 5 of 10

Box 6

Folder 1 Harold Nogle, 1959-1961. Includes correspondence of William L. Stern.

Box 6 of 10

Folder 2 North Borneo, 1949-1953, 1955, 1957. Includes lists of North Borneo woods.

Box 6 of 10

Folder 3 Orville A. Oaks, 1949-1953.

Box 6 of 10

Folder 4 Orville A. Oaks, 1954-1960. Includes booklet on the "Principal Woods of Formosa."

Box 6 of 10

Folder 5 Wilbur F. Opdyke, 1949-1953.

Box 6 of 10

Folder 6 George A. Peacock, 1949-1955.

Box 6 of 10

Folder 7 C.E. Pilcher, 1949-1955, 1957-1958, 1960.

Box 6 of 10

Folder 8 William F. Pond, 1949-1957, 1961. Includes correspondence of William L. Stern.

Box 6 of 10

Box 7

Folder 1 Puerto Rico, 1955-1956, 1961.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 2 William A. Rainford, 1952-1954, 1959.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 3 Frank J. Richards, 1955-1960.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 4 Robert L. Robacker, 1950-1953, 1958-1959.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 5 Sarawak, 1957.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 6 Jose Schiffino, 1949-1950.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 7 Felix O. Schmidt, 1949-1951.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 8 Milton Scott, 1949-1953, 1955, 1961. Includes correspondence of William L. Stern.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 9 Paul J. Shank, 1950-1952.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 10 Sierra Leone, 1949.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 11 Hector Drenthem Soesman, 1949-1950, 1952-1953.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 12 Jack H. Standen, 1949-1952, 1961. Includes correspondence of William L. Stern.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 13 Joseph L. Stearns, 1949-1951, 1955-1957.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 14 William L. Stern, 1951-1960. Includes correspondence documenting the friendship of Stern and Archie F. Wilson.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 15 Florencio Tamesis, 1949-1951, 1956-1957.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 16 Tasmania, 1949-1950, 1952-1953, 1956, 1959.

Box 7 of 10

Folder 17 John H. Ter Laak, 1951-1953, 1955.

Box 7 of 10

Box 8

Folder 1 John W. Thieret, 1955-1959.

Box 8 of 10

Folder 2 William D. Thompson, 1951-1952.

Box 8 of 10

Folder 3 Paul H. Thomson, 1950-1954, 1956.

Box 8 of 10

Folder 4 William S. Tuttle, 1951-1953, 1955.

Box 8 of 10

Folder 5 Uganda, 1949-1950.

Box 8 of 10

Folder 6 Edith M. Vincent, 1955-1960.

Box 8 of 10

Folder 7 W.C.E. Van Wyk, 1950-1952, 1954.

Box 8 of 10

Folder 8 William J. Wetzel, 1949-1954.

Box 8 of 10

Folder 9 Howard Whipple, 1953-1954, 1957.

Box 8 of 10

Folder 10 J. Harold Wood, 1951, 1954, 1956.

Box 8 of 10

Series 2

MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE, 1949-1961. ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY.

This series consists of correspondence similar to that in Series 1 but with Wilson's more casual contacts. Also included is correspondence with botanists and forestry departments.

Box 8

Folders 11-17 A - K

Box 8 of 10

Box 9

Folders 1-6 L - W

Box 9 of 10

Folder 7 Botanists, 1949-1960.

Box 9 of 10

Folder 8 Forestry departments, 1951-1957.

Box 9 of 10

Series 3

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE IWCS.

Box 10

Folder 1 Constitution and By-Laws of the IWCS, undated.

Box 10 of 10

Series 4

TAXONOMIC DATA AND SPECIMEN LISTS.

Box 10

Folders 2-5 Notes on taxonomy.

Box 10 of 10

Folders 6-10 Lists. Includes lists kept by Wilson of specimens desired, specimens for sale or exchange, specimens from collecting trips, and lists of woods of various countries.

Box 10 of 10

Series 5

CARD FILE OF INFORMATION ON COLLECTIONS.

Box 10

Card file of information on collectors.

Box 10 of 10

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