Guide to the Myra A. Keen Papers
Stanford University Libraries
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
October 2010
Copyright © 2011 The Board of Trustees of
Stanford University. All rights reserved.
Note
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Overview
Call Number: SC0305
Creator:
Keen, A. Myra (Angeline Myra), 1905-
Title: Myra A. Keen papers
Dates: 1936-1981
Physical Description:
1.5 Linear feet
Summary: Papers consist of correspondence with colleagues and former
students, 1936-65; correspondence with her publisher Stanford University Press, 1937-80;
and papers (correspondence, memos, reports, minutes, and financial records) relating to
the Department of Earth Sciences and fossil and shell collections, 1937-1981.
Correspondents include Edwin C. Allison, Ralph Arnold, Agustin Ayala-Castanares,
Reginald Wright Barker, Herdis Bentson, Eliot Blackwelder, Welsey Roswell Coe, J. Wyatt
Durham, Richard H. Jahns, Konrad Krauskopf, Owen T. Marsh, Erwin Remson, Donald B.
Tresidder, Charles E. Weaver, and Ray Lyman Wilbur.
Language(s): The materials are in English.
Repository:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Stanford University Libraries
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford, CA 94305-6064
Email: speccollref@stanford.edu
Phone: (650) 725-1022
URL: http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/spc/spc.html
Administrative Information
Information about Access
This collection is open for research.
Ownership & Copyright
All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials
must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections and University
Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, California 94304-6064. Consent is
given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not
intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission
must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s) or assigns. See:
http://library.stanford.edu/depts/spc/pubserv/permissions.html.
Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of
digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.
Cite As
Myra A. Keen Papers (SC0305). Dept. of Special Collections and University Archives,
Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Biographical/Historical Sketch
Myra grew up on a cattle ranch in Colorado, about twenty miles south of Colorado
Springs. Her parents farmed and raised cattle on the ranch. Myra rode a burro when she
was four and bought her own horse when she was thirteen. She attended a one room school
house for eight grades. She completed the eight grades in five years. Because of age
qualifications she had to wait three years to attend high school.
She attended Colorado College and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1929 and graduated in
Psychology in 1930. She won a scholarship to Stanford where she earned a M.A. in
Psychology and then earned her Ph. D. in Psychology from the University of California in
1934. When in Berkeley, Myra went into a small curio shop on University Avenue to buy a
copy of National Geographic. She noticed some sea shells in a display case. The owner
talked about the shells and Myra found herself going back again and again to look at
them.
In 1934, in the middle of the Depression, Myra could not find any jobs in Psychology,
plus she realized she was more interested in sea shells. During the summer she went to
Monterey to learn about collecting sea shells. She spoke with Dr. Heath of the Hopkins
Marine Station and was eventually introduced to Mrs. Ida Oldroyd, who as curator of
shells at Stanford needed a helper. After a few month, encouraged by Professor Schenck,
Myra began auditing some of his courses and became a Research Associate in Geology in
1936. In 1936 she became the Curator of Paleontology.
For one year during World War II, the Head of the Department, Dr. Blackwelder and Myra
were the only instructional staff in the Department, though Myra was not on the teaching
faculty.
In 1954, Myra was promoted to Assistant Professor of Paleontology in addition to her
duties at Curator. In 1965 she was promoted to Professor. She became emeritus in 1970.
While Myra was at Stanford she was one of ten professors, only three of whom were in the
sciences.
After World War II, Dr. Hubert Schenck, a Stanford Geology professor working for General
MacArthur in the re-building of Japan, had contact with the Emperor of Japan. The
Emperor was a general biologist endmost interested in corals. He had a large collection.
Dr. Schenck saw material in the collection that he felt was not properly identified. Dr.
Schenck suggested that the material be sent of Dr. Keen to verified. That started a long
correspondence ending in a private personal meeting between the Emperor and Dr. Keen in
San Francisco in 1975.
Dr. Keen has written many journal articles and four books. Her Sea Shells of Tropical
West America is a classic work. In addition, she has helped hundreds of people at other
institutions in various ways, particularly in telling them the correct name of their
shells.
After Dr. Keen retired in 1970, she remained active in the department.
Description of the Collection
Papers consist of correspondence with colleagues and former students, 1936-65;
correspondence with her publisher Stanford University Press, 1937-80; and papers
(correspondence, memos, reports, minutes, and financial records) relating to the
Department of Earth Sciences and fossil and shell collections, 1937-1981. Correspondents
include Edwin C. Allison, Ralph Arnold, Agustin Ayala-Castanares, Reginald Wright
Barker, Herdis Bentson, Eliot Blackwelder, Welsey Roswell Coe, J. Wyatt Durham, Richard
H. Jahns, Konrad Krauskopf, Owen T. Marsh, Erwin Remson, Donald B. Tresidder, Charles E.
Weaver, and Ray Lyman Wilbur.
Access Terms
Allison, Edwin C.
Arnold, Ralph, 1875-1961
Ayala-Castanares, Agustin.
Barker, Reginald Wright.
Barthel, K. Werner.
Bentson, Herdis, 1914-
Blackwelder, Eliot, b. 1880.
Coe, Wesley Roswell, 1869-1960.
Durham, J. Wyatt.
Jahns, Richard H. (Richard Henry),
1915-1983
Keen, A. Myra (Angeline Myra), 1905-
Krauskopf, Konrad Bates, 1910-
Marsh, Owen Thayer.
Remson, Irwin.
Stanford University--Faculty.
Stanford University. School of Earth
Sciences
Tresidder, Donald Bertrand, 1894-1948
Weaver, Charles E. (Charles Edwin), 1880-
Wilbur, Ray L., (Ray Lyman), 1875-1949
Mollusks--North America.
Mollusks--Pacific Coast (America).
Paleontology.
Partial Index to Correspondence
| Name |
Box |
Folder |
Occupation |
| Allison, Edwin C. |
2 |
10 |
|
| Arnold, Ralph |
2 |
11 |
|
| Ayala-Castanares, Agustin |
2 |
11 |
|
| Barker, R. Wright, |
2 |
12 |
Shell Oil Co. |
| Barthel, K. Werne |
2 |
13 |
State Museum of Geology, Munich |
| Bentson, Herdis |
2 |
14 |
UC Berkeley |
| Bolin, Rolf |
2 |
15 |
Hopkins Marine Station |
| Blackwelder, Eliot |
1 |
8 |
Dean of Geology Department. |
| Blackwelder, Eliot |
2 |
15 |
Dean of Geology Department. |
| Bryant, Donald L. |
2 |
15 |
University of Arizona |
| Coe, Wesley |
3 |
2 |
Scripps Institute of Oceanography |
| Drake, Robert |
3 |
5 |
University of British Columbia |
| Durham, J. Wyatt |
3 |
5 |
UC Berkeley |
| Jahns, Richard H. |
1 |
14 |
Dean of Earth Sciences |
| Jahns, Richard H. |
3 |
7 |
Dean of Earth Sciences |
| Krauskopf, Konrad, |
2 |
7 |
Professor of Geology |
| Marsh, Owen, |
3 |
14 |
Student, long-time correspondent |
| Milburn, Patrick |
3 |
9 |
Former student, touching letter |
| Remson, Irwin |
1 |
3 |
Professor of Geology |
| Tresidder, Donald |
3 |
12 |
President of Stanford |
| Weaver, Charles E. |
3 |
13 |
|
| Wilbur, Ray Lyman |
3 |
15 |
President of Stanford |
Collection Contents
Box 1, Folder 1
Biographical sketches of Myra Keen
Box 1, Folder 2
Stanford Natural History Museum 1945
Box 1, Folder 3
Stanford-Palo Alto Natural History Museum 1971-1972
Box 1, Folder 4
Paleontological Type Collection Fund 1946-1966
Box 1, Folder 5
Conchological Collection 1943-1960
Box 1, Folder 6
Paleontology Collections Committee 1971-1973
Box 1, Folder 7
Invertebrate Fossil Collection Questionnaire 1972
Box 1, Folder 8
Department of Earth Sciences 1943-1979
Box 1, Folder 9
Department of Earth Sciences 1980-1981
Box 1, Folder 10
Stanford University 1945-1974
Box 1, Folder 11
Stanford University 1975-1980
Box 1, Folder 12
Anonymous Paleontology Fund Expenses
Box 1, Folder 13
Conchological Publication Fund Expenses
Box 1, Folder 14
The Cenzoic Collection 1967-1970
Box 1, Folder 15
The Cenzoic Collection 1971
Box 1, Folder 16
The Cenzoic Collection 1972-1973
Box 1, Folder 17
The Cenzoic Collection 1974-1978
Box 1, Folder 18
The Oldroyd Fund 1941-1973
Box 2, Folder 1
Reviews of published works
Box 2, Folder 2
Stanford University Press Correspondence 1937-1980, folder 1 of
3
Box 2, Folder 3
Stanford University Press Correspondence 1937-1980, folder 2 of
3
Box 2, Folder 4
Stanford University Press Correspondence 1937-1980, folder 3 of
3
Box 2, Folder 5
Stanford University Press, Contracts and Sales 1945-1963
Box 2, Folder 6
Stanford University Press, Royalty statements 1952-1982
Box 2, Folder 8
Miscellaneous correspondence
Box 2, Folder 9
Correspondence, author beginning with “A”, folder 1 of 3
Box 2, Folder 10
Correspondence, author beginning with “A”, folder 2 of 3
Box 2, Folder 11
Correspondence, author beginning with “A”, folder 3 of 3
Box 2, Folder 12
Correspondence, author beginning with “B”, folder 1 of 4
Box 2, Folder 13
Correspondence, author beginning with “B”, folder 2 of 4
Box 2, Folder 14
Correspondence, author beginning with “B”, folder 3 of 4
Box 2, Folder 15
Correspondence, author beginning with “B”, folder 4 of 4
Box 3, Folder 1
Correspondence, author beginning with “C”, folder 1 of 3
Box 3, Folder 2
Correspondence, author beginning with “C”, folder 2 of 3
Box 3, Folder 3
Correspondence, author beginning with “C”, folder 3 of 3
Box 3, Folder 4
Correspondence, author beginning with “D”, folder 1 of 2
Box 3, Folder 5
Correspondence, author beginning with “D”, folder 2 of 2
Box 3, Folder 6
Correspondence, author beginning with “E-K”, folder 1 of 2
Box 3, Folder 7
Correspondence, author beginning with “E-K”, folder 2 of 2
Box 3, Folder 8
Correspondence, author beginning with “L-M”, folder 1 of 2
Box 3, Folder 9
Correspondence, author beginning with “L-M”, folder 2 of 2
Box 3, Folder 10
Correspondence, author beginning with “N-R”, folder 1 of 2
Box 3, Folder 11
Correspondence, author beginning with “N-R”, folder 2 of 2
Box 3, Folder 12
Correspondence, author beginning with “S-T”
Box 3, Folder 13
Correspondence, author beginning with “U-W”
Box 3, Folder 14
Correspondence, Owen Marsh 1953-1965
Box 3, Folder 15
Correspondence, Ray Lyman Wilbur 1936-1943
