White Mountain Historical Archive Collection

This collection, assembled and indexed by Daniel Pritchett, consists of historical materials for the White Mountain Research Center (formerly White Mountain Research Station). White Mountain differs from the other UC reserves in that it long existed as an independent research unit in the University of California. White Mountain staff collected and curated their own historical records for many years, producing an outstanding record of the site’s scientific, institutional, and environmental histories. To learn more about these records, visit the White Mountain Research Center website. Here, we provide only a basic introduction.

This collection includes three series:

The first series covers Administrative and Research Documents, dating from 1950-98. It includes: (1) administrative records collected during Nello Pace's tenure as station director, from 1951-80, covering such topics as infrastructure, research administration, and correspondence, especially with Duane Bloom and Thomas LaDoux, (2) an “astronomy related” file, which details a dispute between the US Forest Service and the station over radio transmissions and potential interference with cosmic ray research, (3) research reports dating from 1960-87, (4) administrative records associated with director Clarence Hall's tenure, from 1980-97, covering leases and agreements with the U.S. Forest Service, correspondence, grants for researchers, and records of White Mountain symposia and public lectures, (5) long-term weather data and related materials dating from 1951-98, and (6) files on the Environmental Biology Supercourse, a multi-campus course offered from 1996-98.

The second series covers Other Types of Historical Materials, dating from 1951 to 2000. It includes: (1) guest registers and sign-in books, (2) clipping files, (3) administrative files, including user evaluation forms and official documents concerning the US Forest Service and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, (4) large format documents including blueprints, certificates of achievement, proofs for brochures, and photos of WMRC facilities.

The third series covers Historical Materials in Storage in the Navy Trailer. These materials date from 1953 to 2009, with the bulk from the 1990s and 2000s. They include documents concerning fellowships and other grants, annual reports, research reports, advisory committee documents, recruitment files, documents concerning the Supercourse, assorted files for WMRC, and weather data from 1953-71.