Henry A. Gleason Papers (PP)
Archives, The LuEsther T. Mertz Library
The New York Botanical Garden
200th Street and Kazimiroff Boulevard
Bronx, New York 10458-5126
Phone: 718-817-8604
URL: http://library.nybg.org/
The New York Botanical Garden. All rights reserved. © 2005
This finding aid was produced in English.
Finding aid produced using NoteTab Pro
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Collectors: |
Gleason, Henry A. (Henry Allan), 1882-1975. |
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Title: |
Henry A. Gleason Papers (PP) |
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Dates: |
1835-1968 |
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Dates: |
bulk, 1914-1964 |
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Quantity: |
2.2 linear feet; 6 boxes |
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Call Phrase: |
Gleason (PP) |
Henry Allan Gleason (1882-1975) was associated with the New York Botanical Garden for 32 years from 1918-1950. During this
time he served as curator, head curator, assistant director and acting director of the New York Botanical Garden for 19 months
between 1936 and 1938. He was editor of the Garden Journal, Addisonia, and the Bulletin. In 1933 he began and co-edited Phytologia
with Henry Moldenke. He edited revised and expanded editions of North American Flora and Plants in the Vicinity of New York.
A taxonomist and ecologist, Dr. Gleason was responsible for the development of the South American collections at the New
York Botanical Garden. His specialty was the Melastomacea.
Gleason was born in Dalton City, IL on Jan. 2, 1882. He began his studies in botany at the age of 13 and published his first
contribution in "The American Naturalist" while still in high school. He received his BS and MA from the University of Illinois.
After a year as a fellow at the University of Ohio and a summer as the invertebrate zoologist on a survey of Isle Royale
sponsored by the University of Michigan, Gleason began his studies in taxonomy under Nathaniel Lord Britton at Columbia University,
graduating with a PhD. in 1906.
After teaching at the University of Illinois and the University of Michigan, Dr. Gleason studied tropical vegetation for one
year , travelling to the Philippines, Java and Ceylon.
In 1918 he delivered a lecture on his findings to the Torrey Botanical Club. Following that talk, Nathaniel Lord Britton
offered Gleason a permanent position at the New York Botanical Garden.
Dr. Gleason was responsible for over 235 contributions to the field of vascular botany. One of the first ecologists, he considered
his idea that the "combination of morphological and geographical evidence can be of greatest service in developing the phylogeny
and history of a group of plants" to be his primary theoretical contribution. He is identified with the individualistic
concept of plant association which has been a strong influence on both ecological and geographical studies of vegetation.
When the American Museum of Natural History sent the first expedition to explore Mt. Duida in Venezuela, the zoologist G.H.H.
Tate collected botanical material for Gleason which resulted in hundreds of species descriptions.
He married one of his students at the University of Michigan, the former Eleanor Theodolinda (Thea) Mattei in 1915. They
had three children, Henry Allan, Jr., a linguist at the University of Ontario, Anne and Andrew Mattei.
Gleason retired from the NYBG in December, 1950. During his retirement, Dr. Gleason wrote an autobiography, "The Short and
Simple Annals of Henry A. Gleason" and a volume of "Thumbnail Sketches of Botanists", a reference copy of which is shelved
in the Library. He died on April 12, 1975.
The Henry Allan Gleason Papers, 1835-1973, documents the life and career of Dr. Gleason before and after his association
with the New York Botanic Garden. The bulk of the material consists of manuscripts produced by Dr. Gleason during his retirement—a
three-volume autobiography, "The Short and Simple Annals of Henry A. Gleason"; reminiscences of his contacts with the leading
botanists of his age; and historical and scientific essays. Other materials are brochures and memorabilia related to his
research tour of the Far East in 1913-1914, his collection of herbarium labels and autographs, personal and professional correspondence,
photographs and realia. The collection is arranged into seven series.
Access restrictions
This collection is open for research with permission from Mertz
Library staff.
Copyright
Requests for permission to publish material from the collection should
be submitted in writing to the LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York
Botanical Garden.
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The following terms have been used to index the description of this
collection in the library's online public access catalog.
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Subjects |
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Botanists -- Anecdotes. |
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Botany -- United States -- History -- Sources. |
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Britton, Nathaniel Lord, 1859-1934 -- Biography. |
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Gleason, Henry A. (Henry Allan), 1882-1975. -- Archives. |
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New York Botanical Garden -- History -- Sources. |
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New York Botanical Garden Archives. |
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Plants -- Philippines. |
New York Botanical Garden
RG4--Henry A. Gleason Records
PP--Harold Moldenke Papers
Henry A. Gleason Papers (PP), Archives, The New York
Botanical Garden.
This collection was transferred to the New York Botanical Garden Archives.
Originally processed by Laura Zelasnic, Project Archivist, January 1999, with grant funding from The National Endowment for
the Humanities. (NEH-PA 23141-98). Converted to EAD in August 2006 by Kathleene Konkle under a grant from the National Endowment
for the Humanities (NEH-PA 50678-04).
Series 1. Biographical Material.
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Scope and Content:
This series contains material about Dr. Gleason’s natal and marital families, his
early school records, financial records, diaries, and the manuscript of a three volume autobiography written between 1961-1964.
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Folder |
Title |
Date |
1.1 |
Gleason Family Records |
1835/1912 |
1.2 |
Diplomas and Report Cards |
1893-1899 |
1.3 |
Notebooks and Diaries |
1898/1904/1919/1924 |
1.4 |
Financial Data |
1904-1913 |
1.5 |
Gleason Family Papers |
1923-1974 |
1.6 |
"The Short and Simple Annals" Vol. 1, pt. 1
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1961-1964 |
1.7 |
"The Short and Simple Annals" Vol. 1, pt. 2
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1961-1964 |
1.8 |
"The Short and Simple Annals" Vol. 2, pt. 1
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1961-1964 |
1.9 |
"The Short and Simple Annals" Vol. 2, pt. 2
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1961-1964 |
2.1 |
"The Short and Simple Annals" Vol. 3, pt. 1
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1961-1964 |
2.2 |
"The Short and Simple Annals" Vol. 3, pt. 2
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1961-1964 |
2.3 |
"The Short and Simple Annals", Transmission Correspondence
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1984 |
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Series 2. Correspondence.
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Scope and Content:
Letters from Dr. Gleason’ s family during his school years and professional contacts regarding publications and collections
make up the bulk of this series. There is one folder of correspondence addressed to Professor T.J. Burrill, which has autographed
letters from some of the most distinguished scientists of the era preceding Dr. Gleason’s. Another folder of material from
Thea Mattei tells the story of Gleason’s courtship and their eventual marriage. Dr. Gleason’s early contacts with the New
York Botanic Garden is also chronicled through correspondence with N.L. Britton, E.D. Merrill and L. M. Underwood.
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Folder |
Title |
Date |
2.4 |
Papers of Professor T. J. Burill |
1880-1907 |
2.5 |
Personal Correspondence |
1896-1905 |
2.6 |
Personal Correspondence |
1906-1919 |
2.7 |
Personal Correspondence, Thea Mattei |
1914-1916 |
2.8 |
Professional Correspondence |
1900-1905
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2.9 |
Professional Correspondence |
1906-1909
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2.10 |
Professional Correspondence |
1910-1919 |
2.11 |
Professional Correspondence, Britton, N. L. |
1905-1918 |
2.12 |
Professional Correspondence, Underwood, L.M. |
1906-1907 |
2.13 |
Professional Correspondence, Merrill, E. D. |
1915 |
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Series 3. Manuscripts and Publications.
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Scope and Content:
This series holds the whimsical aspects of Dr. Gleason’s career. One folder contains some lines of music and poetry composed
by him and a number of verse parodies of the popular songs of the day. Other material includes a full run of the mimeographed
community newsletter, "The Biolog", published at the summer station of the University of Michigan, during Gleason’s tenure.
The original and a reference copy of the book, "Thumbnail Sketches of Botanists", invaluable for biographers of its subjects,
is included in this series. A bound copy is in the library collection. Also in this series is a collection of essays on
scientific and non-scientific topics, a long biographical essay on Nathaniel Lord Britton and an unidentified bibliography
which touches on a variety of plant families and includes references dated before 1925.
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Folder |
Title |
Date |
3.1 |
Music, Poetry and Songs |
1904 |
3.2 |
Botanical Parable |
n.d. |
3.3 |
Speeches |
n.d. |
3.4 |
"The Biolog" |
1920-1923 |
3.5 |
"The Biolog" (reference copy) |
1920-1923 |
3.6 |
Bibliography |
ca. 1925 |
3.7 |
Bibliography |
ca. 1925 |
3.8 |
"The Scientific Work of Nathaniel Lord Britton" |
ca. 1950 |
3.9 |
"The Scientific Work of Nathaniel Lord Britton" (annotated) |
ca. 1950 |
3.10 |
"Things I Never Published" |
1962 |
3.11 |
"Things I Never Published" |
1962 |
4.1 |
"Thumbnail Sketches of Botanists", Bound
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ca. 1962 |
4.2 |
"Thumbnail Sketches of Botanists", reference copy
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ca. 1962 |
4.3 |
"Thumbnail Sketches of Botanists", Transmission Letter |
1962 |
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Series 4. Travel Memorabilia.
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Scope and Content:
This series contains ephemera from Dr. Gleason’s research trip to the Far East. He traveled on the steamships "SS. Manchuria
and Nordeutscher Lloyd", stopping in Italy and Switzerland, the Philippines, Singapore, Ceylon, Java and Japan. The series
contains brochures and maps from each location. A packet of cartes de visite is contained in the steamship folder. One folder
contains his field notes and specimens collected during the trip.
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Folder |
Title |
Date |
4.4 |
Steamships |
1913-1914 |
4.5 |
Italy and Switzerland
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1913-1914 |
4.6 |
Philippines and Singapore
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1913-1914 |
4.7 |
Ceylon |
1913-1914 |
4.8 |
Japan |
1913-1914 |
4.9 |
Java |
1913-1914 |
4.10 |
Field Notes and Specimens
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1913-1914 |
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Series 5. Label and Signature Collection.
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Scope and Content:
Dr. Gleason’s collection of herbarium and collectors’ labels was gathered over a lifetime and donated to the NYBG in 1968.
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Folder |
Title |
Date |
5.1 |
Label and Signature Collection, part 1
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n.d. |
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Series 6. Photographs.
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Scope and Content:
Included in this series are portrait photographs and snapshots of Dr. Gleason, his family and their various living quarters.
One folder contains snapshots of Dr. Gleason’s 91st birthday party in 1973. Other photographs are reproductions of award
certificates with which he was honored. All negatives are housed in one folder.
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Folder |
Title |
Date |
5.4 |
Portraits |
ca. 1895-1973 |
5.5 |
Family |
ca. 1895-1973 |
5.6 |
91st Birthday
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ca. 1895-1973 |
5.7 |
10 Geddis Heights, Ann Arbor
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ca. 1895-1973 |
5.8 |
Awards |
ca. 1895-1973 |
5.9 |
Travel |
ca. 1895-1973 |
5.10 |
Negatives |
ca. 1895-1973 |
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Series 7. Realia.
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Scope and Content:
This series contains three-dimensional objects, separated from other series for more secure storage.
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Box |
Title |
Date |
6 |
Turtle Shell
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n.d. |
6 |
Baby Bracelet
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n.d. |
6 |
3 Ivory spoons
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n.d. |
6 |
Protractor
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n.d. |
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