Norris (Kenneth S.) Papers

This Collection is held by UC Santa Cruz University Archives. The Description below was created by UCSC University Archives. Contact UCSC University Archives staff for more information and access permission.

Description: These papers document the career of Kenneth S. Norris, covering his research in marine mammal science and desert ecology, his professional activities, and his teaching career at UC Santa Cruz. The collection includes research grants, proposals, data notebooks, and recordings; lecture notes, speech outlines, syllabi, and other teaching materials; field notes from his many research trips; materials from the Natural History Field Quarter class he helped establish at UC Santa Cruz; documents regarding the UC Natural Reserve System; personal and professional correspondence; and publication drafts and unpublished writings. Major topics covered in these papers include the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Field Quarter class at UC Santa Cruz, sand dunes and other desert environment research, conservation of wildlife and the UC Natural Reserve System, echolocation and other dolphin behavior, his work with the Institute of Marine Sciences, and his work in solving the tuna-porpoise problem, which involved dolphins and porpoises being caught with tuna in commercial fishing nets. Forms of materials include correspondence, reports, notebooks, manuscripts, publications, clippings, scrapbooks, audiovisual recordings, speeches, awards, photographic prints, and slides.

Background: Kenneth S. Norris was a renowned naturalist, conservationist, and professor known for his ground-breaking research on dolphins and whales. He was a pioneer in the study of dolphin behavior, particularly in early research on echolocation, and his long career included research and teaching in desert geology, herpetology, and ichthyology, as well as marine mammal science, with positions at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCLA, the Marineland of the Pacific, the Oceanic Institute and Sea Life Park in Hawaii, and UC Santa Cruz. While working in Santa Cruz, Norris helped establish the Center for Coastal Marine Studies (now the Institute of Marine Sciences) and the Long Marine Laboratory, the University of California Natural Reserve System, the Natural History Field Quarter program, and was involved in the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. His many published works include Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises (1966), Dolphin Days (1991), and Mountain Time (2010).

Restrictions: Copyright for this collection resides with the Regents of the University of California. The publication or use of any work protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use for research or educational purposes requires written permission from the copyright owner. UCSC Special Collections and Archives can grant permission to publish materials to which it holds the copyright. For permission to reproduce or publish the material, or to order a reproduction, please visit guides.library.ucsc.edu/speccoll/reproduction-publication.

Availability: Collection is open for research. The use of certain media requires advance notice. Please contact Special Collections and Archives to request access to media.