John Edward Hoffmeister (1899-1991) earned his degrees from Johns Hopkins University; an A.B. in chemistry in 1920 and a Ph.D. in geology in 1923. Field work in Tonga and Fiji in 1926, 1928, and 1934 formed the basis of his antecedent-platform theory of coral reef development in the 1930s. His primary collaborator was Harry S. Ladd. Hoffmeister was a professor of geology and an administrator at the University of Rochester from 1923 until 1964, and continued his work on corals during his retirement in Florida. The Papers span 1925-1982 with the bulk documenting the years 1926-1935. While there is no documentation of his work at the University of Rochester or his service during World War II, and little record of his Florida work, documentation of his Pacific expeditions in the 1920s and 1930s is quite rich. This early documentation includes numerous lantern slides and 16 mm films taken during his Pacific expeditions, along with personal and professional correspondence, field notebooks, diaries, and records of the Pacific Science Association's committee on coral reefs, and ephemera. Ephemera include geological specimens, a Fijian war club and two walking sticks.

John Edward Hoffmeister (1899-1991) was a professor of geology and an administrator at the University of Rochester from 1923 until 1964. His research focused on the development of coral reefs, based on field work he conducted in the Tongan and Fijian islands in the late 1920s and early 1930s and off the coast of Florida during the 1960s and 1970s.

5.5 Linear feet (8 archives boxes, 4 card file boxes, 1 flat box and 3 oversize items)

Publication rights are held by the creator of the collection.

Original film formats are restricted. Digital surrogates are available for viewing.