On Her Own Terms: Annie Montague Alexander and the Rise of Science in the American West

433 Pages·2001·4.76 MB·English

by  Barbara R. Stein

5p. STEIN, On Her Own Terms 7/12/01 9:59 AM Page i
On Her Own Terms
5p. STEIN, On Her Own Terms 7/12/01 9:59 AM Page ii
The publisher gratefully acknowledges
the generous contribution to this book
provided by the
General Endowment Fund
of the
University of California Press Associates.
5p. STEIN, On Her Own Terms 7/12/01 9:59 AM Page iii
On Her Own Terms
Annie Montague Alexander
and the Rise of Science
in the American West
Barbara R. Stein
University of California Press
Berkeley Los Angeles London
5p. STEIN, On Her Own Terms 7/12/01 9:59 AM Page iv
University of California Press
Berkeley and Los Angeles,California
University of California Press,Ltd.
London,England
© 2001 by the Regents of the University of California
Chapters 8 and 17 are based on the following article:“Annie Montague
Alexander:Extraordinary Patron,” Journal of the History of Biology30
(1997):243–66.These revised versions of this article appear here with
permission from Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Stein,Barbara R.,1955–
On her own terms :Annie Montague Alexander and the rise of
science in the American West / Barbara R.Stein.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-520-22726-3 (cloth :alk.paper)
1. Alexander,Annie Montague,1867–1950. 2. Zoologists—United
States—Biography. I. Title.
QL31.A555 S74 2001
570'.92—dc21
[B] 2001027083
Manufactured in Canada
10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The paper used in this publication is both acid-free and totally
chlorine-free (TFC).It meets the minimum requirements of
ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).8
5p. STEIN, On Her Own Terms 7/12/01 9:59 AM Page v
Contents
List of Illustrations vii
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction xiii
1. samuel alexander and henry baldwin 3
2. life in oakland 13
3. a passion for paleontology 22
4. africa,1904 35
5. meeting c.hart merriam 48
6. alaska,1906 58
7. meeting joseph grinnell 63
8. founding a museum of vertebrate zoology 76
9. an unusual collaboration 88
10. louise and prince william sound 97
11. support for paleontology 107
12. hearst,sather,flood 114
13. innisfail ranch 120
14. vancouver island and the trinity alps 138
15. the team of alexander and kellogg 148
16. from “a friend of the university” 155
17. founding a museum of paleontology 165
5p. STEIN, On Her Own Terms 7/12/01 9:59 AM Page vi
vi / Contents
18. a restless decade 181
19. europe,1923 190
20. the temple tour 203
21. the “amoeba treatment” 214
22. fieldwork—the later years 224
23. saline valley 244
24. the end of an era 253
25. hawaii—“my only real home” 261
26. the switch to botany 274
27. baja california—tres mujeres sin miedo 290
28. investing in the future 299
29. an enduring legacy 308
Epilogue 315
Appendix 317
Notes 321
Index 359
5p. STEIN, On Her Own Terms 7/12/01 9:59 AM Page vii
Illustrations
Plates follow pages 110 and 174
figures
1. Annie Montague Alexander’s family tree 8
2. Chart highlighting the periods that relate to Alexander’s
paleontological fieldwork 25
maps
1. Route followed by Alexander and her father,
British East Africa,1904 36
2. Alexander expedition to southeastern Alaska,1907 67
3. Innisfail Ranch 124
5p. STEIN, On Her Own Terms 7/12/01 9:59 AM Page viii
5p. STEIN, On Her Own Terms 7/12/01 9:59 AM Page ix
Acknowledgments
The veracity of any nonfiction work depends largely upon the extent and
availability of primary source material.I am therefore deeply indebted to
the following libraries,archives,museums,and their staffs who have allowed
me access to,and have assisted my use of,their correspondence,books,pho-
tographs, and other research documents: Alaska State Library, Juneau
(Kathryn Shelton, India Spartz, Gladi Kulp);Alexander & Baldwin, Inc.,
Honolulu (Howard Daniel,Michael J.Marks and staff);Alexander & Bald-
win Sugar Museum,Puunene,Maui (Gaylord Kubota);American Museum
of Natural History Special Collections,New York (Paula Willey);Bancroft
Library and University Archives,University of California,Berkeley (William
Roberts and staff);Bernice P.Bishop Museum of Natural History,Honolulu:
Department of Vertebrate Zoology (Carla Kishinami), Bishop Museum
Archives (Betty Lou Kam),Bishop Museum Library (Linda Laurence),Reg-
istrar’s Office (Janet Ness);Hawaiian Mission Children’s Society Library,
Honolulu (Marilyn Reppun,Jodie Kakazu);Brennan Library,Lasell Col-
lege, Newton, Massachusetts (James Boudreau); Maui Historical Society
Archives,Wailuku (Kathy Riley,Holly Formolo);Punahou School,Honolulu
(Bonnie Judd,Mary Judd);Smithsonian Institution Archives,Washington,
D.C.(Bruce Kirby);Solano County Courthouse,Fairfield,California (staff);
Solano Historical Society, Fairfield, California (Bertram Hughes, Susan
Lemon);University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology,Berke-
ley;University of California Museum of Paleontology,Berkeley (Chris Bell,
Mark Goodwin); University of California and Jepson Herbaria, Berkeley
(Barbara Ertter); the University of Kansas Natural History Museum,
Lawrence (Robert Timm);the University of Kansas Spencer Research Li-
brary,Lawrence (Ned Kehde);Vassar College Special Collections,Pough-
keepsie,New York (Gita Nadas).
Correspondence,receipts,maps,and other paper documents provide a
ix