Description
This collection documents the career of Kenneth V. Thimann, particularly his extensive
publishing activity and professional involvement in the scientific community. The largest
portion of the collection comprises alphabetical subject files that reflect his activity
within national and international scientific organizations during the 1950s-1970s, such as
the National Academy of Sciences. Materials in the collection also document Thimann's
editorial work for a number of journals, his laboratory research at the California Institute
of Technology, Harvard University, and the University of California Santa Cruz, as well as
his role as provost of Crown College at UCSC. A small amount of personal and biographical
material is also included.
Background
Kenneth V. Thimann was an English-born American plant physiologist who is best known for
his isolation of the plant growth hormone auxin. His identification of this hormone allowed
for the production of several herbicides that were of critical importance to agricultural
and horticultural industries. Thimann wrote or coauthored over 300 articles and several
books, including Phytohormones (1937); The Life of Bacteria (1955); Hormone Action in the Whole
Life of Plants (1977); and Botany: Plant Biology and Its
Relation to Human Affairs (1982).
Extent
78.4 Linear Feet
162 boxes (141 doc boxes/half cartons, 17 flats/photo boxes, 2
roll boxes, 2 cartons)
Restrictions
Property rights for this collection reside with the University of California. Literary
rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. The publication
or use of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use for research or
educational purposes requires written permission from the copyright owner. Responsibility
for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Availability
Collection open for research. Audiovisual media is unavailable until reformatted. Contact
Special Collections and Archives in advance to request access to audiovisual media.