Guide to the George A. Clark. Fur Seal Controversy Papers, 1892-1969 M0118

Processed by Special Collections staff; machine-readable finding aid created by Patricia White
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
1997
Green Library
557 Escondido Mall
Stanford 94305-6064
specialcollections@stanford.edu


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: George A. Clark. Fur Seal Controversy Papers
Creator: Clark, George A. (George Archibald)
Identifier/Call Number: M0118
Identifier/Call Number: 1479
Physical Description: 3 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1892-1969

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This collection consists largely of Correspondence to and from George A. Clark and David Starr Jordan. There are also a number of articles (manuscript, typescript and printed) by G. A. Clark and others on the fur seal controversy. Also included are four notebooks on seals and photographs of seals and seal islands. The bulk of the collection dates from 1892 to 1918; there is one added item dated 1969.
The Correspondence has a number of letters to and from: Alfred Fraser, H. M. Smith, H. W. Elliott, Barton W. Evermann, E. A. Hayes, Charles Nagel, W. I. Lembkey, E. N. Lomasney, G. M. Hitchcock, George M. Bowers, W. E. Reynolds, D. H. Dunlap, William T. Hornaday, O. H. Townsend, M. C. Marsh, William C. Redfield, W. O. Stillman, Minnie Maddern Fiske, John H. Rothermel, Jamus Judge, James McKeen Cattell, M. Colby, and William Gordon. There are also one or two letters from Henry Cabot Lodge, William Kent, John D. Works, Robert M. La Follette, and Woodrow Wilson.

BIOGRAPHY

George A. Clark, born in Eden Prairie, Minnesota in 1864, graduated from the University of Minnesota and served as Academic Secretary of Stanford University from 1891-1918. He was Secretary of the Bering Sea Fur Seal Commission (1896-1898) and was involved in the special investigation of seal herds for the Bureau of Fisheries in 1909 and 1912. He died 27 April 1918.

Preferred Citation:

[Identification of item] George A. Clark. Fur Seal Controversy Papers, M118, Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.

Acquisition Information:

These papers were originally received as part of the David Starr Jordan Papers, which were part of the Stanford Collection. They were transferred to the Manuscripts Collection in July 1965.

Provenance:

Gift of George A. Clark.

Publication Rights:

Property rights reside with the repository. Literary rights reside with the creators of the documents or their heirs. To obtain permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Public Services Librarian of the Dept. of Special Collections.

Access Restrictions:

None.

box 1, folder 1

Typescripts 455669

 

1. ÒResume of Discussion at the International Fur Seal ConferenceÓ Washington, D.C. 455685 1897

 

2. ÒThe Fur Seal Islands of AlaskaÓ 455683 [1897]

 

3. Report of the Recent Fur Seal Conference 455681 [1897]

 

4. Journal 455679 March 1, 1897

 

5. Journal 455677 March 4, 1897

 

6. Journal 455675 March 12, 1897

 

7. [cont. journal] n.d. beginning ÒMr. Elliott remarksÉÓ 455673

 

8. Memorandum Regarding The Fur Seals 455671

box 1, folder 2

Typescripts 455647

 

1. ÒInterview with Mr. W. ElliottÓ 455667 [1897]

 

2. ÒInterview with Mr. Homes of the Boston HeraldÓ 455665 [1897]

 

3. ÒThe Future of the Alaska Fur Seal IndustryÓ 455663 [1897]

 

4. ÒProtocols of the International Fur Seal ConferenceÓ 455661 [1897]

 

5. ÒThe Scientific Expert and the Bering Sea ControversyÓ 455659

 

6. ÒThe Fur Seals and Fur Seal IndustriesÓ 455657

 

7. Mr. ChamberlainÕs Letter 455655

 

8. Memorandum 455653

 

9. ÒThe SealsÓ 455651

 

10. ÒFur Seal Skins from various sources 1743-1897Ó 455649

box 1, folder 3

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455639

 

1. Correspondence to Clark and David Starr Jordan 455645 1903-1908

 

2. ÒSenator Shiveley and The Fur SealsÓ 455643

 

3. ÒA Correction of FactÓ 455641

box 1, folder 4

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455631

 

1. Correspondence 455637 Nov 14, 1910-Dec 19, 1910

 

2. ÒMr. Henry W. Elliott and The Fur SealsÓ 455635

 

3. Correspondence 455633 Dec 11, 1910-Sep 26, 1911

box 1, folder 5

Correspondence 455629 Oct 4, 1911-Mar 30, 1912

box 1, folder 6

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455603

 

1. ÒSuspension of land killing in 1891-93 resulted in great injury to the Seal Herd.Ó 455627

 

2. Correspondence 455625 Apr 3, 1912-May 14, 1912

 

3. ÒClose season detrimental in proportion to its lengthÓ 455623

 

4. "Depletion of Fur Seal Herd caused by killing female seals in the sea, not by killing surplus males on land" 455621

 

5. "Die Robben und ihre Beschtzung" by Von D.S. Jordan and G.A. Clark 455619

 

6. Correspondence W.O. Stillman - Clark 455617 Dec-09

 

7. "Fur Trade Review 455615 Feb. 1911"

 

8. Correspondence 455613 Mar. 23, 1912 -July 27, 1912

 

9. "Army and Navy Register" 455611 July 27, 1912

 

10. "Fur Seal Convention remarks by Benjamin F. Shiveley and William P. Dillingham" 455609 Aug. 15, 1912

 

11. Science: "The Fur Seal Census" typescript ms. with corrections and published copy 455607

 

12. Correspondence 455605 Aug. 14, 1912 -Nov. 1, 1912

box 2, folder 7

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455585

 

1. "Fight to Preserve Fur Seals" Chicago Interocean 455601 Nov. 10, 1912

 

2. Correspondence 455599 Nov. 11, 1912 -Nov. 27, 1912

 

3. Report of House of Rep. committee hearings 455597

 

4. Correspondence 455595 Nov. 29, 1912 -Dec. 3, 1912

 

5. "The Truth About the Fur Seals of the Pribilof Islands" by D.S. Jordan 455593 Dec. 3, 1912

 

6. Correspondence 455591 Dec. 3, 1912 -Jan 3, 1913

 

7. Congressional Act of Aug. 24, 1912 amended Jan. 3, 1913 455589

 

8. Correspondence 455587 Jan 3, 1913 -Jan. 16, 1913

box 2, folder 8

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455569

 

1. Correspondence to D.S. Jordan from Woodrow Wilson, 455583 Jan. 14, 1913

 

2. "Objectionable Fur Seal Legislation" from Collier's Weekly, 455581 Jan 16, 1913

 

3. "A Wasteful and Useless Measure" from Saturday Evening Post, 455579 Jan. 16, 1913

 

4. Correspondence 455577 Jan. 16, 1913 -Jan. 17, 1913

 

5. Correspondence One signed by Theodore Roosevelt Jan. 23 455575 Jan. 14, 1913 -Jan. 25, 1913.

 

6. Membership list of the Campfire Club 455573

 

7. Correspondence with one from Henry Cabot Lodge on Jan. 29, one from John D. Works on Feb. 4, and three from William Kent on Feb. 1, Feb. 11, and Feb. 15. 455571 Jan. 25, 1913 -Feb. 16, 1913

box 2, folder 9

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455547

 

1. "The Truth About Russian Sealing" 455567

 

2. Correspondence with one from Robert M. LaFollette of Feb. 18. 455565 Feb. 17, 1913 -Feb. 24, 1913

 

3. "Repeal the Law Suspending Land Sealing" 455563

 

4. Correspondence 455561 Feb. 25, 1913 -Mar. 10, 1913

 

5. Correspondence 455559 Aug. 9, 1908, Feb. 29, 1908, Mar. 21, 1912, Mar. 8, 1912, and Oct. 16, 1912

 

6. Correspondence (10) with one to D.S. Jordan from Woodrow Wilson 455557 Mar. 10, 1913

 

7. "VeniaminovÕs remarks on the fur seal and translation of or reference to the same by others" 455555

 

8. Correspondence 455553 Mar. 11, 1913 -Mar. 12, 1913

 

9. "Memorandum regarding VeniaminovÕs account of fur seals." 455551

 

10. Correspondence 455549 Mar. 12, 1913

box 2, folder 10

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455535

 

1. Correspondence 455545 Mar. 15, 1913 -Apr. 15, 1913

 

2. "Condensed Report of Investigation of Fur Seal Herd for Season of 1912" 455543

 

3. "Amos Allen" 455541

 

4. Ms. beginning "From the very opening of theÉ" concerning seals, typescript transl. by Raphael Zon 455539

 

5. Correspondence 455537 Apr. 16, 1913 -Jun. 12, 1913

box 2, folder 11

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455523

 

1. "The Alleged ÔSalvatorsÕ of the Fur Seals" 455533

 

2. "To Comfort the conscience of the Woman who has a Sealskin" 455531

 

3. Correspondence 455529 June 12, 1913 -Jun. 14, 1913

 

4. "The Truth About Russian Sealing" 455527

 

5. First 216 pp. of typescript of "The Fur Seals of the Pribilof Islands" report of Special Investigation 1912 by G. Clark 455525

box 3, folder 12

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455493

 

1. Correspondence 455521 June 14, 1913 -Jan. 19, 1914

 

2. Congressional Committee Report "on expenditures in the Dept. of Commerce" 455519 Sat. Jan. 14, 1914

 

3. "The Fur Seal Census of 1913" 455517

 

4. "Order of Procedure in Salt House, Village of St. Paul" 455515

 

5. Letter (21 pp.) to Chairman, Committee on Expenditure, from Clark, 455513 Feb. 6, 1914

 

6. "Condensed Report of Investigation of Fur Seal Herd for Season of 1912" 455511

 

7. "Dr. Jordan deliberately falsifies the Russian record in re not killing female seals" 455509

 

8. Published "Investigation of Fur Seal Industry of Alaska" 455507

 

9. Correspondence 455505 Mar. 10, 1914 -Mar. 16, 1914

 

10. "The Fate of the Fur Seal" by Joseph Collenson 455503

 

11. Correspondence 455501 Mar. 22, 1914 -Mar. 28, 1914

 

12. "Seal and Seal Fisheries" 455499

 

13. Correspondence (4) 455497 Apr. 2, 1914

 

14. "The Dept. Attitude of the Leasing System" 455495

box 3, folder 13

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455467

 

1. Correspondence 455491 Apr. 2, 1914 -Apr. 20, 1914

 

2. "The Fur Seal Industry of Alaska" (in shorthand) and typescript (2 copies) and printed copy 455489

 

3. Correspondence 455487 Apr. 20, 1914 -Apr. 23, 1914

 

4. "The Fur Seal Situation" 455485

 

5. Correspondence 455483 May 13, 1914 -May 28, 1914

 

6. Correspondence 455481 Oct. 22, 1914 -Nov. 10, 1914

 

7. "The Making of a Fur Seal Census" 455479

 

8. "The Fur Seal Industry of Alaska" 455477

 

9. Correspondence 455475 Nov. 25, 1914 -Dec. 15, 1914

 

10. Correspondence 455473 May 11, 1915 -June 25, 1915

 

11. "The Fur Seal Report for 1914" 455471

 

12. Correspondence 455469 Aug. 28, 1915 -Feb. 21, 1916

box 3, folder 14

Correspondence and Misc. Articles 455431

 

1. "Those Fur Seal Bones" 455465

 

2. Correspondence 455463 Feb. 29, 1916 -May 29, 1916

 

3. Typed ms. beginning "SEAL: a term appliedÉ" 455461

 

4. Clipping 455459 May 28, and June 8, 1916

 

5. Correspondence and clipping 455457 June 29, 1916 -Aug. 8, 1916

 

6. "Mismanagement and waste of public property" 455455

 

7. Correspondence 455453 Aug. 14, 1916 -Oct. 11, 1916

 

8. "The Census of Fur Seals 1914, 1915" 455451

 

9. "Fur Seal Mortality" 455449

 

10. Correspondence 455447 Oct. 28, 1916 -Nov. 20, 1916

 

11. "Notes" - on seals 455445

 

12. "The Fur Seal Census of 1916" 455443

 

13. Correspondence 455441 Jan. 9, 1917 -June 5, 1917

 

14. "Two Fur Seal Problems and Their Solution" 455439

 

15. "The Fur Seal as an Animal" by D.S. Jordan and G.A. Clark 455437

 

16. For NelsonÕs Cyclopedia "Seals" galley proof 455435

 

17. "Pelagic Sealing and the Fur Seal Herd" 455433

box 3, folder 15

Published Material 455383

 

1. Commercial subjects in high schools. 455429 undated

 

2. The scientific expert and the Bering Sea controversy 455427 1899

 

3. The Bogoslofs. 455425 1906.

 

4. The much misunderstood fur seals of Bering Sea. 455423 1910.

 

5. The vocabulary of business Correspondence. 455421 1910.

 

6. Shorthand - Its educational and practical value. 455419 1911

 

7. The blood of the nation by David S. Jordan, done in Pitmanic shorthand 455417 1912.

 

8. The fur seal census. 455415 1912.

 

9. The Katmai eruption. 455413 1912.

 

10. Die Roben und ihre Beschtzung. 455411 1912.

 

11. The Administration of the fur seal service. 455409 1913.

 

12. The fur seal census for 1913. 455407 1913.

 

13. Recent fur seal legislation. 455405 1913.

 

14. Investigation of the fur seal industry of Alaska. 455403 1914.

 

15. The new fur seal investigation. 455401 1914.

 

16. Russian versus American sealing. 455399 1914.

 

17. The fur seal report for 1914. 455397 1915.

 

18. The problem of the Pribilof Islands. 455395 1915.

 

19. The census of fur seals, 1914 and 1915. 455393 1916.

 

20. Conservation and utilization of our fur seal herd. 455391 1916.

 

21. Those fur seal bones. 455389 1916.

 

22. The fur seal census of 1916. 455387 1917.

 

23. Death of George A. Clark. 455385 1918.

box 3, folder 16

Seal Islands of Alaska - letter from the Secretary of Commerce (with reports by G.A. Clark), 455381 July 19, 1911.

box 4, folder 17

Notebooks 455371

 

1. by Clark (3) daily records from centering around the seals they were investigating 455379 May 22 -Aug. 9, 1897

 

2. (11) with notes on seals - much written in shorthand 455377

 

3. notes by Arthur J. Edwards about seals 455375

 

4. notes by A.W. Greeley about seals, 455373 1897

box 4, folder 18

List of treaties possibly affecting the Aleutians and Bering Sea. 2 pp. 455369 1969.

box 5, folder 1

Photographs of seal rookeries on St. Paul Island and St. George Island, 455367 1891-1897

box 5, folder 2

Photographs of seal rookeries on St. Paul Island, 455365 1892-1897

box 5, folder 3

Photographs of seal rookeries on St. Paul Island, 455363 1892-1897

box 5, folder 4

Photographs of seal rookeries on St. Paul Island, 455361 1892-1896

box 5, folder 5

Photographs of seal rookeries on St. Paul Island, with images of the village of Petropaulski Kanchatka, beach on Copper Island, and Canadian sealing schooner on the Bering Sea 455359 1892-1895;

box 5, folder 6

Scenes in China (interpositive images from nitrate negatives) 455357

Box 6

Photograph of fur seal