Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- Alley, Curtis J. Papers
- Dates:
- 1935-1984
- Creators:
- Alley, C. J. (Curtis John) (1918-1984)
- Abstract:
- Curtis J. Alley was a graduate of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology who went on to serve as a lecturer and specialist during the 1960s until his death in 1984. He specialized in the propagation of rootstocks, grafting, and the development of virus-free grape varieties optimized for the California climate. This collection encompasses correspondence, Dept. of Viticulture files, course materials, research data, and organizational records of the Plant Propagator's Society, spanning from the 1950s until the 1980s. This material was originally part of the Harold P. Olmo Collection and additional Alley materials may still located within that collection.
- Extent:
- 12.2 linear feet
- Language:
- English .
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Curtis J. Alley Papers, D-260, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Curtis J. Alley papers contain correspondence, publications, research, and departmental records from Alley's tenure at the Department of Viticulture and Enology. It also includes some organizaitonal records of the Plant Propagator's Society.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Curtis J. Alley was a graduate of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology who went on to serve as a lecturer and specialist during the 1960s until his death in 1984. He specialized in the propagation of rootstocks, grafting, and the development of virus-free grape varieties optimized for the California climate.
Studying under Harold Olmo, Curits Alley received his PhD in Genetics in 1951. After a year of working on commercial peach breeding Alley was hired as the first manager of the clean grape program at UC Davis, the California Grape Certification Association. Alley served as the manager of the CGCA and its successor the Foundation of Plant Materials Services until 1971. During this time he also worked as a viticulturist for the Experiment Station. In 1971 he left as manager of the FPMS to become a full time researcher working with Cornelius Ough. Alley was an active member in the American Society of Enologists, the American Society of Horticultural Science, and the International Plant Propagators Society, of which he is served as secretary of the Western Region. He participated in many state and local fairs as a Wine Judge throughout the 1950s until the 1970s. Curtis Alley was also a pilot, and a World War II veteran.
Curtis Alley died of a heart attack in 1984 while on vacation. Because of the circumstances of his death, Harold Olmo became the caretaker of Curtis Alley's files. Over the following years Alley's papers were intermingled with Olmo's own files and they came to the archives as part of the Olmo collection in 20??. The collection was reprocessed in 2023 and Alley's papers were removed to create a new collection. Some materials pertaining to Alley are still located within the Olmo collection, most notably materials pertaining to the California Grape Certification Association, the Foundation of Plant Materials Services, correspondence files that contained both Olmo and Alley letters, and some international travel materials. Olmo may have utilized Alley's files as reference materials and as such resorted and refiled Alley's papers as he saw fit. Additionally, research data that pertained to Alley may be found in both collections, as any research data which could not be clearly linked to Alley was kept with the Olmo collection.
Sources:
"Curtis J. Alley Memorial Scholarship." Department of Viticulture and Enology. https://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/giving/scholarhips-endowments/curtis-j-alley-memorial-scholarship . Accessed 23 October 2023.
"Orgin of Foundation Plant Services." Wine Grapes of UC Davis. https://fps.ucdavis.edu/grapebook/winebook.cfm?chap=FPSEstablished . Accessed 23 October 2023.
- Acquisition information:
- Separated from Harold Paul Olmo Papers, D-280. Plant Physiology Lab Book Gift of Richard W. Hoenisch, 1999.
- Arrangement:
-
This collection is arranged into seven series. 1. Correspondence. 2. Department of Viticulture Materials. Subseries 2.1 Administrative Papers. Subseries 2.2 Grape Days Sponsored by UCD. Series 3. Teaching Records. Subseries 3.1 Courses and Lectures. Subseries 3.2 Student Files. Series 4. Manuscripts and Publications by Alley. Series 5. Research Data. Series 6. Subject Files. Subseries 6.1 General. Subseries 6.2 Fair Judging. Subseries 6.3 Personal Files. Series 7. Plant Propagtor's Society.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Encoded:
- This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-02-21 14:22:23 -0800 .
Access and use
- Terms of access:
-
Copyright is protected by the copyright law, chapter 17, of the U.S. Code. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections, University of California, Library, Davis as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Curtis J. Alley Papers, D-260, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis.
- Location of this collection:
-
University of California, Davis, Special Collections, UC Davis Library100 NW QuadDavis, CA 95616-5292, US
- Contact:
- (530) 752-1621