The Frederick A. Cook and Robert E. Peary Collection, 1904-1960, documents the controversy surrounding the dual claims of the discovery of the North Pole by Frederick A. Cook and Robert E. Peary. The bulk of the collection consists of multiple drafts of articles written by William Shea, a Cook supporter who began writing about him after meeting with him. A portion of the collection is dedicated to articles written by various authors expressing their beliefs on the issue, and newspaper clippings regarding Cook and Peary. The records also consist of congressional hearing records regarding the debate, and correspondence discussing the controversy sent to Father Bernard Hubbard, a priest, lecturer, and Alaskan explorer who reignited the issue during his lectures in the mid-twentieth century. Fr. Hubbard was of the belief that Cook was successful in the discovery of the North Pole as opposed to Peary, and most of the correspondence sent to him agrees with this sentiment. This collection is arranged into one series: Series I. Cook-Peary Controversy (1904-1960).

Santa Clara University was founded in 1851 by the Society of Jesus as Santa Clara College and is California’s oldest operating institution of higher learning. It was established on the grounds of Mission Santa Clara de Asìs, the eighth of the original 21 California missions. The college originally operated as a preparatory school and did not offer courses of collegiate rank until 1853. The institution became known as the University of Santa Clara in 1912, when the schools of engineering and law were added. For 110 years, Santa Clara University was an all-male school. In 1961, women were accepted as undergraduates and Santa Clara University became the first coeducational Catholic university in California. The number of students and faculty tripled over the next decade and the university began the largest building program in school history with eight residence halls, a student union, and an athletic stadium. In the early 1970s, the Board of Trustees voted to limit the size of the undergraduate population, an action that was intended to preserve the character and ensure the quality of the university for generations to come. In 1985, the university adopted Santa Clara University as its official name. Bibliography: Santa Clara University. “About SCU – History.” www.scu.edu/about/history.cfm (Accessed Nov. 23, 2010) McKevitt, Gerald, S.J. The University of Santa Clara: A History, 1851-1977. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1979.

0.42 linear feet (2 boxes)

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The collection is open for research.