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Charles Upham Shepard (AC 1824) Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MA.00075

Scope and Contents

This collection of Shepard's papers consists primarily of letters to him during the period 1830-1833 concerning his mineral collecting. There are some papers that he saved concerning the sugar industry as well as a few notebooks he used for Chemistry notes under Professor Silliman, and a bound volume of pamphlets by Shepard. At the end of the collection is a miscellaneous group of various materials such as old newspapers. The collection was the gift of the Pratt Geology Museum, November 1968.

Dates

  • Creation: 1826-1881

Conditions Governing Access

There is no restriction on access to the Charles Upham Shepard Papers for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.

Conditions Governing Use

Requests for permission to publish material from the Charles Upham Shepard Papers should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

Biographical / Historical

Charles Upham Shepard was born on June 29, 1804, and died on May 1, 1886. He spent one year at Brown University before entering Amherst in 1821. After graduation in 1824 he spent almost a year studying under Professor L. Nuttall and, after giving private lessons in Botany and Mineralogy for a few months in Boston, entered the laboratory of Professor Benjamin Silliman at Yale College where he remained for another two years. From 1830 to 1847 he was Lecturer on Natural History at Yale. While at Yale, in 1832-33, under a commission from the U.S. Government, Shepard investigated plans adopted in the culture of sugarcane and the manufacture of sugar in the southern United States, and incorporated the results of his observations in Professor Silliman's report to the Secretary of the Treasury in 1833. In 1835 he was the associate of Dr. Percival in the State Geological Survey of Connecticut. He was also Professor of Chemistry and Natural History in the Charleston (S.C.) Medical College from 1834 to 1861, and from 1865 to 1869. In 1845 he became Professor of Chemistry and Natural History at Amherst College and retained that position until 1852. From 1852 to 1877 he was Professor of Natural History, and was Emeritus Professor from 1877 until his death in 1886 at Charleston, South Carolina.

Extent

3.3 Linear feet (5 archives boxes, 1 bound volume)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Botanist, mineralogist, natural historian. Collection consists primarily of letters regarding Shepard's mineral collection, and also includes a few notebooks, a bound volume of pamphlets and miscellaneous other materials.

Arrangement

This collection is organized into four series:

  1. Series 1: Letters, circa 1830-1833
  2. Series 2: Papers, circa 1826-1833
  3. Series 3: Miscellaneous Materials, circa 1831-1840
  4. Series 4: Bound Manuscripts and Pamphlets, circa 1833-1881
Status
Completed
Author
Sarang Gopalakrishnan, Peter Nelson
Date
2003
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Sponsor
Encoding funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Repository Details

Part of the Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Amherst College Archives & Special Collections
Robert Frost Library
61 Quadrangle Drive
Amherst MA 01002-5000
(413) 542-2299