Conditions governing access
Conditions governing use
Preferred citation
Biographical note
Scope and contents note
Related archival materials
Arrangement note
Title: George M. Wright papers
Identifier/Call Number: MVZA.MSS.0007
Contributing Institution:
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.5 Linear feet
Date (inclusive): 1926-2000
Abstract: The George M. Wright papers consist of field notes completed throughout the United States and Canada between 1926-1933. There
is also a folder of biographical materials containing an issue of
The George Wright Forum, the George Wright Society's journal.
Conditions governing access
The collection is open for research.
Conditions governing use
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.
Preferred citation
[Identification of item], George M. Wright papers, MVZA.MSS.0007, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives, University of California,
Berkeley.
Biographical note
George M. Wright (1904-1936) was born in San Francisco. At UC Berkeley, he studied both forestry and vertebrate zoology and
worked with Joseph Grinnell. Not long after graduating, he served as a ranger and junior park naturalist with Yosemite National
Park. In 1929, Wright, Joseph Dixon, and Ansell Hall began work on a wildlife survey program for the National Park Service,
which Wright initially provided funds for. As a result of this work, the first two monographs with the series title
Fauna of the National Parks of the United States were published in 1933 and 1935. These publications, co-authored with Joseph Dixon and Ben Thompson, provided both detailed
information about park vertebrates and policies for the National Park System that were ecologically sound. Wright also contributed
writings to
The Condor,
Journal of Mammalogy,
The Scientific Monthly, and the
National Park Service Nature Notes series. In 1933, Wright was selected as Chief of the newly formed Wildlife Division of the National Park Service. In this
role, he hired biologists and looked into new national park locations. And in February 1936, Wright was selected to be part
of a group that was to plan the development of parks, reserves, and refuges along the United States-Mexico border. Not long
after, he was killed in an automobile accident near Deming, New Mexico. In 1980, the George Wright Society, an organization
made up of individuals working to improve conditions in protected areas, was formed.
Sources Consulted:
Shafer, Craig L. "Conservation Biology Trailblazers: George Wright, Ben Thompson, and Joseph Dixon."
Conservation Biology 15, 2 (2001): 332-344. Accessed September 22, 2014.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2641831
Scope and contents note
The George M. Wright papers include two standard-bound volumes of field notes, including map and habitat sketches. These volumes,
one of which has been reproduced and bound as two separate volumes, cover the years 1926-1933 and contain localities in Alaska,
Arizona, California, Canada, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
This collection also includes a folder of biographical materials, which contains an issue of
The George Wright Forum, the George Wright Society’s journal. It is a 20th anniversary issue and celebrates Wright’s life.
Related archival materials
Arrangement note
The collection has been arranged in the following series: Field notes and Biographical materials.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Biological specimens--Collection and preservation.
Biological specimens--Identification
Biology Fieldwork
Cataloging--Specimens.
Field notes
Mammalogy--Fieldwork.
Scientific expeditions--Alaska
Scientific expeditions--Arizona
Scientific expeditions--British Columbia--Pacific Coast.
Scientific expeditions--California
Scientific expeditions--Canada
Scientific expeditions--Colorado
Scientific expeditions--Idaho
Scientific expeditions--Montana
Scientific expeditions--Nevada
Scientific expeditions--New Mexico
Scientific expeditions--Oklahoma
Scientific expeditions--Oregon
Scientific expeditions--Utah
Scientific expeditions--Washington
Scientific expeditions--Wyoming
University of California (1868-1952). Museum of Vertebrate Zoology