McEwen (George F.) Papers, 1897-1961

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Summary

Title:
George F. McEwen Papers
Dates:
1897-1961
Creators:
McEwen, George F. (George Francis), 1882-1972
Abstract:
Papers of physical oceanographer George McEwen, including a small amount of material documenting early days at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the first series of Pan-Pacific scientific congresses.
Extent:
8.8 Linear feet (22 archives boxes, 1 wooden instrument box, and 1 map case folder)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

George F. McEwen Papers. SMC 21. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Background

Scope and content:

George F. McEwen (1882-1972) was a physical oceanographer who began his academic career at the Scripps Institution in 1912 (that year, it was formally transferred to The Regents of the University of California as the Scripps Institution for Biological Research, later to become the Scripps Institution of Oceanography). His papers include a selection of his correspondence, research and subject files, reports, professional organization files, material on early Pan-Pacific science congresses, manuscripts, weather forecasting data, and calculations. It includes substantial but by no means complete documentation of McEwen's research in hydrography and meteorology, including hydrographic data on Alaska dated 1927-1929, and annual reports on McEwen's research dated 1919-1934 compiled for the director of Scripps and the President of the University of California. The collection also includes some of McEwen's seasonal weather forecasts dated 1924-1936, along with other lectures and scientific papers. The bulk of the correspondence is dated from 1919-1936, when McEwen undertook extensive calculations on ocean currents and prepared long-range weather forecasts, exchanging letters with representatives of federal agencies, including the U.S. Navy, U.S. Weather Service, and Department of Agriculture. Writings and correspondence from collaborators N. W. Cummings and Polish scientist Wladyslaw Gorczyński may also be found in the collection. Some of the data in the collection predate McEwen's tenure at Scripps; for example, the logbook "University of California San Pedro record of stations occupied, 1901" was compiled by UC scientists at San Pedro station, where William Ritter conducted summer biological laboratories before establishing a permanent marine station in San Diego. Early documentation of academics at the Scripps Institution include course lists and curriculum materials describing lectures and offerings. McEwen kept voluminous documentation of his 1926 trip to Japan for the 3rd Pan-Pacific Science Congress, in Tokyo, including travel ephemera and scientific programs.

Arranged in 7 series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL, 2) CORRESPONDENCE, 3) PACIFIC SCIENCE CONGRESSES, 4) RESEARCH, 5) UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA & SIO, 6) ORGANIZATIONS, and 7) WORKS BY OTHERS.

Biographical / historical:

For a biographical sketch of George McEwen, please see the University of California's 1975 In Memorium profile.

Acquisition information:
Acquired 1981-1988, 2008
Processing information:

The original SIO Archivist noted, in the early 1980s, that the McEwen papers did not arrive at the Library with any meaningful existing order. The bulk of the material had been stored in the attic of Ritter Hall. The papers were originally processed by keeping McEwen's few larger groupings of research materials (such as mathematical tables and tide calculations) together, and imposing a standard order by genre/format on the rest of the collection. In 2022, all loose unprocessed McEwen accessions were folded into the main collection, the material was re-appraised, and the existing series tightened up with enhanced folder titles for an EAD finding aid.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Special Collections Archives, UC San Diego Library
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2022-03-10 09:49:53 -0800 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.

Terms of access:

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

Preferred citation:

George F. McEwen Papers. SMC 21. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.

Location of this collection:
9500 Gilman Drive, Dept. 0175
La Jolla, CA 92093-0175, US
Contact:
(858) 534-2533
spcoll@ucsd.edu
Website