The Donald R. Dickey papers consist of field catalogues and correspondence. The two field catalogues cover the years 1925-1927. The two folders of correspondence span the years 1931-1992.

Donald R. Dickey (1887-1932) was known for amassing a significant bird and mammal specimen collection, photographing and filming wildlife, and discussing his field work as a lecturer. While health issues, primarily heart problems, frequently slowed his work, his collection included almost 30,000 specimens by 1926. Receiving a B.A. from Yale in 1910, Dickey made his way to California in that same year, having been a UC Berkeley student previously. He received a Masters degree from Occidental College in 1925. Eventually becoming focused on establishing a research center for vertebrate zoology in southern California, Dickey was appointed as a Research Associate by the California Institute of Technology in 1926. At the Institute, Dickey was given space to keep his collection of specimens, photographs and film, and books. In 1940, eight years after his death, his widow Florence Van Vechten Dickey donated his collection of over 50,000 skins and skeletons of birds and mammals to the University of California, Los Angeles. The collection is now known as the UCLA Donald R. Dickey Bird and Mammal Collection.

0.3 Linear feet

Copyright restrictions may apply. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted to the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives in writing for approval. Please contact the Museum Archivist for further information.

The collection is open for research, except for the Correspondence regarding Donald R. Dickey specimen collection folder; consult Museum Archivist for details.