Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Drury, Newton Bishop, 1889-1978
- Abstract:
- The Newton Bishop Drury papers document his leadership of, and conservation issues relevant to, the Save the Redwoods League, the California state park system, and the National Park Service. There are also some materials related to Drury's alma mater, the University of California, Berkeley, and his graduating class of 1912.
- Extent:
- 12.9 Linear Feet 10 cartons, 1 box
- Language:
- English and Collection materials are in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Newton Bishop Drury papers, BANC MSS 79/61c,The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Newton Bishop Drury papers document his leadership of, and conservation issues relevant to, the Save the Redwoods League, the California state park system, and the National Park Service. There are also some materials related to his alma mater, the University of California, Berkeley, and his graduating class of 1912. Note that there is overlap between the work Drury did for the League and the state and national parks. The collection is divided into five Series: Biographical Materials; University of California, Berkeley; Save the Redwoods League; California State Parks; and the National Park Service. Original folder titles were retained whenever possible.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Newton Bishop Drury was born in San Francisco in 1889 to prominent newspaperman and politician Wells Drury and his wife, Elvira Lorraine Bishop. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1912 and served in the U.S. Army Balloon Corps during World War I. The destruction he witnessed during the war inspired him to become a staunch conservationist. Drury married Elizabeth Frances Shilling in 1918; the couple had two children.
In 1919, Newton and his brother Aubrey founded a public relations and advertising firm, the Drury Brothers Company. One of their clients was the Save the Redwoods League, a California organization dedicated to preserving redwood forests. Newton became the League’s first Executive Director in 1919, serving in that capacity until 1940. During his tenure at the League, Drury helped direct the legislative campaign for a comprehensive state park program in California. He served as Secretary to the California State Parks Committee from 1925-1927, and as a Land Acquisitions Officer for the California State Park Commission from approximately 1928-1940.
When Newton Drury was appointed Director of the National Park Service in August 1940, his brother Aubrey, the Administrative Secretary, assumed management of the League. Newton Drury served as director of the National Park Service until March 31, 1951. Disagreements with Secretary of the Interior Oscar L. Chapman over dams in Dinosaur National Monument contributed to his resignation. That same year, Drury became chief of California’s Division of Beaches and Parks. He retired from the Park Service and resumed his role as Executive Director of the Save the Redwoods League when Aubrey died in 1959. Newton subsequently served as League President from 1971-1975, and Chair of the Board until his death in 1978.
Drury served terms as vice president of the American Forestry Association, director of the National Conference on State Parks, held membership on the Yosemite National Park Advisory Board, worked as a research associate in Primitive Landscape for the Carnegie Institute, and was an honorary life member of the Sierra Club. He was a two-time recipient of the Pugsley Medal, an award that honors champions of parks and conservation.
- Acquisition information:
- The Newton Bishop Drury papers were given to The Bancroft Library between 1973 and 1978 by Newton Bishop Drury.
- Processing information:
-
Arranged to the folder level.
Processed by Marjorie Bryer in 2017.
- Accruals:
-
No future additions are expected.
- Physical location:
- Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
-
Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. All requests to reproduce, publish, quote from, or otherwise use collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Head of Public Services, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley 94720-6000. See: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Newton Bishop Drury papers, BANC MSS 79/61c,The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
- Location of this collection:
-
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft LibraryBerkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
- Contact:
- 510-642-6481