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Hubbs (Carl L.) Papers
SMC 0005
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla 92093-0175
Title: Carl L. Hubbs Papers
Creator:
Hubbs, Carl L. (Carl Leavitt), 1894-1979
Identifier/Call Number: SMC 0005
Physical Description:
112 Linear feet
(251 archive boxes, 19 card file boxes, 2 flat boxes, 3 cartons, and 16 map case folders)
Date (inclusive): 1858-1988 (bulk 1920-1979)
Abstract: Papers of Carl Leavitt Hubbs, documenting his extensive research in ichthyology, zoology, natural history, conservation, taxonomy,
archaeology and paleoclimatology. The collection includes voluminous photographic documentation, and some film and sound recordings.
Languages:
English
.
Scope and Content of Collection
Papers of Carl Leavitt Hubbs, documenting his extensive research in ichthyology, zoology, natural history, conservation, taxonomy,
archaeology and paleoclimatology.
The Hubbs Papers include correspondence, field notes, manuscripts, photographs, newspaper clippings, data, audiovisual recordings,
maps, and other files collected by Carl Hubbs and Laura Clark Hubbs, his wife and colleague. The files include a small amount
of personal and family material such as letters, photographs, and genealogical information, but consist predominantly of material
documenting Hubbs' work as a naturalist and ichthyologist. Most of the papers date between 1944 and 1979, the years that Hubbs
worked at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Additional material dated 1929-1944 documents the years Hubbs spent at
the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan.
The three most voluminous series consist of Hubbs's original research files, which he divided into three categories: Marine
Life – Fishes, Marine Life – West Coast, and Subjects. These series contain detailed information on fish species and groups,
including photographs, field data, research, manuscripts, and correspondence about specific fishes and other animals, in addition
to research files on related topics.
The collection was built, maintained, and organized by both Carl and Laura Hubbs. He determined file structure and folder
headings, and she did the filing, primarily by subject. The Hubbs Papers are a very large collection arranged in a complex
manner that reflects this original organizational method. Please consult the descriptive notes at the beginning of each series
for contextual information about the structure of the series, tips on searching, and where to find related materials.
Arranged in ten series: 1) BIOGRAPHICAL, 2) MARINE LIFE - FISHES, 3) MARINE LIFE - WEST COAST, 4) SUBJECT FILES, 5) CORRESPONDENCE,
6) WRITINGS AND TALKS, 7) PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEGATIVES, 8) SLIDES, 9) AUDIOVISUAL RECORDINGS, and 10) OVERSIZE.
Carl Leavitt Hubbs (1894-1979) was a American ichthyologist who spent the majority of his career at the Scripps Institution
of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego.
Two excellent short biographies of Hubbs are available online.
From The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (1997): http://www.nativefishlab.net/library/textpdf/15387.pdf
From the National Academy of Sciences (1987): http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/hubbs-carl-l.pdf
Carl L. Hubbs Papers. SMC 5. Special Collections & Archives, UC San Diego.
Acquired 1981-2003
COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE. ALLOW ONE WEEK FOR RETRIEVAL OF MATERIALS.
Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.
The bulk of the Carl L. Hubbs papers were acquired by the former SIO Archives in 1981. The collection was processed, respecting
the original order of the material, by Deborah Day and Gisele English in 1991. They published their finding aid, "A guide
to the Carl Leavitt Hubbs papers, 1920-1979" in the serial
SIO Reference.
In 2021, Special Collections & Archives converted the 365-page PDF finding aid into an EAD (Encoded Archival Description)
document. To do so, staff analyized the structure of the data in original finding aid and assigned series and sub-series levels
to the inventory. Some material was emphasized in the new structure, and box numbers changed, but overall Hubbs's original
organization of folders and folder titles remains intact. The new finding aid contains a Correspondence series (formerly the
"Biographics" and "Publications" categories within the Subject Files), and also includes a detailed list of the photographic
images. Photographs that had been removed from Hubbs's research files were returned to their original folders.
Carl Hubbs began discussing the disposition of his personal library with UC San Diego Librarian Melvin Voigt in late 1971.
On June 20, 1979, Carl and Laura Hubbs signed a deed of gift donating all the Hubbs scientific books and papers to the University.
This gift was accepted on behalf of the Regents of the University of California by Scripps Institution of Oceanography Director
William A. Nierenberg on July 3, 1979. The Hubbs Library and personal papers were transferred by Betty Shor from Hubbs' office
in the Marine Biology Building to the SIO Archives in early 1980. Laura Hubbs maintained an office in the SIO Archives from
1980 until 1986, and continued her active management of the collection. Over the years, she and her grown children located
additional material at her home and added those files to the collection.
A selection of photographs from this collection have been digitized.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Hubbs, Carl L. (Carl Leavitt), 1894-1979 -- Archives
Hubbs, Laura C., 1893-1988 -- Archives
Chapman, Wilbert McLeod, 1910-1970 -- Correspondence
Eigenmann, Carl H., 1863-1927 -- Correspondence
Eigenmann, Rosa Smith, 1858-1947 -- Correspondence
Klauber, Laurence Monroe, 1883-1968
Lagler, Karl F. (Karl Frank), 1912-1985
Miller, Loye, 1874-1970
Miller, Robert Rush, 1916-2003
Schmitt, Waldo L. (Waldo Lasalle), 1887-1977