Ira J. Condit papers
Finding aid prepared by Andrea Hoff, University Archivist.
Original collection-level finding aid published in 2014. Updated in 2019 and 2024.
Special Collections & University Archives
The UCR Library
P.O. Box 5900
University of California
Riverside, California 92517-5900
Phone: 951-827-3233
Fax: 951-827-4673
Email: specialcollections@ucr.edu
URL: http://library.ucr.edu/libraries/special-collections-university-archives
© 2019
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Ira J. Condit papers
Date (inclusive): 1888-1981, undated
Collection Number: UA 084
Creator:
Condit, Ira J. (Ira Judson), 1883-
Extent:
5.0 linear feet
(4 boxes)
Repository:
Rivera Library. Special Collections Department.
Abstract: The Ira J. Condit papers contain scrapbooks, notes, correspondence, photographs and articles written by Ira J. Condit, an
American horticulturist who studied subtropical fruits including the fig, olive, and avocado. Includes meeting minutes from
the Citrus Experiment Station (1915-1929) as well as information on the avocado and ficus genus, particularly figs. Of note
is an album of photographs documenting a trip Condit took to China in 1934. The album contains photos of Condit and others
as well as various plant specimens.
Languages: The collection is in English.
Access
This collection is open for research, with the exception of the unprocessed accrual. For access to unprocessed materials please
contact Special Collections & University Archives.
Publication Rights
Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction,
and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and
publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by
copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions
apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for
obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], [date if possible]. Ira J. Condit papers (UA 084). Special Collections & University Archives, University
of California, Riverside.
Acquisition Information
Provenance is unknown for the original acquisition of materials. An additional accrual was transferred from the Department
of Botany and Plant Sciences in 2020.
Processing History
Processed by Andrea Hoff, University Archives, in 2019.
Biographical Note
Ira J. Condit was a noted horticulturalist at the University of California Citrus Experiment Station (later UC, Riverside).
He is rememebered for his pioneering research on the Ficus genus.
Condit was born in Ohio on November 18, 1883. He earned his B.S. from Ohio State University in 1905 and an M.S. from the University
of California in 1928.
After receiving his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1932, he worked as a visiting professor at Lignan University in Canton,
China. Condit joined the faculty at the University of California Citrus Experiment Station in Riverside in 1935. During his
sixteen year tenure at Riverside, he published many articles on various subtropical fruits, including the fig, the olive and
the avocado. He eventually wrote a book,
The Fig, published in 1947.
Condit retired from UC, Riverside in 1951. He passed away in 1981.
Collection Scope and Contents
The Ira J. Condit papers contain scrapbooks, notes, correspondence, photographs and articles written by Ira J. Condit, an
American horticulturist who studied subtropical fruits including the fig, olive, and avocado. Includes meeting minutes from
the Citrus Experiment Station (1915-1929) as well as information on the avocado and ficus genus, particularly figs. Of note
is an album of photographs documenting a trip Condit took to China in 1934. The album contains photos of Condit and others
as well as various plant specimens.
The collection also contains an unprocessed accrual, which includes records of plant breeding research activities, publications
and correspondence.
Collection Arrangement
The Ira J. Condit papers are arranged into four series as follows:
- Series 1. Information on ficus, 1915-1967, undated
- Series 2. Publications, 1905-1967
- Series 3. Miscellaneous materials, 1888-1934, undated
- Series 4. Unprocessed accrual, circa 1929-1981, undated
Related Materials
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
University of California, Riverside. Citrus Research Center and Agricultural Experiment Station
Ficus (Plants)
Horticulture
Genres and Forms of Materials
Photographs
Publications
Research notes
Series 1. Binders
1915-1967, undated
Series Scope and Contents
This series contains information about various ficus species and faculty meeting minutes from the Citrus Experiment Station.
The documents in this series were originally stored in binders created by Condit. Each folder contains the contents of one
binder. The titles of the folders in this series are the same as the labels of the binders originally used by Condit. Folders
1-11 contain articles, notes, postcards, photos, clippings and correspondence that Condit collected about various species
of ficus.
Series Arrangement
This series has largely been maintained in original order. Files with information about various species of ficus are in alphabetical
order.
Box 1, Folder 1
Ficus--Amanthocarpa through bengalensis
1957-1961, undated
Box 1, Folder 2
Ficus--Benjamin through cocculifolia
1922-1967, undated
Box 1, Folder 3
Ficus--Columnaris through elastica
1948-1964, undated
Box 1, Folder 4
Ficus--Elliptica through goldmanii
1926-1944, undated
Box 1, Folder 5
Ficus--Gracilipes through lyrata
1949-1965, undated
Box 1, Folder 6
Ficus--Macrophora through nekbudu
1942-1963, undated
Box 1, Folder 7
Ficus--Nemoralis through philippinensis
1944-1966, undated
Box 1, Folder 8
Ficus--Platyphylla through religiosa
1941-1965, undated
Box 1, Folder 9
Ficus--Retusa through sarmentosa
1937-1957, undated
Box 1, Folder 10
Ficus--Satterhwaitei through thonningii
1938-1960, undated
Box 1, Folder 11
Ficus--Waipahu through wilsoni
1958-1962, undated
Box 1, Folder 12
C.E.S. [Citrus Experiment Station] faculty meeting minutes (Dr. Webber's copy)
1915-1929
Box 1, Folder 13
Ficus--C.R.C. [Citrus Research Center] and L.A.S.C.A. [Los Angeles State and County Research Center Arboretum]
1962-1964
Box 1, Folder 14
Notes on Ficus economics and value
1956-1960
Series 2. Publications
1905-1967
Series Scope and Contents
This series is composed of four bound volumes of articles written by Ira J. Condit. The articles are reprints that have been
compiled into four volumes. Each of the four volumes has a table of contents.
Series Arrangement
This series has been maintained in original order.
Box 2, Volume 1
Publications of Ira J. Condit, Vol. I
1905-1922
Box 2, Volume 2
Publications of Ira J. Condit, Vol. II
1922-1939
Box 2, Volume 3
Publications of Ira J. Condit, Vol. III
1915-1941
Box 2, Volume 4
Publications of Ira J. Condit, Vol. IV
1938-1967
Series 3. Miscellaneous materials
1888-1934, undated
Series Scope and Contents
This series contains an album of photos documenting Condit's trip to China in 1934 as well as one copy of
A Treatise on Citrus Culture in California by B.M. Long.
Series Arrangement
This series has been maintained in original order.
Box 2, Item 1
Photo album documenting Condit's trip to China
1934, undated
Box 2, Item 2
A Treatise on Citrus Culture in California by B.M. Long
1888
Series 4. Unprocessed accrual
circa 1929-1981
Series Scope and Contents
The series consists of an unprocessed accrual to the collection transferred in 2020. Materials in the accrual include records
of plant breeding research activities, publications and correspondence.
