http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt229036tr No online items Guide to the Stephen Jay Gould Papers M1437 Jenny Johnson Department of Special Collections and University Archives August 2011 ; revised 2019 Green Library 557 Escondido Mall Stanford 94305-6064 [email protected] URL: http://library.stanford.edu/spc Guide to the Stephen Jay Gould M1437 1 Papers M1437 Language of Material: English Contributing Institution: Department of Special Collections and University Archives Title: Stephen Jay Gould papers creator: Gould, Stephen Jay source: Shearer, Rhonda Roland Identifier/Call Number: M1437 Physical Description: 575 Linear Feet(958 boxes) Physical Description: 1180 computer file(s)(52 megabytes) Date (inclusive): 1868-2004 Date (bulk): bulk Abstract: This collection documents the life of noted American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science, Stephen Jay Gould. The papers include correspondence, juvenilia, manuscripts, subject files, teaching files, photographs, audiovisual materials, and personal and biographical materials created and compiled by Gould. Both textual and born-digital materials are represented in the collection. Preferred Citation [identification of item], Stephen Jay Gould Papers, M1437. Dept. of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif. Publication Rights While Special Collections is the owner of the physical and digital items, permission to examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or assigns. Acquisition Information Gift of Rhonda Roland Shearer, 2004 (Accession 2004-148); 2005 (Accession 2005-248); 2007 (Accessions 2007-021, 2007-193, and 2007-240); 2008 (Accession 2008-099); 2009 (Accession 2009-144); 2010 (Accession 2010-018); 2011 (Accession 2011-017); 2012 (Accession 2012-152); 2016 (Accession 2016-043); 2018 (Accession 2018-057) Arrangement The papers are arranged in 24 series. The arrangement of the collection is as follows: Series 1. Correspondence Series 2. Juvenilia Series 3. Manuscripts Series 4. Subject Files Series 5. Audiovisual Materials Series 6. Born-Digital Materials Series 7. Columbia University Series 8. Harvard University Series 9. New York University Series 10. Organizations, committees, boards Series 11. Conferences, lectures, and symposia Series 12. Research Series 13. Baseball Series 14. Music Series 15. Photographs Series 16. Artifacts, ephemera, memorabilia Series 17. Awards Series 18. Clippings and scrapbooks Series 19. Biographical Series 20. Family Series 21. Works by others Guide to the Stephen Jay Gould M1437 2 Papers M1437 Series 22. Oversize (miscellaneous) Series 23. CVs, endorsements, reviews (restricted) Series 24. Addenda Access to Collection Open for research, except restricted materials in Series 8. Harvard University; Series 9. New York University; Series 10. Organizations, committees, boards; Series 20. Family; and Series 23. CVs, endorsements, reviews. These restricted files are closed for research until 2086. Audiovisual materials are not available in original format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy. Born-digital materials are in-process and currently unavailable. Series 24 is closed until processed. Separated Materials Gould's rare books and manuscripts have been individually cataloged as part of the Stanford University Libraries Special Collections' rare books and manuscripts collections. Processing Information This collection was processed by Jenny Johnson with assistance from Laura Williams & Beth Noyes. Audiovisual materials were processed in 2010 by Crystal Rengal. Scope and Contents This collection documents the life of noted American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science, Stephen Jay Gould. The papers include correspondence, juvenilia, manuscripts, subject files, teaching files, photographs, and personal and biographical materials created and compiled by Gould. The materials found in the born-digital series were processed separately by Peter Chan, Digital Archivist for Stanford University Libraries' Department of Special Collections. For detailed processing and access information, please see notes for "Series 6: Born-Digital Materials." Audiovisual materials include audio cassettes, videotapes, compact discs, and reels. Titles were transcribed directly from media by Crystal Rengal in 2010, and the listing was incorporated into the finding aid in 2011. Wherever Gould's original arrangement of materials was discernible, the order was retained. However, a significant portion of the materials were not well organized. Where possible, arrangement notes for the specific series will indicate which portions reflect Gould's arrangement system, and which were arranged by processing archivists. Biographical/Historical Note Stephen Jay Gould, notable American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science was born on September 10, 1941, in New York City, the son of Leonard and Eleanor (Rosenberg) Gould. His father Leonard was a court stenographer, and his mother Eleanor was an artist. When Gould was five years old, his father took him to the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Gould often recalled throughout his life how viewing the Tyrannosaurus rex during this childhood trip marked the beginning of his lifelong passion for paleontology. His interest in paleontology continued to develop throughout his childhood and teenage years, and was encouraged by his family and educators. In addition to steadfast support of their boy’s academic pursuits, the Goulds were doting parents who sought to expose their child to a wide range of culture and activities, as well as a sense of civic responsibility. Though Gould’s early childhood and teenage years were largely focused on his two prevailing passions, paleontology and the New York Yankees, he also sang in school and city choirs, and was a zealous advocate for civil rights and supporter of many progressive social issues of the day. Gould attended New York public schools, and attended Antioch College in Ohio, graduating in 1963 with a degree in Geology. During his undergraduate years he studied abroad at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. In 1965 he married Deborah Lee, an artist and fellow Antioch student. Together they would have two sons, Jesse and Ethan. In 1966, Gould accepted a position at Antioch College as Professor of Geology. Following his time at Antioch College, Gould attended Columbia University for his graduate work, under the guidance of mentor Norman Newell. For his doctoral thesis he investigated variation and evolution in an obscure Bermuda land snail. He earned his Ph.D. in paleontology from Columbia University in 1967. That same year he joined the faculty of Harvard University as Assistant Professor of Geology and Assistant Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology. In 1971 he was promoted to Associate Professor, and in 1973 he was promoted to Professor of Geology. In 1982 he was awarded the title of Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology, a position he retained until his death in 2002. From 1996 to 2002 Gould also served as Vincent Astor Visiting Research Professor of Biology at New York University. In 1972, along with Niles Eldredge, he developed the theory of punctuated equilibria. Theirs was a revision of Darwinian theory proposing that the creation of new species through evolutionary change occurs not at slow, constant rates over millions of years but rather in rapid bursts over periods as short as thousands of years, which are then followed by long periods of stability during which organisms undergo little further change. A prolific writer, Gould authored 300 consecutive essays for his monthly column This View of Life which appeared in Natural History, the journal of The American Museum of Natural History. He also authored over 20 best-selling books, and wrote Guide to the Stephen Jay Gould M1437 3 Papers M1437 nearly a thousand scientific papers. Many of Gould's Natural History essays were reprinted in collected volumes, such as Ever Since Darwin and The Panda's Thumb. Popular treatises included books such as The Mismeasure of Man, Wonderful Life, and Full House, and his landmark work The Structure of Evolutionary Theory. Gould was also a lifelong baseball fan, and often referenced the sport in his essays. Many of his baseball essays were anthologized in his posthumously published book Triumph and Tragedy in Mudville. In July 1982, Gould was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, a deadly form of abdominal cancer most commonly linked to asbestos exposure. After a difficult two-year recovery, Gould published a column for Discover magazine, titled "The Median Isn't the Message," which discusses his reaction to discovering that mesothelioma patients had a median lifespan of only eight months after diagnosis and the importance of statistical reasoning and the meaning of variation. Gould was among the first group awarded the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Prize Fellowship in 1981. In 1983, Gould was awarded fellowship into the American Association for the Advancement of Science, where he later served as president (1999–2001). He also served as president of the Paleontological Society (1985–1986) and the Society for the Study of Evolution (1990–1991). In 1989 Gould was elected into the body of the National Academy of Sciences.