Guide to the Will Beittel Papers
Laurie Hannah
Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration
University of California, Santa Barbara
Harder South 9615
Santa Barbara, California 93106-9615
Phone: (805) 893-2401
Fax: (805) 893-4222
Email: hannah@lifesci.ucsb.edu
URL: http://ccber.lifesci.ucsb.edu/library
© 2008
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Guide to the Will Beittel Papers
Collection number: MS-09
Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
- Processed by:
- Laurie Hannah
- Date Completed:
- 2008
- Encoded by:
- Laurie Hannah
© 2008 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Will Beittel papers
Dates: 1940-1994
Collection number: MS-09
Creator:
Beittel, Will (Wilbur G.)
Collection Size:
.5 linear foot
Repository:
Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration (University of California, Santa Barbara). C. H. Muller Library
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9615
Abstract: Lecture materials, clippings, propagation and planting notes, and photographs relating to trees and shrubs growing in Santa
Barbara County, and especially plants grown by Will Beittel, former Santa Barbara City Arborist and Nurseryman at UCSB.
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration, UC Santa Barbara. All requests
for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Cheadle Center as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission
of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
Preferred Citation
Will Beittel papers, MS-09, Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration. University of California, Santa Barbara.
Acquisition Information
Materials acquired from the Dept. of Biological Sciences.
Processing Information
Arrangement and description of this collection was made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Biography / Administrative History
Wilbur (Will) G. Beittel was born March 2, 1913 in Philadelphia. After attending NYU and Oberlin College, he began a music
career in 1936 as a composer and arranger for the Lucky Strike Hit Parade and CBS Swing Session. He also wrote for various
motion picture studios up until he switched careers around 1955 after attending Pierce Agricultural College.
Beittel moved to Santa Barbara and became the City Arborist until 1963. He lived at horticulturist Francesco Franceschi's
original home and garden (now Franceschi Park), overseeing the plants there and using the grounds as the city's nursery, where
he propagated and introduced many exotic species to Santa Barbara. He grew plants for the street tree program, public parks,
and other civic properties, propagating between 4,000 and 5,000 plants per year. In 1963, Beittel became the Senior Nurseryman
at University of California, Santa Barbara. He continued growing unusual exotic species which he planted around the campus
grounds, many which are still there today.
Among Beittel's noteworthy contributions to horticulture are several books that he authored:
Santa Barbara's Street and Park Trees,
Santa Barbara's Trees, and
Dr. F. Franceschi, Pioneer Plantsman. He co-wrote
Trees of Santa Barbara with Katherine Muller and Richard Broder. Beittel also taught several popular classes through Adult Education. Beittel passed
away in 1999 at the age of 86.
Scope and Content of Collection
Series 1 Teaching Materials includes notes and handouts for several adult education and extension courses taught by Beittel.
Series 2 Publications includes lists in draft form and galley proofs of some pages from the 1977 edition of
Santa Barbara's Trees.
Series 3 Clippings includes newspaper articles about Beittel, articles about Santa Barbara parks and trees, and articles on individual plants
written by Beittel for the
Santa Barbara News-Press.
Series 4 Professional Papers includes Beittel's records on plant propagation for Franceschi Park and UCSB and inventories of plants on the UCSB campus.
There are also records on experimental plantings of various eucalyptus species on campus, a project aimed at finding suitable
street trees for Santa Barbara. In this series is also correspondence from Raymond B. Cowles and Sima Eliovsen on South African
plants, and a tribute to Santa Barbara Park Superintendant Finlay MacKenzie.
Series 5 Photographs includes color slides and prints of plants that Beittel planted at Franceschi Park and at UCSB, as well as trees and shrubs
growing in various parks and gardens in Santa Barbara.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into five series: Series 1 Teaching Materials; Series 2 Publications; Series 3 Clippings; Series
4 Professional Papers; and Series 5 Photographs.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
University of California, Santa Barbara
Beittel, Will (Wilbur G.)
Trees--California--Santa Barbara
Shrubs--California--Santa Barbara
Photographs
Scrapbook
Clippings
Related Material
A collection of Santa Barbara park inventories including maps and plant lists by Will Beittel is located at the Santa Barbara
Botanic Garden Library.
Separated Material
A copy of
Santa Barbara's Trees containing Beittel's annotations was moved to the library collection.
Teaching Materials
1972-1977
Box-folder 1/1
Harmful and Beneficial Properties of Plants in this Region
--University Extension course
1972
Box-folder 1/2-3
Trees and Shrubs of Santa Barbara
1973-1977
Box-folder 1/4
Material for
Santa Barbara's Trees
1976
Scrapbook
c. 1958-1976
Scope and Contents note
Newspaper clippings about Beittel.
Box-folder 1/5
Loose Clippings from Scrapbook
1958-1976
Scope and Contents note
Besides articles about Beittel, clippings cover Francesco Franceschi, his house and garden (Franceschi Park), Finlay MacKenzie,
E.O. Orpet, articles on trees, and local politics concerning Santa Barbara City parks.
Box-folder 1/6
Stories of our Plants
1981-1983
Scope and Contents note
A series of articles Beittel wrote on unusual or rare plants grown in Santa Barbara.
Professional Papers
1947-1994
Box-folder 1/8
Landscape Report for UCSB Campus and Plants at UCSB
1977
Scope and Contents note
Two reports indicating all living plants grown at the Biological Sciences nursery and planted out from 1965-1977. Includes
species name, date planted, and location on campus.
Box-folder 1/9
Propagation and Growing Record for Franceschi Park and UCSB
1956-1977
Box-folder 1/10
Eucalyptus and Ficus at UCSB--Photocopies
1940-1994
Scope and Contents note
Includes correspondence with Woodbridge Metcalf and notes about the planting of eucalyptus species acquired from Max Watson's
nursery in San Jose in 1962. These trees were planted around the campus lagoon for testing as street trees in the Santa Barbara
region. Also included are a list of eucalyptus specimens collected in Santa Barbara County and deposited in the herbaria at
UCSB and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in 1940.
Box-folder 1/11
Miscellaneous Papers
Scope and Contents note
Loose materials removed from the scrapbook and one binder of lecture materials including a small notebook of plant notes;
Santa Barbara Garden Club flower show list, 1956; issue of American Horticultural Society
Gardeners Forum
from 1966 with an article by Beittel; International Shade Tree Conference award; and a handwritten job description of Beittel's
position of City Arborist.
Photo album
Scope and Contents note
Includes photos of many individual plants at Beittel's house, UCSB, and Franceschi Park Nursery.
Photo_box 1-3
Slides of trees, shrubs, and vines growing in the Santa Barbara area
Scope and Contents note
Color 35 mm slides of plants from Beittel's home, Franceschi Park Nursery, UCSB, Lotusland, and elsewhere in the Santa Barbara
region.
Photo_box 4
Photos for
Santa Barbara's Trees
