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William B. Provine papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 14-17-4330

COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Collection consists mainly of research notes, including notes for Provine's books on American geneticist Sewall Wright and on population genetics, and plans for further publications. Also, a diary that Provine kept for a few months in 1963; letters to him from friends and colleagues, including Carl Sagan, Bert Theunissen, and John C. Sanford; an essay by philosopher of science Alex[ander] Rosenberg, "Evolution, Drift and Subjective Probability," with marginal notes and comments by Provine; and notes by evolutionary biologist A.J. Cain, including two drafts of a book review. Also included are ephemera: a program of the lectures to be given to the Biological Society of Cornell University, 1904-1905; a pamphlet issued by the publisher Heritage Club, advertising its edition of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle; and two anti-evolution pamphlets.

Dates

  • 1963-2008.

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection material in English

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

William B. Provine is an emeritus professor of the history of biology in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. He holds a B.S. in mathematics and an M.A. and Ph.D. in the history of science from the University of Chicago. He has published extensively on topics in the history of genetics and evolutionary biology, and has received numerous awards for his research.

Extent

1.5 cubic feet. (1.5 cubic feet.)

Abstract

Collection consists mainly of research notes, including notes for Provine's books on American geneticist Sewall Wright and on population genetics, and plans for further publications. Also, a diary that Provine kept for a few months in 1963; letters to him from friends and colleagues, including Carl Sagan, Bert Theunissen, and John C. Sanford; an essay by philosopher of science Alex[ander] Rosenberg, "Evolution, Drift and Subjective Probability," with marginal notes and comments by Provine; and notes by evolutionary biologist A.J. Cain, including two drafts of a book review. Also included are ephemera: a program of the lectures to be given to the Biological Society of Cornell University, 1904-1905; a pamphlet issued by the publisher Heritage Club, advertising its edition of the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle; and two anti-evolution pamphlets.

RELATED MATERIALS

Related books formerly owned by William B. Provine (in the William B. Provine Collection on Evolution and Genetics) are cataloged individually.

Physical Description

Bound manuscripts, letters, loose manuscripts, ephemera.

General

Contact Information:
Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections 2B Carl A. Kroch Library Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 (607) 255-3530 Fax: (607) 255-9524 rareref@cornell.edu http://rmc.library.cornell.edu
EAD encoding:
Margaret Nichols, July 2013
Date modified:
RMC Staff, July 2013
Status
Completed
Date
July 2013
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Repository

Contact:
2B Carl A. Kroch Library
Cornell University
Ithaca NY 14853
607-255-3530
607-255-9524 (Fax)