Edward O. Wilson Papers A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 2018 Revised 2018 March Contact information: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact Additional search options available at: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms017016 LC Online Catalog record: http://lccn.loc.gov/mm90078062 Prepared by Margaret McAleer, Alexandra Smith, Tracey Barton, Maria Farmer, and Rosa Hernandez Collection Summary Title: Edward O. Wilson Papers Span Dates: 1931-2015 Bulk Dates: (bulk 1950-2007) ID No.: MSS78062 Creator: Wilson, Edward O., 1929- Extent: 95,000 items ; 284 containers plus 4 oversize ; 120 linear feet ; 975 digital files (140,000 MB) Language: Collection material in English Location: Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Summary: Biologist, educator, and author. Correspondence, drafts of writings, speeches, field notes, reports, memoranda, minutes, conference papers, grant applications, lists, teaching files, awards and honors, book reviews, press clippings, photographs, family papers, school records, military applications, printed matter, digital files, and audiovisual recordings chronicling most aspects of Wilson’s professional life, including his seminal research and writings on ants, sociobiological investigations into the evolutionary and genetic basis of social behavior, and environmental advocacy. Selected Search Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein. People Berry, Wendell, 1934- --Correspondence. Bossert, William H., 1937- --Correspondence. Brown, William L., Jr., 1922-1997--Correspondence. Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946- --Correspondence. Carpenter, F. M. (Frank Morton)--Correspondence. Carson, Rachel, 1907-1964--Correspondence. Chagnon, Napoleon A., 1938- --Correspondence. Chomsky, Noam--Correspondence. Clinton, Bill, 1946- --Correspondence. Cole, Arthur C., Jr. (Arthur Charles), 1908-1995. Arthur C. Cole, Jr., papers. Creighton, William Steel, 1902-1973. William Steel Creighton papers. Davis, Bernard D., 1916-1994--Correspondence. Diamond, Jared M.--Correspondence. Ehrlich, Paul R.--Correspondence. Eisner, Thomas, 1929-2011--Correspondence. Fox, Robin, 1934- --Correspondence. Gingrich, Newt--Correspondence. Gould, Stephen Jay--Correspondence. Heinrich, Bernd, 1940- --Correspondence. Hölldobler, Bert, 1936- --Correspondence. Janzen, Daniel H.--Correspondence. Kellert, Stephen R.--Correspondence. Leakey, L. S. B. (Louis Seymour Bazett), 1903-1972--Correspondence. Leakey, Mary D. (Mary Douglas), 1913-1996--Correspondence. Lewontin, Richard C., 1929- --Correspondence. Lovejoy, Thomas E.--Correspondence. Lumsden, Charles J., 1949- --Correspondence. MacArthur, Robert H.--Correspondence. May, Robert M. (Robert McCredie), 1936- --Correspondence. Mayr, Ernst, 1904-2005--Correspondence. Michener, Charles Duncan, 1918- --Correspondence. Nevo, Eviatar--Correspondence. Edward O. Wilson Papers 2 Oster, George F.--Correspondence. Pratt, Joe D., 1945-1992. Joe D. Pratt papers. Ruse, Michael--Correspondence. Sacks, Oliver, 1933-2015--Correspondence. Sagan, Carl, 1934-1996--Correspondence. Simberloff, Daniel--Correspondence. Trivers, Robert, 1943- --Correspondence. West-Eberhard, Mary Jane--Correspondence. Wilson, Edward O. Subjects Animal behavior. Ants. Biodiversity conservation. Biodiversity. Biology. Biotic communities. Cognition and culture. Conservation biology. Evolution (Biology) Genetic psychology. Human evolution. Insect societies. Insects--Ecology. Insects--Evolution. Insects. Myrmecology. Natural history. Nature and nurture. Nature conservation. Restoration ecology. Social evolution. Sociobiology. Titles E.O. Wilson papers Occupations Authors. Biologists. Educators. Administrative Information Provenance The papers of Edward O. Wilson, biologist, educator, and author, were given to the Library of Congress by Wilson between 1990 and 2015. Transfers Audio and video recordings have been transferred to the Motion Picture, Broadcast, and Recorded Sound Division where they are identified as part of the Edward O. Wilson Papers. Edward O. Wilson Papers 3 Copyright Status Copyright in the unpublished writings of Edward O. Wilson in these papers and in other collections in the custody of the Library of Congress is reserved. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division for further information. Access and Restrictions Restrictions apply governing the use, photoduplication, or publication of items in this collection. Consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division for information concerning these restrictions. In addition, many collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use. Digital Format Digital files were received as part of the papers of Edward O. Wilson Papers. Reference copies were created from the original digital media. Advanced notice is required for access to digital content; consult reference staff in the Manuscript Division for more information. Preferred Citation Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container number or digital ID number, Edward O. Wilson Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Biographical Note Date Event 1929, June 10 Born, Birmingham, Ala. 1949 B.S. in biology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1950 M.S. in biology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala. 1955 Ph.D. in biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Married Irene Kelley 1956-1976 Assistant professor of biology (1956-1958), associate professor of zoology (1958-1964), and professor of zoology (1964-1976), Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1967 Published with Robert H. MacArthur The Theory of Island Biogeography (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press) 1971 Published The Insect Societies (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press) 1973-1997 Curator in entomology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.; emeritus curator after 1997 1975 Published Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press) 1976-1994 Frank B. Baird, Jr., Professor of Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1976 Awarded National Medal of Science 1978 Published On Human Nature (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press) Published with George F. Oster Caste and Ecology in Social Insects (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press) Edward O. Wilson Papers 4 1979 Awarded Pulitzer Prize for On Human Nature 1981 Published with Charles Lumsden Genes, Mind, and Culture: The Coevolutionary Process (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press) 1990 Awarded Crafoord Prize, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Published with Bert Hölldobler The Ants (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press) 1991 Awarded Pulitzer Prize for The Ants 1992 Published The Diversity of Life (Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press) 1993 Awarded International Prize for Biology by the government of Japan 1994-1997 Pellegrino Professor, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.; emeritus after 1997 1994 Published autobiography The Naturalist (Washington, D.C.: Island Press) 1997 Retired from Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. 1998 Published Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge (New York, N.Y.: Knopf) Named Pellegrino University Research Professor, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Scope and Content Note The papers of Edward Osborne Wilson (1929- ) span the years 1931-2015, with the bulk of the material dating from 1950 to 2007. The collection documents Wilson’s work as a biologist, including his seminal research and writings on ants and sociobiological investigations into the evolutionary and genetic basis of social behavior in animals, including humans. Also chronicled is Wilson’s leadership on environmental issues and in promoting awareness of planetary losses of biodiversity. The collection covers most aspects of Wilson’s professional activities including his widespread correspondence within and outside the scientific community, prolific writing and publishing, fieldwork studying ants, defense of sociobiology, environmental advocacy, speaking engagements and awards, and teaching career at Harvard University. A small amount of material is included from his childhood and young adulthood. The collection is arranged in nine series: General Correspondence, Subject File, Speaking Engagements, Writings, Press and Reviews, Miscellany, Papers of Others, Digital Files, and Oversize. The General Correspondence series comprises more than half of the collection and documents most aspects of Wilson’s career. The series was compiled by Wilson’s staff and pulls together correspondence and related material dating from Wilson’s undergraduate studies in biology through 2015. Because of its breadth, the series inevitably overlaps with the contents of other series in the collection. Wilson’s work as a biologist and entomologist is documented through his correspondence with fellow biologists, as well as with scientists and scholars in other fields and disciplines including anthropology, mathematics, philosophy, psychology, and sociology. The correspondence features substantive updates on research and publishing projects, exchanges of data, discussions with coauthors, commentary on Wilson’s writings and theories, his comments on the work