Finding Aid to the François Matthes Papers, 1874-1965, bulk 1900-1950
Finding Aid written by History Associates Incorporated; revised March 2005
Funding for processing this collection was provided by Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), Title III: Networking,
Preservation and Statewide Resource-sharing grant from the California State Library
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
© 2006
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Finding Aid to the François Matthes Papers, 1874-1965, bulk 1900-1950
Collection Number: BANC MSS C-B 821
The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Funding for processing this collection was provided by Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA), Title III: Networking,
Preservation and Statewide Resource-sharing grant from the California State Library
- Finding Aid Written By:
- History Associates Incorporated; revised March 2005
- Date Completed:
-
November 2006
© 2006 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Collection Summary
Collection Title: François Matthes papers,
Date (inclusive): 1874-1965,
Date (bulk): bulk 1900-1950
Collection Number: BANC MSS C-B 821
Creators :
Matthes, François, 1874-1948
Extent:
Number of containers: Number of containers: 9 boxes, 3 cartons, 2 oversize folders
Linear feet: Linear feet: 7.5
Repository: The Bancroft Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-6000
Phone: (510) 642-6481
Fax: (510) 642-7589
Email: bancref@library.berkeley.edu
URL: http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/
Abstract: The François Matthes papers consist of personal and professional correspondence and writings spanning his academic life as
a student in the 1890s, through his professional career as a geologist, to his death in 1948. Included are artwork, letters,
newspaper clippings, typescripts, abstracts, notes, maps, and field books. Also included are materials from posthumously published
books, book reviews, and biographical sketches gathered by colleagues and family members as late as 1963. The bulk of the
material in this collection dates from 1900 to 1950.
Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English
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.
Information for Researchers
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
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, 94270-6000. Consent is given on behalf of The
Bancroft Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright
owner. Such permission must obtained from the copyright owner. See:
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/reference/permissions.html .
Restrictions also apply to digital representations of the original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research
and educational purposes.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], François Matthes Papers, BANC MSS C-B 821, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.
Alternate Forms Available
There are no alternate forms of this collection.
Related Collections
François Emil Matthes Sierra Club papers, 1915, BANC MSS 71/295 c, Series 49
California State Earthquake Investigation Commission photographs from the Andrew C. Lawson collection, BANC PIC 1957.007--NEG
Portraits from the François Matthes papers, BANC PIC 1961.005--PIC
Photographs from the François Matthes papers, BANC PIC 1961.019--PIC
Scout Naturalist Expedition in Yosemite National Park, BANC PIC 1962.021--PIC
Separated Material
Photographs have been transferred to the Pictorial Collections of The Bancroft Library.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Matthes, Francois, 1874-1948
Geological Survey (U.S.)
Geology--California
Geology--West (U.S.)
Geology--Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.)
Topographical surveying
Glaciers
Geomorphology
Earthquakes--California--San Francisco
Fires--California--San Francisco
San Francisco Earthquake, Calif., 1906
Matthes, Edith Lovell (Coyle)
Online Archive of California
History of science and technology collection
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The François Matthes Papers were given to The Bancroft Library by his widow, Edith Lovell (Coyle) Matthes, in 1961. Additions
were made in 1961, 1966, and 1973 by Professor F. M. Fryxell.
Accruals
No additions are expected.
Processing Information
Processed by History Associates Incorporated in 2003.
Biographical Information
Geologist François Emile Matthes was born in 1874 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He spent his childhood in Germany and Switzerland,
where he developed a love for mountains and glaciers. In 1891, Matthes, along with his twin brother Gerard, came to the United
States to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and earned a B.S. degree in 1895 in geodetic and topographic
engineering. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1896.
In 1896, he worked as a temporary field assistant on the United States Geological Survey making topographical maps of the
Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). In 1898, he received a Civil Service appointment and was assigned to map the Bighorn Mountains
of Wyoming. Matthes so impressed the director of the Geological Survey with his ability to depict geological formations together
with the sculptured relief left by glacial action that he was assigned to map what is now Glacier National Park in 1900-1901.
He then went on to map the Grand Canyon in 1902-1904. In the course of these mapping projects, Matthes became more interested
in studying land forms and decided to take a course in physiography at Harvard. He was offered a teaching position, but declined
when he was invited by the Geological Survey to return to the field to map the Yosemite Valley in 1905-1906. While mapping
Yosemite, Matthes determined the height of all its great cliffs and waterfalls by triangulation and gained an intimate knowledge
of the physiography of the region. He was in Berkeley in 1906 during the San Francisco Earthquake, and made field studies
for the State Earthquake Investigation Commission of California, surveying its effects upon the coast. Later, in 1910-1911,
he mapped Mount Rainier National Park. It was also in 1911 that Matthes married Edith Lovell Coyle.
It was Matthes' work in Yosemite that led the Geological Survey to assign him the task of studying the geomorphic development
of the area. Matthes methodically traced all the moraines of the ancient glaciers and determined definitely, in 1914, the
limits which those ice streams had attained. In doing this, Matthes put to rest the question about their origins that had
remained an issue ever since the days of John Muir. Before publishing his views on Yosemite, Matthes decided to study other
great canyons of the Sierra Nevada and investigated a great part of the range. A request from the National Park Service to
cover Sequoia National Park allowed him to complete his work down to the southern limit of the glaciation. His discovery
that the glaciers that exist in the Sierra Nevada are not remnants of great ice streams of the glacial period, but a new generation
born only a few thousand years ago attracted the attention of glaciologists and climatologists worldwide. In 1931, Matthes
organized a permanent research committee on glaciers as a way to secure systematic data on glaciers in America and was named
secretary of the International Commission on Snow and Glaciers in 1940.
Although Matthes and his wife had no children, he shared his great love of the outdoors with the Boy Scouts of America. He
became the scoutmaster of a Washington D.C. troop in 1915, and later in 1920 took a group of eagle scouts from the East Coast
on a tour though Yosemite. So beloved was he by the Boy Scouts, that he was honored with a Silver Beaver award in 1931.
Matthes also received other honors in his lifetime. Earlier, in 1920, he was decorated as Chevalier in the Order of Leopold
II, by King Albert of Belgium for his work on the glacial history of Yosemite. He was also an honorary vice president of
the Sierra Club, and belonged to the American Geophysical Union, the Association of American Geographers, and the British
Glaciological Society. In 1947, when Matthes retired from the Geological Survey, he was honored with a gold medal for his
distinguished service.
His well-deserved retirement, at age 70, was postponed for three years during World War II when he served his country in connection
with geological, water supply, and meteorological problems. Upon his retirement, Matthes and his wife moved to El Cerrito,
California. One of the last honors Matthes received was an honorary degree of L.L.D. conferred upon him by the University
of California in 1947. Matthes suffered a heart attack and a stroke on April 18,1948, and died two months later on June 21.
In 1949, the Sierra Club honored his memory by naming two geographic features at Yosemite National Park, "Matthes Crest" and
"Matthes Lake," after their distinguished honorary vice president.
Matthes was a prolific writer with the ability to write professional papers for a scientific audience as well as popular articles
for the general public. Upon his death, Matthes had published more than 60 articles, and wrote several unpublished works.
Many of his writings reflect his love for Yosemite such as "Half Dome of the Yosemite Valley," published in 1910; "The Story
of the Yosemite Valley," published in 1922 and 1924; "The Glaciological History of the Yosemite Valley," published in 1930;
and "The Last Yosemite Highway Robbery," published in 1947. Matthes had intended on writing a book he referred to as his
"Yosemite book," after World War II, yet did not complete it before his death. Through the efforts of his wife Edith and
colleague Fritiof Fryxell, two books, based on Matthes' drafts and notes, were published posthumously.
The Incomparable Valley was published in 1950 followed by
François Matthes and the Marks of Time in 1962.
Scope and Content of Collection
The François Matthes papers consist of personal and professional correspondence and writings spanning his academic life as
a student in the 1890s, through his professional career as a geologist, to his death in 1948. Included are artwork, letters,
newspaper clippings, typescripts, abstracts, notes, maps, and field books. Also included are materials from posthumously published
books, book reviews, and biographical sketches gathered by colleagues and family members as late as 1963. The bulk of the
material in this collection dates from 1900 to 1950.
The largest series in this collection is Series 3: Writings. Materials related to Matthes' writings, include books, journal
articles, abstracts, typescripts, maps, notes, and field books. Most concern his work in geology in the Sierra Nevada and
U. S. National Parks, including Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, Glacier National Park, and Sequoia National Park. Also included
are writings for the Boy Scouts of America and materials related to two books that were published posthumously by his wife
and Matthes' colleague, Fritiof M. Fryxell.
Series 1: Correspondence is the second largest series and includes incoming and outgoing correspondence of Matthes and of
his wife Edith Lovell (Coyle) Matthes. The correspondence of F.E. Matthes is primarily comprised of letters to and from organizations
and individuals related to the field of geology, although some personal correspondence with family and friends is included.
The correspondence of Edith Lovell (Coyle) Matthes consists of letters to and from her family, her husband's colleagues, and
publishers.
Series 4: Organizations is the smallest series in the collection and only contains records from a few of the organizations
with which Matthes was associated. Another area for which documentation is lacking is Matthes' early work as a topographer
in the Indian Territory of Oklahoma (1896), and in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming (1898). Also missing is his work during
World War I describing the geologic environments of Camp McClellan, Alabama and Camp Gordon, Georgia.
Series 1
Correspondence
1892-1963
Physical Description:
Boxes 1-5
Arrangement
Divided into two subseries: François Matthes and Edith Lovell (Coyle) Matthes
Scope and Content Note
Contains correspondence to and from François and Edith Matthes
1.1
François Matthes
1892-1948
Physical Description:
Box 1 and Box 2, folders 1-27
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically and chronologically
Scope and Content Note
Comprised of letters to and from organizations and individuals regarding Matthes' career as a geologist, such as the American
Geophysical Union, the Association of American Geographers, and the U. S. Geological Society. It also contains correspondence
with family and friends, including letters written by Matthes to his mother from 1896-1905 in Dutch, each of which includes
a translation by Gerard H. Matthes.
Box 1, Folder 2
Albert I, King of Belgium, 1875-1934
1919
Box 1, Folder 3
Albright, Horace Marden
1929-1943
Box 1, Folder 4
Allen, Eugene Thomas, 1864-
1936
Box 1, Folder 5
American Alpine Club
1919-1948
Box 1, Folder 6
American Association for the Advancement of Science
1902
Box 1, Folder 7
American Society of Civil Engineers
1901
Box 1, Folder 8
A. N. Marquis Company, Chicago
1947
Box 1, Folder 9
Antevs, Ernst Voldemar, 1888-
1946
Box 1, Folder 10
Appalachian Mountain Club
1903-1948
Box 1, Folder 11
Association of American Geographers
1933-1944
Box 1, Folder 12
Atwood, Wallace Walter, 1872-1949
1933-1939
Box 1, Folder 13
Badé, William Frederic, 1871-1936
1912,
1931
Box 1, Folder 14
Balk, Robert, 1899-1955
1940
Box 1, Folder 15
Belgium Consulate, San Francisco
1920
Box 1, Folder 17
Biographical Encyclopedia of the World, New York
1944-1947
Box 1, Folder 18
Bollinger, Clyde John, 1888
1934
Box 1, Folder 19
Bowie, William, 1872-1940
1915
Box 1, Folder 20
Bowman, Isaiah, 1878-1950
1931-1933
Box 1, Folder 21
Boy Scouts of America
1915-1935
Box 1, Folder 22
British Glaciological Society, London
1947
Box 1, Folder 23
Brooks, Charles F., 1891-1958
1948
Box 1, Folder 24
Bryan, Kirk, 1888-1950
1931
Box 1, Folder 25
Buchner, Walter Herman, 1888-1965
1931
Box 1, Folder 26
Buwalda, John Peter, 1886-1954
1929,
1931
Box 1, Folder 27
California Academy of Sciences
1948
Box 1, Folder 28
California Alumni Association
1947
Box 1, Folder 29
Calkins, Frank Cathcart, 1878-1975
1915
Box 1, Folder 30
Chamberlin, Rollin Thomas, 1881-1948
1941,
1946
Box 1, Folder 31
Church, James Edward, 1869-
1948
Box 1, Folder 32
Colby, Charles Carlyle, 1884-
1934
Box 1, Folder 33
Colby, William Edward, 1875-1964
1912,
1931
Box 1, Folder 34
Contra Costa County Title Co.
1947
Box 1, Folder 35
Davis, William Morris, 1850-1934
1929,
1931
Box 1, Folder 36
Day, Arthur Louis, 1869-
1912
Box 1, Folder 37
Delprat, G. D.
1931,
1944
Box 1, Folder 38
De Martonne, Emmanuel, 1873-1955
1931
Box 1, Folder 39
Dyson, James Lindsay, 1912-
1948
Box 1, Folder 40
Evans, Richard T.
1903,
1911
Box 1, Folder 43
Farquhar, Francis Peloubep, 1887-1974
1931
Box 1, Folder 44
Farquhar, Samuel Thaxter, 1890-1949
1931
Box 1, Folder 45
Fenkles, Jesse Walter, 1850-1930
1918
Box 1, Folder 46
Fleming, John Adam, 1877-1956
1948
Box 1, Folder 47
Flint, Richard Foster, 1902-
1946
Box 1, Folder 48
Geological Society of America
1937-1948
Box 1, Folder 49
Geological Society of Washington (D. C.)
1948
Box 1, Folder 50
Goethe, Charles Matthias, 1875-1966
1931,
1948
Box 1, Folder 51
Goldthwait, James Walter, 1880-1947
1946
Box 1, Folder 52
Gould, Laurence McKinley, 1896
1947
Box 1, Folder 53
Gregory, Herbert Ernest, 1869-1952
1933
Box 1, Folder 54
Haas, William H., 1872-
1934
Box 1, Folder 55
Heald, Weldon F., 1901-1967
1948
Box 1, Folder 56
Highland, Scotland G.
1945
Box 1, Folder 57
Hobbs, William Herbert, 1864-1953
1933
Box 1, Folder 58
Howells, William Dean, 1837-1919
1892
Box 1, Folder 59
Huber, Walter LeRoy, 1883-
1931
Box 1, Folder 60
Huntington, Ellsworth, 1876-1947
1913
Box 1, Folder 61
Johnson, Douglas Wilson, 1878-1944
1917
Box 1, Folder 62
Kay, George Frederick, 1873-1943
1939
Box 1, Folder 64
Knopf, Adolph, 1882-
1930
Box 1, Folder 65
LeConte, Helen Marion (Gomperts), 1865-1924
n.d.
Box 1, Folder 66
LeConte, Joseph Nisbet, 1870-1950
1931
Box 1, Folder 67
Longwell, Chester Roy, 1877-
1931
Box 1, Folder 68
Louderback, George Davis, 1874-1957
1931
Box 1, Folder 70
Marshall, Robert Bradford, 1867-1949
1905-1930
Box 1, Folder 71
Matthes, Edith Lovell (Coyle)
n.d.
Box 1, Folder 72
Matthes, Gerard Hendrik, 1874-1959
1911,
1931
Box 1, Folder 74
Mazamas, Portland, Oregon
1939
Box 1, Folder 75
McAllister, Matthew Hall
1931
Box 1, Folder 76
McDuffie, Duncan, 1877-
1931
Box 1, Folder 77
McHenry, Donald Edward, 1895 -
1947
Box 1, Folder 78
McKee, Edwin Dinwiddie, 1906-
1929-1932
Box 1, Folder 79
Meany, Edmond Stephen, 1862-1935
1915
Box 1, Folder 80
Merriam, John Campbell, 1869-1949
1927-1931
Box 1, Folder 81
Miller, George J., 1880-
1933
Box 1, Folder 82
Morrow, William W., 1843-1929
1920
Box 1, Folder 84
National Parks Association
1942-1945
Box 1, Folder 86
Oakland Title Insurance and Guaranty Company
1947
Box 1, Folder 88
Reid, Harry Fielding, 1859-1944
1912
Box 1, Folder 89
Russell, Richard Joel
1939
Box 1, Folder 90
Schaefer, Vincent J., General Electric Research Laboratory
1948
Box 1, Folder 91
Seligman, Gerald, 1886-
1945-1948
Box 1, Folder 92
Sharp, Robert Phillip, 1911-
1944,
1946
Box 1, Folder 93
Shepard, Francis Parker, 1897-
1933
Box 2, Folder 1
Smith, Guy Harold, 1895 -
1934
Box 2, Folder 2
Smith, Waldo Edward, 1900-
1948
Box 2, Folder 3
Société Géologique de France
1929
Box 2, Folder 4
Sproul, Robert Gordon, 1891-
1947
Box 2, Folder 5
Tunnell, George Gerard, 1900-
1919
Box 2, Folder 6
Twenhofel, William Henry, 1875-1957
1933
Box 2, Folder 7
University of California Press
1947
Box 2, Folder 8
U. S. Dept. of the Interior
1903-1948,
n.d.
Box 2, Folder 9
U. S. Geological Survey
1896-1948
Box 2, Folder 10
U. S. National Park Service
1927-1947
Box 2, Folder 11
U.S. Secretary of State
1940
Box 2, Folder 13
Vishner, Stephen Sargent, 1887-
1933
Box 2, Folder 14
Ward, Robert De Courly, 1867-1931
1915
Box 2, Folder 15
Washburn, Albert Lincoln, 1911-
1946
Box 2, Folder 16
Washington Academy of Sciences
1933
Box 2, Folder 17
White, William A.
1945-1946
Box 2, Folder 20
Willis, Bailey, 1857-1949
1938
Box 2, Folder 21
Miscellaneous, A-Z
1900-1948,
n.d.
Box 2, Folder 23-27
Outgoing letters
1896-1948
1.2
Edith Lovell (Coyle) Matthes
1927-1963
Physical Description:
Box 2, folders 28-34; Boxes 3-5
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically and chronologically
Scope and Content Note
Includes condolence letters related to her husband's death and correspondence with Professor Fritiof M. Fryxell
Box 2, Folder 28
Adams, Ansel Easton, 1902-
1950
Box 2, Folder 29
Augustana College
1949-1954
Box 2, Folder 31
Albright, Horace Marden, 1890-
1948
Box 2, Folder 32
Alexander, Lenore (Mrs. Knox Alexander)
1947
Box 2, Folder 33
American Alpine Club
1948
Box 2, Folder 34
American Geophysical Union
1948-1950
Box 3, Folder 1
Bader, Henri, 1907-
1948-1949
Box 3, Folder 2
Baird, Patrick Douglas, 1912-
1949
Box 3, Folder 3
Beij, Karl Hilding, 1893-
1948
Box 3, Folder 4
Belmont, Arthur D.
1949-1950
Box 3, Folder 5
Bergendoff, Conrad John Immanuel, 1895-
1950,
1957
Box 3, Folder 6
Boy Scouts of America
1948
Box 3, Folder 7
Brower, David Ross, 1912-
1949-1960
Box 3, Folder 8
Bryant, Harold C.
1948-1952
Box 3, Folder 9
Calkins, Frank Cathcart, 1878-1975
1948-1956
Box 3, Folder 10
Church, James Edward, 1869-
1948-1957
Box 3, Folder 12
Coyle, Helen
1951,
1956,
n.d.
Box 3, Folder 13
Coyle, Randolph
1942,
1948
Box 3, Folder 14
Coyle, William Radford, 1878- and Jane
1947-1950,
n.d.
Box 3, Folder 15
Degnan, Laurence V.
1955,
1957
Box 3, Folder 16
Dyson, James Lindsay, 1912-
1948,
1957
Box 3, Folder 18
Farquhar, Francis Peloubet, 1897-1974
1927-1949
Box 3, Folder 19
F. E. Forbes Company, Berkeley
1951
Box 3, Folder 20
Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company
1942
Box 3, Folder 21
Fidelity Guaranty Building and Loan Association, Berkeley
1947-1948
Box 3, Folder 22
Field, William Bradhurst Osgood, 1904-
1948-1956
Box 3, Folder 23
Finnegan, Janey
1948,
n.d.
Box 3, Folder 25
Fisher, Joel E.
1948,
1963
Box 3, Folder 26
Flint, Richard Foster, 1902-
1948-1956
Box 3, Folder 27
Florence (niece)
1949,
1954
Box 3, Folder 28-31
Fryxell, Fritiof Melvyn, 1900-
1948-1961
Box 3, Folder 32
Fryxell, Regina (Holmen)
1951-1956
Box 3, Folder 33
Fryxell, Roald Hilding
1953,
1959
Box 3, Folder 34
Geological Society of America
1951,
1956
Box 3, Folder 35
Gilbert, Leila (Mrs. Walter M. Gilbert)
1951,
1957
Box 3, Folder 36
Goethe, Charles Matthias
1948,
1956,
n.d.
Box 3, Folder 37
Heald, Weldon F., 1901-1967
1948-1949
Box 3, Folder 39
James T. White & Company, Publishers, New York
1948
Box 3, Folder 40
Knox, William Franklin, 1874-1944
1942
Box 4, Folder 1
Leary, Josephine
1948,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 2
Leonard, Richard Manning, 1908-
1948-1961
Box 4, Folder 3
MacKaye, Benton, 1879-
1948
Box 4, Folder 4
Martin, Edward, 1879-
1954
Box 4, Folder 5
Mason-McDuffie Co., Berkeley
1950
Box 4, Folder 6
Matthes, François Emile
1943,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 7
Matthes, Gerard Hendrik
1952-1957
Box 4, Folder 8
Matthes, Mary Mae (Bewick)
1948-1960,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 9
Mauk, Charlotte E.
1959-1960
Box 4, Folder 11
McHenry, Bona May
1955-1956
Box 4, Folder 12
McHenry, Donald Edward
1948-1957
Box 4, Folder 13
McKee, Edwin Dinwiddie, 1906-
1948-1956
Box 4, Folder 15
Meinzer, Oscar Edward, 1876-1948
1948
Box 4, Folder 16
Morris, Faith
1954,
1959,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 18
National Cyclopedia of American Biography
1948
Box 4, Folder 19
Navy Department
1942-1945
Box 4, Folder 20
North, Alfred and Mary
1948-1956,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 22
Patten, Juliet C.
1948-1956,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 24
Radford, Robin and Rebecca
1948,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 25
Ray, Louis Lamy, 1909-
1948-1949
Box 4, Folder 26
Russell, Carl Parcher, 1894
1948-1951
Box 4, Folder 27
Schaefer, Vincent J., General Electric Research Laboratory
1948,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 29
Seligman, Gerard, 1886-
1948-1949
Box 4, Folder 30
Sharp, Robert Phillip, 1911-
1948-1956,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 31
Sierra Club, San Francisco
1948-1954
Box 4, Folder 33
Sproul, Robert Gordon, 1891-
1956,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 35
Torbert, Alice
1931-1961,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 36
Torbert, Anne
1948-1953,
n.d.
Box 4, Folder 38
Tressider, Mary Curry
1956
Box 4, Folder 39
University of California Press
1949-1959
Box 5, Folder 1
U.S. Geological Survey
1948-1960,
n.d.
Box 5, Folder 2
U.S. National Park Service
1948-1951
Box 5, Folder 3
U.S.S. Radford (DD446), Lieutenant Commander, U.S.N. W.K. Romaser
1942
Box 5, Folder 5
Visher, Stephen Sargeant, 1887-
1957,
n.d.
Box 5, Folder 6
White, John Roberts, 1879-
1956-1957
Box 5, Folder 7
Ziemen, Rebekah
1948-1949
Box 5, Folder 8
Miscellaneous A-Z
1932-1960,
n.d.
Box 5, Folder 12-16
Outgoing letters
1930-1959
Series 2
Biographical Materials
1874-1963
Physical Description:
Carton 1, folders 1-19; Oversize folders 1 and 2
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically
Scope and Content Note
Contains biographical and personal documents of François Matthes and Edith Lovell (Coyle) Matthes. Biographical documents
about F. E. Matthes include genealogy records, academic records, artwork, newspaper clippings, and employment records from
the U. S. Geological Survey. Biographical records about Edith L. Matthes include a diary from a trip to Russia in 1905-1906
as well as information about members of her family.
Carton 1, Folder 1
Academic records
1889-1947
Carton 1, Folder 4-5
Biographies
1909-1955,
n.d.
Oversize Drawer A, Folder 2
Drawings, graduation certificate
1885,
n.d.
Carton 1, Folder 7
Handwriting analysis
1937
Carton 1, Folder 8
Journal articles collected by F. E. and E. L. Matthes
1916-1955,
n.d.
Carton 1, Folder 9
Legal documents
1874-1950
Carton 1, Folder 10
Mailing lists
1949-1950,
n.d.
Carton 1, Folder 11
Matthes, Edith Lovell (Coyle) materials
1905-1963
Carton 1, Folder 13
Memorial- F. E. Matthes
1948-1957
Carton 1, Folder 14
Newspaper clippings- Boy Scouts of America
1920-1932
Carton 1, Folder 15
Newspaper clippings- geologist
1919-1950
Carton 1, Folder 16
Newspaper clippings- Coyle family
1905-1960
Carton 1, Folder 17
Professional career of F. E. Matthes
1897-1947
Carton 1, Folder 18
Programs for presentations by F. E. Matthes
1923-1928,
n.d.
Carton 1, Folder 19
Quotations collected by F. E. Matthes
1933,
n.d.
Oversize Drawer A, Folder 1
Topographic examples, good and bad
n.d.
Series 3
Writings
1893-1965
Physical Description:
Carton 1, folders 20-42; Carton 2; Carton 3, folders 1-41; Boxes 6-9; Oversize folder 2
Arrangement
Divided into three subseries: Published Writings; Other Writings; and Field Books
Scope and Content Note
Contains articles, transcripts, and books and their drafts about geology as well as Matthes' field books
3.1
Published Writings
1900-1965
Physical Description:
Carton 1, folders 20-42; Carton 2, folders 1-45
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically
Scope and Content Note
Contains articles, transcripts, and books, and their drafts about geology, with a few writings for the Boy Scouts of America.
Notable published writings by Matthes include
The Incomparable Valley (1950) and
François Matthes and the Marks of Time (1962) both published posthumously through the effort of Matthes' colleague Fritiof M. Fryxell and his wife Edith. In a few
instances Matthes' articles appear on the verso side of published maps. These served as commentaries and provided the public
with more in-depth information about the area represented on the maps.
Carton 1, Folder 22
"Abstract of Informal Communication," Geological Society of Washington
1925 November
Carton 1, Folder 23
"Air Currents in Mountain Valleys,"
Science
1910 April 15
Carton 1, Folder 24
"Alps of Montana,"
Appalachia
1904 April
Carton 1, Folder 25
"Avalanche Sculpture in the Sierra Nevada of California,"
Union Internationale de Géodésie et de Géophysique
1938
Carton 1, Folder 26
"Boundary Between the Pleistocene and the Recent In the Sierra Nevada of California"
1926
Carton 1, Folder 27
"Breaking a Trail Through Bright Angel Canyon"
Nature Notes of Grand Canyon
1927 November 26
Carton 1, Folder 28
"Breaking a Trail Through Bright Angel Canyon"
Natural History, bulletin no. 2
1935
Carton 1, Folder 29
"Cliff Sculpture of the Yosemite Valley,"
Science
1910 August 5
Carton 1, Folder 30
"Cliffs of the Yosemite Valley," Association of American Geographers, abstract
1908
Carton 1, Folder 31
"Correlation of Glacial Epochs In [The] Western United States," Geological Society of America
1929 December
Carton 1, Folder 32
"Débris Tracks on the Domes of the Yosemite Region,"
Science
1909 July 9
Carton 1, Folder 33
"Devil's Postpile and its Strange Setting,"
Sierra Club Bulletin
1930 February
Carton 1, Folder 34
"Evidence of Recurrent Glaciation in the Sierra Nevada of California,"
Science
1925 May 22
Carton 1, Folder 35
"Evidence of Three Glaciations in Yosemite Valley,"
Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences
1028 May 4
Carton 1, Folder 36
"Evolution Basin," Association of American Geographers,
Annals, abstract
1925 March
Carton 1, Folder 37
"Founding of the British Glaciological Society and the Journal of Glaciology,"
Geographical Review
1947 January
Carton 1, Folder 38-40
François Matthes and the Marks of Time
1961-1962
Carton 1, Folder 41
"Geologic History of Mount Whitney,"
Sierra Club Bulletin
1937
Carton 1, Folder 42
Geologic History of the Yosemite Valley, Professional Paper 160, U. S. Geological Survey
1930
Carton 2, Folder 1
"Glacial Anticyclone Theory Examined in Light of Recent Meteorological Data from Greenland, Part 1,"
Transactions
1946
Carton 2, Folder 2
"Glacial Anticyclone Theory Examined in Light of Recent Meteorological Data from Greenland, Part 2,"
Transactions
1950
Carton 2, Folder 3
Glacial Reconnaissance of Sequoia, National Park, California, Professional Paper 504-A, U. S. Geological Survey
1965
Carton 2, Folder 4
Glacial Sculpture of the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming, U. S. Geological Survey
1900
Carton 2, Folder 5
"Grand Canyon of the Colorado River," U. S. Geological Survey
1928
Carton 2, Folder 6
"Half Dome of the Yosemite Valley,"
Science
1910 April
Carton 2, Folder 7
"Hanging Side Valleys of the Yosemite and San Joaquin Canyon,"
Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, abstract
1924
Carton 2, Folder 8
"History of Faulting Movements at the Easy Front of the Sierra Nevada as Indicated by Delocated Moraines,"
Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, abstract
1939 December
Carton 2, Folder 9-10
Incomparable Valley- draft
1950
Carton 2, Folder 11
"Interlude of Aggradation of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado," Association of American Geographers, abstract
1932 March
Carton 2, Folder 12
"Is the Delineation of the Land Forms Capable of Being Rationalized," Association of American Geographers, Ninth Annual Meeting,
abstract
1912 December
Carton 2, Folder 13
"Last Yosemite Highway Robbery,"
Yosemite Nature Notes
1947 December
Carton 2, Folder 14
"Macroturbulence in Natural Streamflow," discussion by F. E. Matthes,
Transactions
1947
Carton 2, Folder 15
"Map of Grand Canyon National Park,"
Military Engineer
1926 May-June
Carton 2, Folder 16
"Map of the Yosemite Valley: An Analysis"
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 17
"Map Reading and Map Making,"
Boy Scouts of America Handbook for Boys
1927
Carton 2, Folder 18
"Memorandum for the Secretary's Report," Geologic Society of America
1929 December
Carton 2, Folder 19
"Memorial to Max Harrison Demorest,"
Transactions
1943
Carton 2, Folder 20
Mount Rainier and Its Glaciers, United States Government Printing Office
1922,
1928
Carton 2, Folder 21
Mount Rainier National Park, U. S. Geological Survey
1934
Carton 2, Folder 22
"Multiple Glaciation in the Sierra Nevada,"
Science
1929 July
Carton 2, Folder 23
"Multiple Glaciation in the Sierra Nevada,"
Yosemite Nature Notes
1930 January
Carton 2, Folder 24-25
"New International Commission of Snow and Glaciers"
1940
Carton 2, Folder 26
"Our Boy Scout Guests, Far Western Travelers' Annual"
1921
Carton 2, Folder 27
"Pleistocene Diversion of the Mississippi River Across Crowley's Ridge, Southeastern Missouri," National Academy of Science
Annual Meeting, abstract
1933
Carton 2, Folder 28
Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences
1930 December
Carton 2, Folder 29
"Post-Pleistocene Moraines of the Sierra Nevada," Association of American Geographers
1917
Carton 2, Folder 30
"Production of Steps in Canyons by Selective Glacial Quarrying,"
Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, abstract
1924
Carton 2, Folder 31-33
Reconnaissance of the Geomorphology and Glacial Geology of the San Joaquin Basin, Sierra Nevada California, Professional Paper 329, U. S. Geological Survey
1959-1960
Carton 2, Folder 34
Relation of Geology to Topography
1908
Carton 2, Folder 35
"Relief Shading of Topographical Maps,"
Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, abstract
1919 May
Carton 2, Folder 36
Sketch of Yosemite National Park and an Account Of the Origin of the Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy Valleys, United States Government Printing Office
1912,
1920
Carton 2, Folder 37
"Some Examples of the Cellular Structure of Ice,"
Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, abstract
1927 March
Carton 2, Folder 38-39
"Story of Yosemite Valley"
1922,
1929
Carton 2, Folder 40
"Story of the Yosemite Valley," American Museum of Natural History Guide Leaflet No. 60
1924 July
Carton 2, Folder 41
"Studying the Yosemite Problem,"
Sierra Club Bulletin
1914
Carton 2, Folder 42
"Surface Ablation and Movement of the Ice on Eliot Glacier,"
Mazama
1943
Carton 2, Folder 43
"Topology, Topography and Topometry,"
Bulletin of the American Geographical Society
1912 May
Carton 2, Folder 44
"Undescribed Glaciers of Mount Rainier,"
Washington Academy of Science Journal
1912
Carton 2, Folder 45
"Wind-faceted Pebbles from the Glacial Drift of Nantucket,"
Journal of Washington Academy of Sciences
1934
3.2
Other Writings
1893-1946
Physical Description:
Carton 2, folders 46-87; Carton 3; Oversize folder 2
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically
Scope and Content Note
Includes non-published drafts and notes. For most of the published and non-published writings, there is either a reprint
or typescript of the entire work. When only an abstract exists for a writing there is a note stating, "abstract only" at
the end of the folder title. Among the Other Writings is "Little Studies in the Yosemite Valley," a collection of small articles
devoted to specific topics regarding Yosemite. Although Matthes wrote five articles for "Little Studies in the Yosemite
Valley," the first article is missing from this collection.
Carton 2, Folder 46
Across the Grand Canyon of the Colorado by a New Trail
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 47
Bright Angel and Vishnu Quadrangles, Arizona
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 48
Bright Angel Canyon an Episode from the Survey of the Colorado River
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 50
Charts of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey and Their Use in Sea Scouting
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 51
Cliff Recession at the Falls of the Yosemite Valley
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 53
Criticism of L. F. Noble's "Description of Bright Angel Quadrangle"
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 54
Devil's Postpile National Monument
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 55
Evaporation of Snow on Our Western Mountain Ranges, abstract
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 56
Evidences of Multiple Glaciation in the Yosemite Region
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 57
Evolution of the Stepped Canyon Profile of Glaciation, abstract
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 58
Exfoliation of Massive Granite
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 59
Exfoliation of Massive Granite in the Sierra Nevada of California
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 60
Exploration of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 61
Glacial Character of the Yosemite Valley, abstract
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 62
Glacial Erosion in the Northern Rockies, abstract
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 63
Glaciers of Mount Rainier
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 65
Hanging Valleys of the Yosemite Region and Their Significance
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 68
How Old are Our Glaciers?
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 69
How Old are the Glaciers in Our Western Mountains?
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 70
How to Climb Mount Rainier
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 71
Influence of Secondary Faults on the Development of The Grand Canyon Topography, abstract
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 72
Interpretation of Scenery About Merced Lodge
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 73
Interpretation of the Scenery About Tenaya Lodge
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 75
Kings River Canyon and Yosemite Valley, abstract
n.d.
Oversize Drawer A, Folder 2
Carton 2, Folder 76
Lessons of the Little Yosemite Valley
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 77
Little "Lost Valley" on Shepherd's Crest
n.d.
Carton 2
Little Studies in the Yosemite Valley
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 78
II. The Striped Rock Floor of the Little Yosemite Valley
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 79
III. The Winds of the Yosemite Valley
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 80
IV. The El Capitan Moraine and Ancient Lake Yosemite
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 81
V. The Study of Moraine Dome
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 82
Lodgepole Camp and Tokopah Valley as a Geologist Sees Them
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 84
Mapping of Topographic Features
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 85
Mapping the Bighorn Range
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 86
Mapping the Grand Canyon
n.d.
Carton 2, Folder 87
Maps and drawings
1896-1929
Carton 3, Folder 1
Maps and drawings
1930-1946,
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 3
Mapwork of the Rocky Mountains
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 4
Memorandum on Geologic Projects in National Parks
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 5
Memorandum on Mirror Lake
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 6
Memorandum on the Yosemite Problem
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 8
Modern Topographer and His Art
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 11
New Map of Yosemite Valley
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 13
Grand Canyon
1909-1935,
nd.
Carton 3, Folder 18
Origins of Sculptural Forms
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 19
Origin of the Yosemite Valley
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 20
Origin of the Yosemite Valley as a Stream Cup Canyon
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 21
Our Greatest Mountain Range
1933
Carton 3, Folder 22
Physiography of the United States
ca. 1895
Carton 3, Folder 23
Physiological Principles of Topographical Delineation
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 24
Principles of Topographical Delineation, abstract
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 25
Reflections of a Scoutmaster
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 27
San Francisco Earthquake
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 28
Secondary Fracture Systems of the Grand Canyon Region
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 30
Sierra Nevada: A Barrier and a Boon, speech for the Colonial Dames
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 31
Synopsis of Geologic Studies by F.E. Matthes in Yosemite Region
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 32
Synopsis of Report on Yosemite Valley
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 33
Synopsis of the Physiographic History of the Yosemite Region
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 34
Tertiary-Quadernary Orogenic History of the Sierra Nevada in Light of the Recent Studies in the Yosemite Region
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 35
Three Stages of Glaciation in the Yosemite Region
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 36
Topographer's ABC of Landforms, abstract
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 37
Trip Through the White Mountains
1893
Carton 3, Folder 38
Tuolumne Lodge and Vicinity
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 40
Yosemite Special Map, Press Bulletin
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 41
Untitled, incomplete drafts
n.d.
3.3
Field Books
1897-1948
Physical Description:
Boxes 6-9
Arrangement
Arranged chronologically
Scope and Content Note
Contains M. E. Matthes' research notes while working in the field for the U. S.
Geological Survey, also included is a separate volume of field notes for the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906
Box 6, Folder 1
Earthquake Investigations (San Francisco)
1906
Series 4
Organizations
1924-1949
Physical Description:
Carton 3, folders 42-48
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically
Scope and Content Note
Contains reports, minutes, memoranda, bulletins, newspaper articles, newsletters, membership lists, pamphlets, and invitations
from geological and other organizations that F. E. Matthes belonged to, including the American Geophysical Union, the Association
of American Geographers, and the Boy Scouts of America
Carton 3, Folder 42
American Association for the Advancement of Science
1924
Carton 3, Folder 43
American Geophysical Union
1932-1949
Carton 3, Folder 44
Association of American Geographers
1939-1944,
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 45
Belgian League of Honor
1936-1937
Carton 3, Folder 46
Boy Scouts of America
1917-1932,
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 47
British Glaciological Society
1946-1947,
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 48
International Association of Scientific Hydrology
ca. 1947
Series 5
Subject Files
1898-1960
Physical Description:
Carton 3, folders 49-57
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically
Scope and Content Note
Contains pamphlets, press releases, memoranda, correspondence, a book, and memorial booklets. This series is primarily about
family members of F. E. and Edith Lovell (Coyle) Matthes including Edith's aunt, Sophie Radford de Meissner, and Gerard H.
Matthes, François' twin brother. It also contains the writings of F. M. Fryxell and materials from Augustana College and
the Colonial Dames of America
Carton 3, Folder 49
Augustana College
1950-1955
Carton 3, Folder 50
Colonial Dames of America
1950
Carton 3, Folder 51
De Meissner, Sophie Radford
1898-1939,
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 52
Department of the Interior releases and memos
1929-1951
Carton 3, Folder 53
Desert View Drive in Grand Canyon National Park pamphlet
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 54
Fryxell, Fritiof M., writings
1950,
n.d.
Carton 3, Folder 55
"General Stephen W. Kearny and the Conquest of California (1846-1847)"
1911
Carton 3, Folder 56
Glacier Park Outing pamphlet
1932
Carton 3, Folder 57
Matthes, Gerard H.
1960,
n.d.
