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COLLECTION Identifier: HUG 4212

Papers of Henry Bryant Bigelow

Overview

Henry Bryant Bigelow (1879-1967) was an oceanographer and zoologist who served on the faculty of Harvard and at the Museum of Comparative Zoology for 62 years. His research focused on the interdependence of physics, chemistry, and biology in oceanography. The collection contains Bigelow’s personal and professional correspondence.

Dates

  • Creation: 1906 - 1964

Creator

Researcher Access

Open for research; some access restrictions may apply. Requires review by archivist.

Extent

9.95 cubic feet (31 boxes)

The Papers of Henry Bryant Bigelow contain personal and professional correspondence pertaining to Bigelow's research on plankton and fishes in the Gulf of Maine and work on the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Oceanography.

Biographical Note on Henry Bryant Bigelow

Henry Bryant Bigelow (October 3, 1879-December 11, 1967) graduated from Harvard, earning his AB in 1901, his AM in 1904, and his PhD in 1906. He served on the faculty at Harvard from 1905 until his death in 1967. He worked at the Museum of Comparative Zoology as curator of coelenterates and curator of oceanography and as professor of zoology, becoming the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology in 1944. Bigelow became influential in the field of oceanography for his emphasis on the “interdependence of the physics, chemistry, and biology of the sea” (Redfield, Henry Bryant Bigelow, 1976).

In 1901, Bigelow accompanied Professor Alexander Agassiz on a research expedition to the Maldive Islands, where he was responsible for the care of the medusae and siphonophores collected. Through this experience, he came to be known as an expert on coelenterates. He traveled with Agassiz on two more expeditions in 1904 and 1907.

From 1912 to 1924, Bigelow directed an oceanographic exploration of the Gulf of Maine jointly led by the Museum of Comparative Zoology and the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, resulting in the Gulf of Maine becoming one of the most thoroughly researched bodies of water in the world for its size.

In 1929, Bigelow wrote a report for Committee on Oceanography of the National Academy of Science. The report led to the foundation of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in 1930. Bigelow served as founding director of the WHOI from 1930-1939. After his retirement in 1939 he became a trustee and later was named Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in four series. The collection follows the arrangement of call numbers given to series upon receipt at the Harvard University Archives.

  1. Correspondence, general, 1906-1964 (HUG 4212.5)
  2. Correspondence, general, 1930s-1940s (HUG 4212.7)
  3. Correspondence, general, 1950s-1960s (HUG 4212.8)
  4. Correspondence, special subjects, 1913-1930 (HUG 4212.10)

Related Materials

Publications in the Harvard University Archives
  1. Bigelow, Henry Bryant, 1879-1967. Memories of a long and active life (HUG 4212.56).
  2. Redfield, Alfred Clarence, 1890-. Henry Bryant Bigelow, October 3, 1879-December 11, 1967 (HUG 4212.60).
In the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Data Library and Archives
  1. Henry Bryant Bigelow Papers, 1913-1962 (MC-20). http://archives.mblwhoilibrary.org:8081/repositories/2/resources/22
  2. WHOI Office of the Director records, (Henry Bryant Bigelow), 1930-1939 (AC-09.1). http://archives.mblwhoilibrary.org:8081/repositories/2/resources/147

Processing Information

The finding aid was created by Erin Clauss in May 2020. Information in this finding aid was assembled from legacy paper inventories and container management data. Titles are transcribed. The collection was not re-examined.

Title
Bigelow, Henry Bryant, 1879-1967. Papers of Henry Bryant Bigelow, 1906-1964 : an inventory
Description rules
dacs
Language of description
und
EAD ID
hua44020

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.

Contact:
Pusey Library
Harvard Yard
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2461