Thomas Harper Goodspeed: Correspondence Relating to Research on Tobacco, 1926-1950

Summary

Creators:

Goodspeed, Thomas Harper, 1887-

Abstract:

Primarily copies of letters written by Goodspeed and his associate, Helen-Mar Wheeler, to various botanists, museums, botanical gardens, government agencies; and replies, exchanging information on tobacco, plant specimens, and viable seed. Some comment on response of tobacco to X-rays.
Appended to some letters: plant specimens, photographs, lists of queries and specimens sent, with specific information on genetic, morphological and taxonomic characteristics.

Extent:

Number of containers: 3 boxes Linear feet: 1.25

Language:

English

Background

Scope and content:

These papers, donated by Professor Lincoln Constance in April, 1980, consist essentially of copies of letters written by Goodspeed and his associate, Helen-Mar Wheeler, to various botanists, museums, botanical gardens, government agencies, etc., and replies, exchanging information on tobacco, plant specimens and viable seed. The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by name of person or organization with incoming and outgoing letters interfiled chronologically thereunder. Plant specimens, photographs, lists of queries and of specimens sent with specific information on genetic, morphological and taxonomic characteristics, habitat, and range are appended to some letters. A partial list of correspondents follows herein. Unlisted letters follow those listed, for each letter of the alphabet.

Biographical / historical:

Thomas Harper Goodspeed, botanist and cytologist, was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1887. In 1909, he received the A.B. degree from Brown University, and in 1912, was awarded the Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley.He joined the faculty of the Botany Department at Berkeley in 1912, and in 1928 became a full professor. From 1926 to 1934, Goodspeed was curator of the Botanical Gardens, and served as its director from 1934 until his retirement from the University in 1957.

Goodspeed devoted the bulk of his professional career to a study of the cytology and taxonomy of the genus Nicotiana (tobacco), its interspecific hybridization, its distribution in western South America and the Australian sub-continent, and its response to high frequency radiation such as x-rays.

Physical location:

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Location of this collection:

UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US

Contact:

510-642-6481

bancref-library@berkeley.edu

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