Description
This collection contains research notes,
publications, photographs, manuscripts, and other material regarding the scientific
and professional career of Dr. Herbert J. Webber, a research scientist at the Citrus
Experiment Station (CES) in Riverside, California from 1913-1946. In addition to
citrus related material, this collection includes his scientific research on guava,
avocado, dates, and non-edible crops like rubber. The collection includes a large
volume of photographs documenting Dr. Webber’s multi-year citrus experiments in the
CES orchards, research notes and handwritten manuscripts from his book
The Citrus Industry, and newspaper clippings,
correspondence, and photographs regarding the history and care of the Riverside
Parent Navel Orange Tree.
Background
Herbert J. Webber was born on December 27, 1865 in Lawton, Michigan. His family moved
to Nebraska in 1883. Dr. Webber earned both his Bachelors degree and his Masters
degree from the University of Nebraska. On September 8,1890 he married fellow
University on Nebraska student Lucene Anna Hardin. Between 1890-1892 Dr. Webber
worked as a botany assistant at Washington University in St. Louis Missouri. In
1892, he was offered a position with the US Department of Agriculture as an
assistant pathologist and was sent to Florida to study citrus disease. This is where
he met Walter T. Swingle, a fellow plant scientist. Dr. Webber and Walter Swingle
would collaborate and publish research together many times throughout their
scientific careers. Dr. Webber earned his Ph.D from Washington University in 1901
after discovering motile antherozoids in Zamia plants. In 1907 Cornell University
asked Dr. Webber to come to New York and lead the new department of experimental
plant biology. He also served as the director of the New York State College of
Agriculture between 1909 and 1910. In 1912 Dr. Webber was appointed director of the
new Citrus Experiment Station (CES) in Riverside, California. He was also named dean
of the graduate school of subtropical agriculture. Dr. Webber would spend the next
30 years involved in the orchards at CES. Between 1923-1924, Dr. Webber traveled to
South America where he studied the South American citrus industry as a special
commissioner. He returned to Riverside California in 1926. Even though Dr. Webber
retired in 1936 and became professor emeritus he continued his scientific research
focusing on citrus, avocado and guava. The first volume of his book The Citrus Industry was published in 1943. Dr. Webber
died on January 18, 1946 in Riverside, California.
Extent
14.75 linear feet
(17 document boxes, 6 glass plate negative boxes, 2 lantern slide boxes, 1
index card box, 1 flat storage box)
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the University of California, Riverside Libraries,
Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections
& Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the
University of California as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to
include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by
the researcher.
Availability
This collection is open for research.