Finding Aid to the George M. Wright papers MVZA.MSS.0007

Finding aid prepared by Greg Borman
The processing of this collection was made possible through funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' "Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives" Project.
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives
3101 Valley Life Sciences Building
University of California
Berkeley
mvzarchives@berkeley.edu
September 2014


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:
Bryant, Harold C. "George Melendez Wright. Roger Wolcott Toll." Journal of Mammalogy 17, 2 (1936): 191-192. Accessed September 22, 2014. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1374197 
"George Melendez Wright (1904-1936)." WETA, Washington, DC and The National Parks Film Project, LLC. 2009. Accessed September 22, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people/nps/wright/ 
Linn, Bob. "George Wright 1904-1936." National Park Service. 2000. Accessed September 22, 2014. http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/sontag/wright.htm 
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

Materials relating to this collection within the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Archives include the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology historical correspondence 1908-1930 collection  (MVZA.MSS.0117).

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

 

Field notes 1926-1933

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 4.0 Volumes
Volume 1

Volume 1 1719 1926

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 150.0 Pages
Volume 1, Section 1

Mt. McKinley District, Alaska 1719_s1 1926-1926

Physical Description: 149.0 Pages

Related materials

Specimens collected in this section include accession #2755. These specimens can be found in Arctos , the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology's specimen database.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

North America, United States, Alaska
 

View digitized field notes.

Box 1

Volume 2 1930-1933

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 467.0 Pages

Existence and location of copies

Photocopied, bound reproductions (v1720 and v1721) of this volume are available for use in the Grinnell-Miller Library.
Volume 2, Section 1

Journal 1930: Miscellaneous locations, California; Utah and Arizona; Yellowstone, Wyoming; Washington; Grand Canyon, Arizona; Mesa Verde, Colorado 1930

Physical Description: 127.0 Pages

Subjects and Indexing Terms

North America, United States, Arizona, Coconino County
North America, United States, Arizona, Mohave County
North America, United States, Arizona, Yavapai County
North America, United States, California, Alameda County
North America, United States, California, Mariposa County
North America, United States, California, Merced County
North America, United States, California, Santa Clara County
North America, United States, Colorado, Grand County
North America, United States, Colorado, Larimer County
North America, United States, Colorado, Montezuma County
North America, United States, Utah, Box Elder County
North America, United States, Utah, Washington County
North America, United States, Washington, Lewis County
North America, United States, Washington, Pierce County
North America, United States, Washington, Yakima County
North America, United States, Wyoming, Natrona County
North America, United States, Wyoming, Park County
North America, United States, Wyoming, Platte County
 

View digitized field notes.

Volume 2, Section 2

Journal 1931: Miscellaneous locations, California; Death Valley; New Mexico and Colorado; Berkeley; Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Alberta, Washington, Oregon, California; Yosemite 1931

Physical Description: 158.0 Pages

Subjects and Indexing Terms

North America, Canada, Alberta
North America, Canada, British Columbia
North America, United States, California, Alameda County
North America, United States, California, Inyo County
North America, United States, California, Lassen County
North America, United States, California, Mariposa County
North America, United States, California, San Benito County
North America, United States, Colorado, Boulder County
North America, United States, Colorado, Grand County
North America, United States, Colorado, Larimer County
North America, United States, Colorado, Montezuma County
North America, United States, Montana, Flathead County
North America, United States, Montana, Gallatin County
North America, United States, Montana, Glacier County
North America, United States, Montana, Lake County
North America, United States, Montana, Lincoln County
North America, United States, Nevada, Lyon County
North America, United States, New Mexico, Eddy County
North America, United States, Oregon, Klamath County
North America, United States, Utah, Cache County
North America, United States, Utah, Salt Lake County
Volume 2, Section 3

Journal 1932: Berkeley, California; Wyoming trip, including Montana and Idaho; Berkeley; Morro Bay, California; Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 1932

Physical Description: 135.0 Pages

Scope and contents note

Census of vertebrates observed on 4/29/1932 in Mt. Everts, Yellowstone listed on page 389. Census of vertebrates observed on 5/16/1932 from 8:45am-11:30am from Mammoth to Lamar River Bridge, Yellowstone listed on pages 416 and 417. Census of vertebrates observed on 5/16/1932 from 5:40pm-7:25pm from Lamar River Bridge to Mammoth, Yellowstone listed on pages 417 and 418. Census of vertebrates observed on 5/16/1932 from 4:20pm-5:30pm from Trumpeter Lake to small lake just west, Yellowstone listed on page 418. All locations within Wyoming, Park County.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

North America, United States, California, Alameda County
North America, United States, California, San Luis Obispo County
North America, United States, Idaho, Fremont County
North America, United States, Montana, Gallatin County
North America, United States, Montana, Park County
North America, United States, Wyoming, Park County
North America, United States, Wyoming, Teton County
Volume 2, Section 4

Journal 1933: Berkeley, California; Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming; Oklahoma, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho 1933

Physical Description: 42.0 Pages

Subjects and Indexing Terms

North America, Canada, Alberta
North America, United States, California, Alameda County
North America, United States, Idaho, Fremont County
North America, United States, Montana, Beaverhead County
North America, United States, Montana, Flathead County
North America, United States, Montana, Glacier County
North America, United States, Montana, Park County
North America, United States, Oklahoma, Murray County
North America, United States, Wyoming, Park County
North America, United States, Wyoming, Teton County
 

Biographical materials 2000-2000

Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 1.0 Folder
Box 1, Folder 1

George Wright Society Journal, Celebrating George Wright: A Retrospective on the 20th Anniversary of the GWS 2000-2000

Physical Description: 1.0 Folder