Arthur Sperry Pearse papers, 1904-1960

Source Collection

This digital collection comprises selected materials from the following archival collection at Duke University Archives:

Arthur Sperry Pearse papers 1904-1960

Collection #UA.29.02.0012 | 11 Linear Feet (17 boxes)

ABSTRACT
Arthur Sperry Pearse (pronounced like "purse") was Professor of Zoology at Duke University from 1927 until his retirement in 1948; he played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Marine Biology Laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina, and served as the lab's first director from 1938 until 1945. Collection comprises professional papers and photographs documenting A. S. Pearse's career as a zoologist. Formats include correspondence, writings and lectures, lab notes and data, fieldwork notes, teaching materials, clippings and printed materials, and over 2000 photographs, glass slides, and negatives. The images document Pearse's research travels, particularly in Nigeria and the Yucatán, but also in Alabama, Florida, coastal North Carolina, Japan, China, Burma, the Phillippines, Colombia, and Venezuela, chiefly during the period 1915-1935. Images are of local flora, fauna, landscapes, villages, dwellings, local crafts and industries, indigenous peoples, and other scientists.There are also early photographs of the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C. Also found are many publication illustrations such as maps and charts. Prominent subjects throughout the collection include the establishment of and research projects at the Duke Marine Lab; the promotion of forestry as a scientific discipline at Duke; Pearse's role as editor of the publication Ecological Monographs; and his research interests in marine biology, ecology, crustaceans, parasitology, microbiology, biological adaptation, and forestry.

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