Overview
Kenneth Vivian Thimann (1904-1997), British-American plant microbiologist, taught at Harvard University from 1935 to 1965 and was director of Harvard's Biological Laboratories from 1946 to 1950. The collection documents his teaching and research activities and contains correspondence, biographical materials, speeches, photographs, teaching materials, and research relating to Thimann's books and articles, including correspondence regarding Thimann's book, Life of Bacteria.
Dates
- Creation: 1929-1988 and [undated]
Creator
- Thimann, Kenneth Vivian, 1904-1997 (Person)
Researcher Access
The Papers of Kenneth V. Thimann are open for research with the following exceptions: Harvard University records are restricted for 50 years. Personnel and student records are closed for 80 years. Restrictions are noted at the series level. Requires further review by the archivist; please see reference staff for details.
Extent
8.4 cubic feet (23 document boxes, 2 half-document boxes, 1 folder)The Papers of Kenneth V. Thimann document his teaching and research activities. The collection contains correspondence relating to former students, colleagues at Harvard and elsewhere, academic journals, publishers, government agencies, corporations, foundations, professional organizations, conferences, grants, and research projects. It includes early correspondence from 1929 to 1937 regarding Thimann's time at the California Institute of Technology and his first year teaching at Harvard.
Thimann’s papers also include biographical materials relating to Thimann's affiliation with Harvard, his participation in a celebration at the University of Basel, and some speeches. Additionally, there are photographs, reprints and pamphlets, teaching materials, and research materials relating to Thimann's books and articles, including correspondence discussing his 1955 book, Life of Bacteria.
Biographical note on Kenneth V. Thimann
Kenneth Vivian Thimann (1904-1997), British-American plant microbiologist, taught at Harvard University from 1935 to 1965. He studied at Imperial College, London, receiving his B.Sc in biology in 1924 and his PhD in biochemistry in 1928. After a brief period teaching in London, and after studying microchemistry at the University of Graz, Austria, he accepted a position at the California Institute of Technology, where he taught from 1930 to 1935. He then joined the Biology department at Harvard University.
During World War II, Thimann worked on camouflage for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. From 1942 until late 1945, he also worked on antisubmarine warfare for the United States Navy. Following his time conducting research for the military, Thimann returned to Harvard as an associate professor; he became a full professor in 1948 and was named the Higgins Professor of Biology in 1962. He was also director of Harvard's Biological Laboratories from 1946 to 1950. In 1965, Thimann left Harvard to accept a position of provost of Crown College, one of the new residential schools at the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC). At UCSC, he was responsible for establishing the new school's science departments, and played a major role in creating the UCSC Arboretum and its botanical collections.
Thimann's primary area of study involved the isolation and purification of auxin, the universal growth hormone of plants. The practical applications gleaned from Thimann's research include the prevention of the premature falling of fruits (especially apples), the promotion of grafts, the concentration of auxin to act as a weed killer, and general research aiding in the fight against cancer. Thimann’s publications include many articles in professional journals and several books, including The Life of Bacteria. Thimann was a member of several professional organizations; he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1948 and served as president of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. He died in 1997.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in six series:
- Biographical materials, 1929-1988 (HUGFP 127.2)
- Correspondence and other papers, 1931-1953 (HUGFP 127.6)
- Correspondence, 1929-1988 (HUGFP 127.7)
- Correspondence and other papers relating to research and teaching , 1929-1988 (HUGFP 127.41)
- Photographs (HUGFP 127.41 p)
- Reprints, pamphlets, etc. (HUGB T452.72)
Acquisition
The collection was received in four accessions:
- Gift of Kenneth V. Thimann, received September 9, 1986; Accession 10864
- Gift of Kenneth V. Thimann, received November 12, 1987; Accession 11276
- Gift of Kenneth V. Thimann, received August 3, 1989; Accession 11781
- Gift of Kenneth V. Thimann, received August 7, 1989; Accession 11796
Inventory update
This document last updated 2022 April 22.
Processing Information
This finding aid was created by Olivia Mandica-Hart in March 2021. Information in this finding aid was assembled from legacy paper inventories and container management data. The collection was not re-examined by the archivist.
Creator
- Thimann, Kenneth Vivian, 1904-1997 (Person)
- Title
- Thimann, Kenneth Vivian, 1904-1997. Papers of Kenneth V. Thimann, 1929-1988 and [undated] : an inventory
- Status
- completed
- Author
- Harvard University Archives
- Date
- March 29, 2021
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hua22021
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository
Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.
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