Conditions Governing Access
Conditions Governing Use
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Processing Information
Existence and Location of Originals
Biographical / Historical
Scope and Contents
Arrangement
Separated Materials
Contributing Institution:
California Institute of Technology Archives and Special Collections
Title: Wheeler J. North Papers
Creator:
North, Wheeler J.
Identifier/Call Number: NorthWJ
Physical Description:
23 linear feet
(52 standard archival boxes, 1 half size archival box, 1 oversize
box, and 5 books)
Date (inclusive): 1953-1999
Language of Material:
English .
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research, with the exception of letters of recommendation,
which are currently closed files. Researchers may apply for access in writing and by
creating an
Aeon
account. Contact the archives for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
Copyright may not have been assigned to the California Institute of Technology Archives.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in
writing to the Caltech Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the
California Institute of Technology Archives as the owner of the physical items and, unless
explicitly stated otherwise, is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright
holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers were donated and transferred to the Caltech Archives in four installments in
1998, by Wheeler J. North.
Processing Information
Charlotte E. Erwin began the preliminary processing of the collection in 2012. Penelope
Neder-Muro continued the processing in 2019 with the assistance of the California Revealed
Processing Assistance Grant. Materials were removed from file folders and were replaced with
acid-free folders. The original order of materials was preserved when available. Some
correspondence were placed in chronological or alphabetical order, depending on the record
creator's order. Photographic negatives and slides were sleeved in appropriate preservation
enclosures. The W. C. Crandall correspondence collection found among North's papers has been
removed and arranged into its own collection.
Existence and Location of Originals
The 16 mm films have been separated and preserved in the Caltech Archives Audiovisual
collection. The digitized versions are available for viewing on the web, with access
provided through the finding aid. See Series 5, Audiovisual and Photographic Material for
more information.
Biographical / Historical
Wheeler John North (1922-2002) was professor of environmental science at Caltech for nearly
thirty years. Prior to his faculty status, he earned two bachelor of science degrees, in
electrical engineering (1944) and biology (1950) from Caltech. He earned his PhD from the
University of California, San Diego (1953) in biological oceanography.
As a marine ecologist and environmental engineer, North focused his research on the ecology
of kelp beds and developed methods for restoring kelp beds exposed to sewage wastewater.
North is credited for restoring kelp populations along the California coast, including Point
Loma and Palos Verdes. North's research group also investigated marine biomass as an
alternative energy source. His research was often sponsored by the U. S. Department of
Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Sea Grants, National Science Foundation,
and supported with additional grants from industrial sources and private foundations.
Wheeler J. North spent most of his career working at the William G. Kerckhoff Marine
Laboratory in Corona del Mar. He retired from Caltech in 1992, and transitioned to Emeritus
faculty. He passed away on December 20, 2002.
Scope and Contents
The North papers consist of correspondence, research notes and notebooks, photographs, two
films, and various publications, including the Kelp Habitat Improvement Project (KHIP) final
reports. The collection documents North's work at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
his work as Professor of Environmental Science at Caltech, and his lab's research at the
Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory in Corona del Mar.
Arrangement
The Wheeler J. North papers are stored in 54 archival boxes. The papers have been arranged
in six series, with all series containing subseries.
Series 1: Correspondence has been arranged into three subseries. Subseries 1: Alphabetical
Order contains incoming and outgoing correspondence that is organized by either last name or
organization name. The folders are in alphabetical order, but the contents in the individual
folders are not in alphabetical order and are only grouped by the corresponding first letter
of the correspondent. Subseries 2: Chronological Order contains correspondence and memos
grouped according to date of creation. Subseries 3: General Correspondence by Folder Title
contains correspondence arranged by folder name, which is often according to record
creator's subject grouping such as Kerckhoff Marine Lab correspondence, or the archivist's
grouping such as letters of recommendation.
Series 2: Research has been arranged into three subseries. Subseries 1: Data Notebooks and
Notes include North's lab kelp study experiments data and various field notes. Subseries 2:
Writings/Presentations and Teaching includes exams, course lecture notes, and miscellaneous
writings. Subseries 3: Caltech Administrative and Operations includes an assortment of
administrative documents and regulations, including training and safety for operating boats
and scuba diving.
Series 3: Grants and Progress Reports has been arranged into three subseries. Subseries 1:
Kelp Habitat Improvement Project (KHIP) includes drafts and drawings from KHIP annual
reports and associated correspondence. Subseries 2: Additional Grant Project Reports
includes grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, ERDA Marine Biomass Program, General
Electric Company, and other entities. Subseries 3: Grant Correspondence includes
correspondence regarding the Marine Biomass program, research and manuscript reviews, and
some memos.
Series 4: Publications has been arranged into three subseries. Subseries 1: Books includes
bound versions of the Institute of Marine Resources (IMR) reports. Subseries 2: KHIP Final
Reports include the published, final versions of the Kelp Habitat Improvement Project Annual
Reports from 1964-1975. Subseries 3: Additional Publications includes various magazine and
journal articles. Folder 48.1 includes a list created by North that lists his writings and
is referred to in the folder descriptions.
Series 5: Audiovisual and Photographic Material has been arranged into two subseries.
Subseries 1: Audiovisual includes two films that were originally shot on 16mm film and can
be accessed through their digitized versions. Subseries 2: Photographic Material includes
mostly figures from the KHIP, both as photographs and/or negatives.
Series 6: Biographical and Personal has been arranged into two subseries. Subseries 1:
Biographical Material includes newspaper clippings, magazines, newsletters, CVs and
biographical write-ups. Subseries 2: Personal Material includes a bound version of North's
dissertation, personal notes and cards, awards, and other ephemera.
Separated Materials
The W. C. Crandall papers were found among the Wheeler North papers donation and have been
separated into its own collection, remaining in the Caltech Archives.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
California Institute of Technology -- Alumni and alumnae
Ecology
Environmental engineering
Kelp bed ecology
Manuscript Collection