Arthur Sperry Pearse (pronounced like "purse") was Professor of Zoology at Duke University from 1927 until his retirement in 1948; he played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Marine Biology Laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina, and served as the lab's first director from 1938 until 1945. Collection comprises professional papers and photographs documenting A. S. Pearse's career as a zoologist. Formats include correspondence, writings and lectures, lab notes and data, fieldwork notes, teaching materials, clippings and printed materials, and over 2000 photographs, glass slides, and negatives. The images document Pearse's research travels, particularly in Nigeria and the Yucatán, but also in Alabama, Florida, coastal North Carolina, Japan, China, Burma, the Phillippines, Colombia, and Venezuela, chiefly during the period 1915-1935. Images are of local flora, fauna, landscapes, villages, dwellings, local crafts and industries, indigenous peoples, and other scientists.There are also early photographs of the Duke University Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C. Also found are many publication illustrations such as maps and charts. Prominent subjects throughout the collection include the establishment of and research projects at the Duke Marine Lab; the promotion of forestry as a scientific discipline at Duke; Pearse's role as editor of the publication Ecological Monographs; and his research interests in marine biology, ecology, crustaceans, parasitology, microbiology, biological adaptation, and forestry.
Collection comprises professional papers and photographs documenting A. S. Pearse's scholarly career as a zoologist at Duke University. Formats include correspondence, writings and lectures, lab notes and data, fieldwork notes, teaching materials, clippings and printed materials, and over 2000 photographs, negatives, and glass lecture slides.
Prominent subjects throughout the collection include the establishment of and research projects at the Duke University Marine Laboratory, the promotion of forestry as a scientific discipline at Duke, Pearse's role as editor of the journal Ecological Monographs, and his research interests: marine biology, ecology, crustaceans, parasitology and parasitic diseases, microbiology, biological adaptation, and forestry.
There are many photographic images in the form of prints, nitrate and safety negatives, and glass plate lecture slides, all documenting Pearse's research travels, particularly in Nigeria and the Yucatán, but also in Alabama, Florida, coastal North Carolina, Japan, China, Burma, the Phillippines, Colombia, and Venezuela, chiefly during the period 1915-1935. Images include local flora, fauna, landscapes, villages, dwellings, local crafts and industries, and indigenous peoples. Also present are other scientists in the laboratory and in the field, as well as early images of the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C. and other marine labs, and images of the N.C. coast and people such as fishermen. Finally, there are many images of maps, charts, tables, and drawings used in Pearse's lectures and publications. The nitrate negatives are slated for digitization.
Correspondence primarily reflects his role as editor of Ecological Monographs. Other prominent topics include Pearse's involvement with professional organizations, symposia and conferences, his own publications, research in Nigeria and the Yucatán, and the founding and early operations of the Duke University Marine Laboratory at Beaufort, North Carolina. Also, in 1938-1939, there is a series of correspondence between Pearse and President William Preston Few concerning lack of support for and conditions within the department and Pearse's consequent resignation as departmental chair.
Other materials include research notes, tables, and sketches; laboratory and field notebooks containing research notes and statistics from Nigeria, the Yucatan, Wisconsin, and various other research locations; graduate student correspondence and dissertation abstracts; and manuscripts of various publications authored by Pearse including Animal Ecology and his 1952 autobiography, Adventure: Trying to be an Ecologist.