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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Processing History
  • Biographical Note
  • Collection Scope and Contents
  • Collection Arrangement
  • Indexing Terms

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Earl R. Oatman papers
    Date (inclusive): circa 1897-2015, undated
    Date (bulk): 1941-1991
    Collection Number: MS 224
    Creator: Oatman, Earl R.
    Extent: 4.08 linear feet (4 boxes)
    Repository: Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
    Riverside, CA 92517-5900
    Abstract: This collection contains photographs, correspondence, military records, and other material pertaining to Earl R. Oatman, a Prisoner of War (POW) during World War II and Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside. Includes correspondence and documents related to Oatman's experience as a POW in World War II, photographs of Oatman and family from childhood to adulthood, and manuscripts of Oatman's book titled Bataan: Only the Beginning. Material documenting Oatman's personal life and professional accomplishments before and after World War II are also included.
    Languages: The collection is in English.

    Access

    This collection is open for research.

    Publication Rights

    Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user

    Preferred Citation

    [identification of item], [date if possible]. Earl R. Oatman papers (MS 224). Special Collections & University Archives, University of California, Riverside.

    Acquisition Information

    Gifts of Dr. Earl R. Oatman, 2007, 2008, 2009.

    Processing History

    Processed by Jamie Madrigal, Student Processing Assistant, 2016.
    Processing of the Earl R. Oatman papers was completed by undergraduate students from the University of California, Riverside as part of the Special Collections & University Archives Backlog Processing Project started in 2015. This project was funded by the UCR Library and administered by Bergis Jules, University and Political Papers Archivist, and Eric Milenkiewicz, Manuscripts Curator.

    Biographical Note

    Earl R. Oatman, 1920-2015, was a Prisoner of War during World War II and Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside. Oatman was born in Texas and grew up in Oklahoma with his two brothers, Delmar and Olen, and sister Elsia. At the age of 20 he enlisted in the United States military and was stationed at Clark Field in the Philippines when it was attacked by enemy forces on December 8, 1941. Oatman was a Prisoner of War under the Imperial Japanese Army and was part of the Bataan Death March. He was held captive for three years before his rescue and subsequent honorable discharge from the United States Army. After returning home, Oatman earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Missouri and then attended UC Berkeley where he earned his Ph.D. in Entomology. He began working at UC Riverside in 1962 and retired in 1988. Oatman published over 200 research papers during his tenure at UC Riverside and in retirement he wrote the book, Bataan: Only the Beginning, documenting his experiences as a Prisoner of War during World War II.

    Collection Scope and Contents

    This collection contains photographs, correspondence, military records, and other material pertaining to Earl R. Oatman. Includes correspondence and documents related to Oatman's experience as a Prisoner of War in World War II, photographs of Oatman and family from childhood to adulthood, and manuscripts of Oatman's book titled Bataan: Only the Beginning. Material documenting Oatman's personal life and professional accomplishments before and after World War II are also included.

    Collection Arrangement

    This collection is arranged into three series as follows:
    • Series 1. World War II experience, circa 1939-2004, undated
    • Series 2. Professional life, 1951-2001, undated
    • Series 3. Personal life, circa 1897-2015, undated

    Indexing Terms

    The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

    Subjects

    Fassoth, William John
    University of California, Riverside
    Bataan Death March, Philippines, 1942
    Entomology
    Prisoners of war
    World War, 1939-1945

    Genres and Forms of Materials

    Correspondence
    Manuscripts
    Photographs