This collection contains photographs, correspondence, military records, and other material pertaining to Earl R. Oatman, a Prisoner of War (POW) during World War II and Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside. Includes correspondence and documents related to Oatman's experience as a POW in World War II, photographs of Oatman and family from childhood to adulthood, and manuscripts of Oatman's book titled Bataan: Only the Beginning. Material documenting Oatman's personal life and professional accomplishments before and after World War II are also included.

Earl R. Oatman, 1920-2015, was a Prisoner of War during World War II and Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside. Oatman was born in Texas and grew up in Oklahoma with his two brothers, Delmar and Olen, and sister Elsia. At the age of 20 he enlisted in the United States military and was stationed at Clark Field in the Philippines when it was attacked by enemy forces on December 8, 1941. Oatman was a Prisoner of War under the Imperial Japanese Army and was part of the Bataan Death March. He was held captive for three years before his rescue and subsequent honorable discharge from the United States Army. After returning home, Oatman earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Missouri and then attended UC Berkeley where he earned his Ph.D. in Entomology. He began working at UC Riverside in 1962 and retired in 1988. Oatman published over 200 research papers during his tenure at UC Riverside and in retirement he wrote the book, Bataan: Only the Beginning, documenting his experiences as a Prisoner of War during World War II.

4.08 linear feet (4 boxes)

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