Dorothy Wyckoff papers
Scope and Contents
The Dorothy Wyckoff papers comprise the professional and academic papers of Dorothy Wyckoff, Professor of Geology at Bryn Mawr College from 1930-1966. The collection spans from circa 1920-1981 and contains Wyckoff’s notes, travel diaries, correspondence, etc., as well as some photographs and articles that are also relevant to Wyckoff, but were not created by her.
The collection is housed in four boxes. Box 1 contains course outlines and notes and translations. Box 2 contains materials related to Wyckoff’s translation of Albert the Great’s Book of Minerals. Box 3 contains writings, personal finances, and thesis materials. Box 4 contains photographs and articles.
The papers in Box 1, Folders 1-7 contain course outlines. Folders 8-40 contain notes and translations of works by various scientists. These translations were probably used as reserve readings in courses taught by Wyckoff and many of them have notes by Wyckoff. Folders 40-45 and 59 contain either handwritten copies or photostats of works by medieval scientists. Folders 46-57 contain Wyckoff’s dissertation, articles, manuscripts, NSF lectures and fieldbooks, and some correspondence concerning articles. Folders 1-32 in Box 2 contain materials relating to Wyckoff’s translation of Albert the Great’s Book of Minerals. The materials include correspondence with the Clarendon Press, reviews of the book, photostats of Albert’s works, notes, typescripts of some chapters, and an unbound copy of the book. Folders 37-44 contain notes and library records.
Box 3 contains travel diaries, correspondence, personal finance records, and maps drawn by Wyckoff for her thesis. Box 4 contains photographs and articles. The articles are not by Wyckoff, but either mention her, are marked by her, or are relevant in some other way.
Dorothy Wyckoff was an expert in the petrology of metamorphic rocks and a scholar of medieval Latin. Her research and translation of Albertus Magnus (Albert the Great) and his study of minerals married her two academic fields of expertise, emphasizing her mastery of both. This collection offers an excellent view of Wyckoff’s research and writing process for Albert the Great and his Book of Minerals, as well as providing additional insight into Wyckoff’s methods as an instructor of geology. It would be of value to anyone interested in Albert the Great, the Bryn Mawr Geology Department in the 1930s-1960s, and Dorothy Wyckoff.
Dates
- Creation: 1920 - 1981
Conditions Governing Access
Some restrictions apply to materials found in Box 3, concerning Wyckoff's personal finances and her re-appointment to Bryn Mawr's faculty. The remainder of the collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Standard Federal Copyright Laws Apply (U.S. Title 17)
Biographical / Historical
Dorothy Wyckoff was born July 22, 1900 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. She attended Bryn Mawr College, where she received her AB in Greek and Latin in 1921 and her PhD in Geology in 1932. In 1930, she accepted a position as a demonstrator in Bryn Mawr's geology department and remained with the college until her retirement as a full professor in 1966. Wyckoff was an expert in the petrology of metamorphic rocks and a scholar of medieval Latin. In 1928, she received a fellowship for two years of study at the University of Oslo. During World War II she worked at the Military Geology Unit of The U.S. Geological Survey in Washington where she prepared terrain diagrams which were used for planning assault operations. In 1967, she published the biography and translation "Albert the Great and his Book of Minerals." Wyckoff died July 15, 1982 at the home of her sister in Chester, Vermont.
Extent
4 linear ft. (2 boxes, 2 document cases) ; 4 feet 4 inches linear
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Dorothy Wyckoff was an expert in the petrology of metamorphic rocks and a scholar of medieval Latin. Her collection of professional and academic papers spans from circa 1920-1981. It contains Wyckoff’s notes, travel diaries, correspondence, etc., as well as some photographs and articles that are also relevant to Wyckoff, but were not created by her.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The maps in Box 3 were given to the College Archives by M. L. Crawford fo the Geology department in August 1985. Three folders were given to the Archives in October 1990 by William Crawford (Box 4, Folders 12-14). The probable donor for the rest of the collection is Dorothy Burr Thompson (there is no accession number).
Separated Materials
Copies of the "Lantern" (Fall 1920, Christmas 1920, November 1921) and the "Bryn Mawr Review" (April 1919, November 1919, December 1919, May 1920) which contain work by Wyckoff were merged with the core collection. Some unmarked reprints of articles were given to the library's acquisitions department. (A full list of these reprints may be found in the collection, Box 4). A photograph of Florence Bascom was transferred to the photograph collection.
Processing Information
Many of the papers were removed from three ring folders. Whenever possible, Wyckoff's folder titles were used when the papers were placed in acid free folders. Several of Wyckoff's folders had labels but were empty. Some materials separated from the collection and moved (see Separated Materials).
- Title
- Dorothy Wyckoff papers
- Author
- ?, Cassidy Gruber Baruth
- Date
- 2019 February 27
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Find It at the Library
Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting repoductions from Bryn Mawr College Library
Bryn Mawr College Library
101 N. Merion Avenue
Bryn Mawr 19010 USA US
610-526-6576
SpecColl@brynmawr.edu
