Guide to the Cooper Ornithological Society Records, 1874-1994

SERIES 1 Administration 1893-1994

Physical Description: Cartons 1-7; Carton 8, Folders 29-34; Volumes 1-3.

Arrangement

Divided into five subseries: Leadership, Committees, Governing Documents, Financial Records, and History. Further arranged both hierarchically and chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

This series, the largest of the collection, traces the development of the Society from its inception as a small club in 1893 to its robust state at the beginning of the 21st century. It consists of official correspondence, meeting minutes, governing documents including constitutions, by-laws, and articles of incorporation, as well as financial records and internal files which document the history of the Society. Until 1921, gatherings of the executive boards of each division (whose members included President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary) were conducted at monthly general meetings. But as the member population of the Club began to swell, the general meetings become increasingly lecture-oriented and tended to feature less time for focused discussion. It soon became evident that independent board meetings would be required. In January and February 1921, the Northern and Southern Divisions approved amendments to the Club constitution calling for the formation of a united Board of Governors, composed of the acting officers of the Club as well as ex-presidents, with meetings held annually. Following the incorporation of the Club in 1934, the Board of Governors, in accordance with California state law, split into a Board of Directors, responsible for financial matters and corporate affairs, and a Council, responsible for determining organizational policy related to scientific and educational endeavors. All members of the Board of Directors, as well as all editors of official Society publications, were members of the Council. In 1976, the Northern and Southern Divisions were abolished. Over the years the organizational structure of the Society has altered considerably, in line with each generation's views on how the Society's goals can best be achieved. As of June 2005, the Society maintains a nine-member Board of Directors, a nine-member Officer leadership (including two positions reserved for editors of the Society's two major publications) as well as a stock of Representatives to partner scientific organizations and associations.

1:1 Leadership 1897-1992

Physical Description: Cartons 1-5; Volume 1

Arrangement

Arranged hierarchically and chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries includes correspondence of the President, Secretary, and Treasurer, as well as Board of Directors meeting minutes beginning after the incorporation of the Society in 1934.

1:1:1 Officers 1897-1992

Physical Description: Cartons 1-4; Carton 5, Folders 1-6

Arrangement

Arranged hierarchically by office. Further arranged chronologically.

Carton 1, Folder 1-27

President 1956-1978

Carton 2, Folder 1-23

President 1979-1987

Carton 2, Folder 24-27

Secretary 1938-1959

Carton 3, Folder 1-19

Secretary 1960-1989

Carton 3, Folder 20-33

Treasurer 1897-1917

Carton 4, Folder 1-28

Treasurer 1918-1974

Carton 5 , Folder 1-6

Treasurer 1975-1992

1:1:2 Board of Directors 1934-1991

Physical Description: Cartons 5, Folders 7-32; Volume 1

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Carton 5, Folder 7-32

Minutes of the Meetings of the Board of Directors 1934-1991

Volume 1

Minutes of the Meetings of the Board of Directors 1935-1958

1:2 Committees 1921-1981

Physical Description: Carton 6, Folders 1-42

Arrangement

Arranged hierarchically.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries includes correspondence and meeting proceedings produced by active member committees covering the sixty-year period from 1921-1981.

Carton 6, Folder 1-27

Correspondence 1921-1981

Carton 6, Folder 28-42

Meeting Minutes 1921-1980

1:3 Governing Documents 1893-1993, n.d.

Physical Description: Carton 6, Folders 43-52; Carton 7, Folders 1-41

Arrangement

Arranged hierarchically.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries includes a century's worth of Cooper constitutions, bylaws, and resolutions, as well as the articles of incorporation of 1934. There is also a procedural manual, and materials from 1964 which document the varying perspectives held by COS members concerning the ideological direction of the Society.

Carton 6, Folder 43-52

Constitutions 1893-1933, n.d.

Carton 7, Folder 1-32

Bylaws 1895-1993, n.d.

Carton 7, Folder 33

Articles of Incorporation 1933-1942

Carton 7, Folder 34-39

Resolutions 1934-1953

Carton 7, Folder 40

Proxy Battle 1964

Carton 7, Folder 41

Procedural Manual 1973

1:4 Financial Records 1897-1994

Physical Description: Carton 7, Folders 42-97; Carton 8, Folders 1-28; Volume 2

Arrangement

Arranged hierarchically.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries includes fiscal reports (1897-1994), Investment Committee materials (1964-1990), and IRS correspondence (1950-1993). Of particular archival interest is a petty cash ledger from the early years of the COC, covering the years 1899-1907.

Carton 7, Folder 42-97

Financial Reports 1897-1975

Carton 8, Folder 1-17

Financial Reports 1976-1994

Volume 2

Petty Cash Ledger 1899-1907

Carton 8, Folder 18-25

Investment Committee 1964-1990

Carton 8, Folder 26-28

IRS Correspondence 1950-1993

1:5 History 1893-1989

Physical Description: Carton 8, Folders 29-34;Volume 3

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries includes the earliest COC minutes on record (1893-1899), recorded by Chester Barlow, who served as Secretary of the Northern Division from 1893-1902, and was also the first editor of The Condor. It also contains materials documenting the Society's own investigation of past, through both committee work and the independent research of its members. An example includes The COC, an eloquent, if somewhat impious history composed in 1929 by past-Northern Division president and long-time associate editor of The Condor Harry S. Swarth. Material from the History Advisory Committee covering the years 1977-1989 can also be found in this subseries.

Volume 3

Early record of club meetings including minutes 1893-1899

Carton 8, Folder 29

Clippings 1900

Carton 8, Folder 30-32

History of the C.O.S. by H. Swarth 1929

Carton 8, Folder 33

The Bancroft Library 1967-1983

Carton 8, Folder 34

History Advisory Committee 1977-1989

SERIES 2 Divisions/Chapters 1896-1989

Physical Description: Carton 8, Folders 35-59; Carton 9, Folders 1-9; Volumes 4-5.

Arrangement

Divided into two subseries: Northern Division and Southern Division. Further arranged hierarchically.

Scope and Content Note

This series comprises the records of the Northern and Southern Divisions of the Society, which were maintained separately until the bi-divisional structure was abolished in 1976. The Southern Division was actually the successor to the short-lived Southern California Natural History Society, whose genesis occurred independently from, though in remarkable synchronicity with, that of the Cooper Ornithological Club in 1893. The clubs' agendas proved to be so similar that by 1894, the SCNHS had already merged with the closest COC chapter in Santa Clara. It adopted the COC title, and, following a steady increase in membership, soon received formal designation as the Cooper Ornithological Club, Southern Division. The present material allows for a unique historical comparison of the ways in which regional factors may have impacted each division's earliest aims and methodologies. It also provides an opportunity to examine the ways in which those goals and approaches were aligned.

2:1 Northern Division 1894-1989

Physical Description: Carton 8, Folders 35-52; Volume 4.

Arrangement

Arranged hierarchically and then chronologically.

Carton 8, Folder 35-41

Meeting Minutes 1894-1901, 1930-1989

Volume 4

Meetings minutes 1901-1911

Carton 8, Folder 42-44

Meeting Announcements 1898-1917, 1969-1976, n.d.

Carton 8, Folder 45

Meeting programs 1971-1972, n.d.

Carton 8, Folder 46

Annual report 1901

Carton 8, Folder 47-48

Correspondence 1930-1989

Carton 8, Folder 49

Symposium on Falconry 1972-1973

Carton 8, Folder 50-51

Areas of Special Biological Significance 1972-1973

Carton 8, Folder 52

Miscellaneous 1972-1973

2:2 Southern Division 1894-1971, n.d.

Physical Description: Carton 8, Folders 53-59. Volume 5.

Arrangement

Arranged hierarchically and then chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries includes minutes, announcements, and bylaws from the Southern Division of the COC/COS. A photograph of division members from 1929 is also included.

Volume 5

Meeting minutes 1894-1899

Carton 8, Folder 53-58

Meeting minutes 1898-1965

Carton 8, Folder 59

Correspondence 1896-1964

Carton 9, Folder 1-6

Meeting Announcements 1896-1971, n.d.

Carton 9, Folder 7

Bylaws 1899, n.d.

Carton 9, Folder 8

Photograph of Southern Division members 1923

Carton 9, Folder 9

Meeting attendance 1924

SERIES 3 Annual Meetings 1926-1989

Physical Description: Carton 9, Folders 10-63; Carton 10, Folders 1-15.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by meeting year.

Scope and Content Note

This series contains materials from nearly sixty annual Club/Society meetings, including documents relating to the first annual meeting of both the Northern and Southern divisions of the Cooper Ornithological Club, held in Los Angeles in 1926. The series includes programs, correspondence, announcements, and abstracts of papers presented at the meetings.

Carton 9, Folder 10

1st Annual Meeting 1926

Carton 9, Folder 11

2nd Annual Meeting 1927

Carton 9, Folder 12

3rd Annual Meeting 1928

Carton 9, Folder 13

4th Annual Meeting 1929

Carton 9, Folder 14

5th Annual Meeting 1930

Carton 9, Folder 15

6th Annual Meeting 1931

Carton 9, Folder 16

7th Annual Meeting 1932

Carton 9, Folder 17

8th Annual Meeting 1933

Carton 9, Folder 18

9th Annual Meeting 1934

Carton 9, Folder 19

10th Annual Meeting 1935

Carton 9, Folder 20

11th Annual Meeting 1936

Carton 9, Folder 21

12th Annual Meeting 1937

Carton 9, Folder 22

13th Annual Meeting 1938

Carton 9, Folder 23

14th Annual Meeting 1940

Carton 9, Folder 24

15th Annual Meeting 1941

Carton 9, Folder 25

16th Annual Meeting 1942

Carton 9, Folder 26

17th Annual Meeting 1946

Carton 9, Folder 27

18th Annual Meeting 1947

Carton 9, Folder 28

19th Annual Meeting 1948

Carton 9, Folder 29

20th Annual Meeting 1949

Carton 9, Folder 30

21st Annual Meeting 1950

Carton 9, Folder 31

22nd Annual Meeting 1951

Carton 9, Folder 32

23rd Annual Meeting 1952

Carton 9, Folder 33

24th Annual Meeting 1954

Carton 9, Folder 34

26th Annual Meeting 1955

Carton 9, Folder 35

27th Annual Meeting 1956

Carton 9, Folder 36

28th Annual Meeting 1957

Carton 9, Folder 37

29th Annual Meeting 1958

Carton 9, Folder 38

30th Annual Meeting 1958-1959

Carton 9, Folder 39

31st Annual Meeting 1960

Carton 9, Folder 40

32nd Annual Meeting 1961

Carton 9, Folder 41

33rd Annual Meeting 1962

Carton 9, Folder 42

34th Annual Meeting 1963

Carton 9, Folder 43

35th Annual Meeting 1964

Carton 9, Folder 44

36th Annual Meeting 1965

Carton 9, Folder 45

37th Annual Meeting 1966

Carton 9, Folder 46

38th Annual Meeting 1967

Carton 9, Folder 47

39th Annual Meeting 1968

Carton 9, Folder 48

40th Annual Meeting 1969

Carton 9, Folder 49

41st Annual Meeting 1970

Carton 9, Folder 50

42nd Annual Meeting 1971

Carton 9, Folder 51

43rd Annual Meeting 1972

Carton 9, Folder 52-53

43rd Annual Meeting 1972-1974

Carton 9, Folder 54

44th Annual Meeting 1974

Carton 9, Folder 55-56

45th Annual Meeting 1975

Carton 9, Folder 57-59

46th Annual Meeting 1976

Carton 9, Folder 60-61

47th Annual Meeting 1977

Carton 9, Folder 62-63

48th Annual Meeting 1978

Carton 10, Folder 1

49th Annual Meeting 1978-1979, n.d.

Carton 10, Folder 2

50th Annual Meeting 1980

Carton 10, Folder 3

51st Annual Meeting 1981

Carton 10, Folder 4

52nd Annual Meeting 1981-1982

Carton 10, Folder 5

53rd Annual Meeting 1983

Carton 10, Folder 6

54th Annual Meeting 1984

Carton 10, Folder 7

55th Annual Meeting 1985

Carton 10, Folder 8-9

56th Annual Meeting 1985-1986

Carton 10, Folder 10

57th Annual Meeting 1987

Carton 10, Folder 11-12

58th Annual Meeting 1985-1989

Carton 10, Folder 13-15

59th Annual Meeting 1986-1989

SERIES 4 Publications 1894-1991, n.d.

Physical Description: Carton 10, Folders 16-36; Carton 11; Folders 1-24

Arrangement

Divided into three subseries: The Condor, Pacific Coast Avifauna/Studies in Avian Biology, and Miscellaneous Publications. Further arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

This series comprises materials relating to The Condor, the official publication of the Cooper Ornithological Society, as well as materials concerning the two Cooper publications intended to accommodate lengthier submissions : Pacific Coast Avifauna, and its successor Studies in Avian Biology. Published journals, subscription lists, and sales records, as well as correspondence between several editors of The Condor and long-time publisher Allen Press may be found in this series. Other published materials, including both official and unofficial documentation of the Club's activities prior to the naissance of The Condor, are also included here. For the first four years of the COC's existence, Club member and future Club president Harry R. Taylor's independent monthly bird journal, The Nidiologist (later called The Nidologist), served as the closest thing to an official Club publication. Taylor published the minutes and news of both divisions of the Club as well as Club members' papers. The Nidologist halted publication in 1897 and the new unofficial outlet became The Osprey, founded the prior year and based in Galesburg, Illinois. The Osprey was a monthly publication which ran the minutes of the COC in a California Department section edited by active COC member Donald Cohen, In 1898 the club decided to release an official publication. The first issue was published in 1899 as the Bulletin of the Cooper Ornithological Club, and was edited primarily by Chester Barlow, who had played a key role in stimulating the early formation of the club, as well as the formulation of its goals and tenets. In 1900 the journal changed its name to The Condor. Barlow edited the journal for two more years, before dying from tuberculosis at the young age of 28. In 1906 Joseph Grinnell, professor of Zoology and director of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley, assumed editorial responsibility of The Condor. Grinnell was one of the most prominent zoologists in the history of the northwest United States, and greatly influenced the direction of The Condor. He held the position as editor for 34 years - longer than any other person to date. For 58 years the editorial office of The Condor resided within the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1965 the editorial office left California and moved to Lawrence, Kansas. Under James R. King, editor from 1966-1968, a system was instituted which subjected all submissions to external peer review. At the same time The Condor was becoming established around the turn of the 20th century, the COC also recognized the need for a forum that would be more amenable to longer submissions beyond the scope of The Condor. A new series was begun, titled Pacific Coast Avifauna, to allow for these more extensive offerings. The series was published continuously until 1974, although individual volumes appeared inconsistently, depending upon both the quality of the submissions and the financial resources available to the Society. The series continued in 1978 under the new title Studies in Avian Biology, whose scope includes both monographs and proceedings of symposia of general interest to ornithologists.

4:1 The Condor 1894-1991

Physical Description: Carton 10, Folders 16-36; Carton 11, Folders 1-6

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries includes issues of two of the publications which proceeded The Condor, Harry Taylor's The Nidiologist (later The Nidologist) as well as the first official Club publication, the Bulletin of the Cooper Ornithological Club. It also includes correspondence relating to the journal, subscription lists, and sales records.

Carton 10, Folder 16

The Nidiologist 1894-1897

Carton 10, Folder 17

Bulletin of the Cooper Ornithological Club 1899

Carton 10, Folder 18-33

Correspondence 1894-1981

Carton 10, Folder 34

Bulletins 1898-1905

Carton 10, Folder 35

Subscriptions 1899-1901, n.d.

Carton 10, Folder 36

Miscellaneous 1905-1906, n.d.

Carton 10, Folder 37-38

Sales records 1905-1907, 1951-1979

Carton 11, Folder 1

Mail Records 1906

Carton 11, Folder 2

Painton Award Committee 1959-1972

Carton 11, Folder 3

Johnson Reprint Company 1964-1918

Carton 11, Folder 4-5

Allen Press correspondence 1965-1991

Carton 11, Folder 6

Editorial guidelines 1968-1974, n.d.

4:2 Pacific Coast Avifauna/ Studies in Avian Biology 1900-1984

Physical Description: Carton 11, Folders 7-19

Arrangement

Arranged hierarchically, then chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries includes materials from Pacific Coast Avifauna (1900-1974), and its successor Studies in Avian Biology (1978-). Both of these published series are predominantly composed of monographs and symposia proceedings and were created with the intention of complementing The Condor by providing a forum for longer submissions.

Carton 11, Folder 7

Pacific Coast Avifauna 1900-1902

Carton 11, Folder 8

Pacific Coast Avifauna, Issue No. 1 1900

Carton 11, Folder 9

Pacific Coast Avifauna, Issue No. 2 1901

Carton 11, Folder 10

Pacific Coast Avifauna, Issue No. 3 1902

Carton 11, Folder 11

Pacific Coast Avifauna, Issue No. 4 1904

Carton 11, Folder 12

Pacific Coast Avifauna, Issue No. 9 1913

Carton 11, Folder 13-18

Correspondence 1970-1984

4:3 Miscellaneous Publications 1895-1934, n.d.

Physical Description: Carton 11, Folders 20-24

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries includes materials relating to The Avifauna, a short-lived publication unaffiliated with the COC to which many COC members contributed, and The Buzzard, an irregularly issued satirical mini-magazine begun by Club members in 1926. It also includes various pamphlets and circulars produced by the COC which were not part of any regularly ongoing published series.

Carton 11, Folder 19

The Avifauna 1895

Carton 11, Folder 20

Biographical Sketch of James G. Cooper 1902

Carton 11, Folder 21

The Buzzard 1920-1934

Carton 11, Folder 22

Some Cooper Club Personalia 1928

Carton 11, Folder 23

Ornithologists in the Southwest and Mexico n.d.

SERIES 5 Members 1874-1986

Physical Description: Carton 11, Folders 25-52; Box 1; Carton 12, Folders 1-38; Carton 13, Folders 1-66; Volumes 6-7

Arrangement

Divided into two subseries: Member Files and Member Listings/Ephemera. Member Files are arranged alphabetically, then chronologically. Member Listings/Ephemera is arranged chronologically.

5:1 Member Files 1874-1987

Physical Description: Carton 11, Folders 25-52; Box 1; Carton 12, Folders 1-38; Carton 13, Folders 1-51

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically. Further arranged chronologically.

Carton 11, Folder 24

Anthony, A. W. 1895

Carton 11, Folder 25

Arnold, Ralph n.d.

Carton 11, Folder 26

Atherton, F. D. 1895

Carton 11, Folder 27

Baker, Fred J. 1897

Carton 11, Folder 28

Barlow, Chester, d. 1902 1894-1897

Carton 11, Folder 29

Beck, R. H. 1890

Carton 11, Folder 30

Biggs, O. S. 1896-1897

Carton 11, Folder 31

Bleitz, Don 1971, n.d.

Carton 11, Folder 32

Brandt, H. W. 1945

Carton 11, Folder 33

Brooks, Allan 1928-1936

Carton 11, Folder 34

Burrows, D. B. 1897

Carton 11, Folder 35

Carriger, Henry W. 1895

Carton 11, Folder 36

Chamberlin, Corydon 1895

Carton 11, Folder 37-39

Chambers, W. Lee 1900-1968

Carton 11, Folder 40

Childs, John Lewis, d. 1921 1921

Carton 11, Folder 41

Christman, Gene M. 1969

Carton 11, Folder 42-51

Cohen, Donald 1892-1929

Box 1

Cohen, Donald 1895-1906

Carton 12, Folder 1-24

Daggett, Frank 1874-1920

Volume 6

Daggett, Frank: Ornithology Scrapbook 1900-1902

Volume 7

Daggett, Frank: Ornithology Scrapbook 1906

Carton 12, Folder 25

Davis, Clarence 1897-1898

Carton 12, Folder 26

Davis, Evan 1910-1916

Carton 12, Folder 27

Deane, Ruthven 1900

Carton 12, Folder 28

Franklin, Burnell 1904

Carton 12, Folder 29

Gaylord, Horace A. 1926, 1949

Carton 12, Folder 30

Grinnell, Joseph 1896-1913, n.d.

Carton 12, Folder 31

Higbee, Henry G. 1896-1897

Carton 12, Folder 32

Haight, C. L. 1896-1897

Carton 12, Folder 33

Higgins, Henry C. 1897

Carton 12, Folder 34

Hill, W. F. 1897

Carton 12, Folder 35-38

Howard, Hildegrade, 1901- 1940-1964

Carton 13, Folder 1-9

Howell, Thomas 1951-1969

Carton 13, Folder 10

Illingsworth, J.F. 1897-1898

Carton 13, Folder 11

Jewett, Frank B. 1898

Carton 13, Folder 12-14

Johnson, Walter Adams 1894-1897

Carton 13, Folder 16

Kaeding, George L. n.d.

Carton 13, Folder 17

Kaeding, Henry B. 1895-1897

Carton 13, Folder 18

Kitchin, E. A. 1944

Carton 13, Folder 19

Lans, Albert 1896-1897

Carton 13, Folder 20

Linsdale, Jean M. (Jean Myron), 1902- 1955-1971

Carton 13, Folder 21

Maillard, John W. 1894

Carton 13, Folder 22

Mayfield, Harold F. 1972, 1974

Carton 13, Folder 23

McIlhenny, Edward Avery, 1872-1949 1895-1897

Carton 13, Folder 24

Mewaldt, Richard 1966, 1970-1972

Carton 13, Folder 25

Moran, N. M. 1896

Carton 13, Folder 26

Moran, R. B. 1890

Carton 13, Folder 27

Murchison, A. C. 1895

Carton 13, Folder 28

Peabody, P. B. 1894-1897

Carton 13, Folder 29

Pierce, Wright M. 1929-1936

Carton 13, Folder 30

Raine, W. 1894, n.d.

Carton 13, Folder 31

Riley, J. H. 1897-1898

Carton 13, Folder 32-34

Robertson, John McB. 1929-1932

Carton 13, Folder 35

Sampson, W. B. 1895

Carton 13, Folder 36

Savage, Walter G. 1896-1897

Carton 13, Folder 37-39

Shields, A. M. 1893-1903

Carton 13, Folder 40

Simmons, Ed 1897

Carton 13, Folder 41

Skutch, Alexander Frank 1975

Carton 13, Folder 42

Slevin, Th. E. 1897

Carton 13, Folder 43

Stone, Clarence F. 1894-1898

Carton 13, Folder 44

Stone, Lois Chambers 1967-1987

Carton 13, Folder 45

Tyler, Hamilton 1979

Carton 13, Folder 46

Tyler, John G. 1902-1924

Carton 13, Folder 47

Willard, J. H. 1905

Carton 13, Folder 48

Willet, George 1912

Carton 13, Folder 49

Williams, R. W. 1895-1898

Carton 13, Folder 50

Woodhouse, Robert C. 1897

Carton 13, Folder 51

Wright, Frank J. (Frank James), 1888- 1896-1898

5:2 Member Listings/Ephemera 1893-1986, n.d.

Physical Description: Carton 13, Folder 52-66

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Scope and Content Note

This subseries includes group photographs of the Club's earliest members, field notes, membership rolls, mailing lists, an inventory of the books present in the Cooper Ornithological Club Library in 1934, and other member-related ephemera.

Carton 13, Folder 52

Group photographs 1895, n.d.

Carton 13, Folder 53

Miscellaneous field notes 1950

Carton 13, Folder 54-61

Membership lists 1893-1986, n.d.

Carton 13, Folder 62

Price lists for bird eggs and skins 1894-1909, n.d.

Carton 13, Folder 63

Membership information 1899-1986, n.d.

Carton 13, Folder 64

List of books in Cooper Club library 1934, n.d.

Carton 13, Folder 65

Honorary members 1947-1970

Carton 13, Folder 66

Mailing lists 1977-1978, n.d.

Container List