Ecological Society of America Oral History Collection

Descriptive Summary
Title: Ecological Society of America Oral History Collection
Creator: Ecological Society of America Historical Records Committee
Inclusive Dates: 2012-ongoing
Language(s): English
Extent: 26 interview(s)
Collection Number: RBRL416ESA
Repository: Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies

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Collection Description

Historical note

Interviews were recorded by various interviewers across different states, mainly on site at the Ecological Society of America's annual meetings.

Scope and Content

Dennis Knight, as part of the ESA's Historical Records Committee, was the principal organizer of this collection, which documents the history of the Ecological Society of America and the work of its members.

For more information and background about the organization, please reference the Ecological Society of America records collection, archived at the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

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Administrative Information

Preferred citation

Ecological Society of America Oral History Collection, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.

Processing Information

Transfer media formats for this collection include 44.1 khZ/16-bit WAV and MP3 files.

Copyright Information

Resources may be used under the guidelines described by the U.S. Copyright Office in Section 107, Title 17, United States Code (Fair use). Parties interested in production or commercial use of the resources should contact the Russell Library for a fee schedule.

Finding Aid Publication

Finding Aid prepared by Russell staff, 2017.

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Related Materials and Subjects

Related Collections in Other Repositories

Ecological Society of America records, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library

The Institue of Ecology (TIE) Oral Histories, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library

The Institute of Ecology (TIE) [1970-1986] records, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Eugene Odum - Institute of Ecology (University of Georgia) papers, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library

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Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

ESA-001 Robert Paine interviewed by Douglas Sprugel - July 30, 2012

1 sound_recording(s) 50 minutes

Robert Paine was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 1979-1980. He became a professor at the University of Washington in 1962, and he remained there for his entire career. In this interview he discusses his education, career, and research, including his studies at Tatoosh Island and his study at Makah Bay, which lead to his proposal on the concept of keystone species.

ESA-001 Robert Paine audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-002 Lawrence Bliss interviewed by Richard Fonda - October 9, 2012

1 sound_recording(s) 73 minutes

Lawrence Bliss was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 1982-1983. He was a professor at Bowling Green State University from 1956-1957, at the University of Illinois from 1957-1968, at the University of Alberta from 1968-1978, and at the University of Washington from 1978-1998. In this interview, he talks about his education at Duke University, where he met his mentor, H.J Oosting, and began his career in ecology. He talks about his research of the arctic and alpine environments as well as his work for the International Biological Program studying the arctic biome.

ESA-002 Lawrence Bliss audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-003 Gordon Orians interviewed by Douglas Sprugel - June 4, 2013

1 sound_recording(s) 60 minutes

Gordon Orians was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 1995-1996. He was also a professor at the University of Washington. In this interview, he discusses his work with the Institute of Environmental Studies at the University of Washington and the National Academy of Sciences. He also talks about major questions in ecology including population regulation, species richness in communities, and energy flows.

ESA-003 Gordon Orians audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-004 Orie Loucks interviewed by Dennis Knight - August 7, 2013

1 sound_recording(s) 108 minutes

Orie Loucks was a member of the Ecological Society of America's Applied Ecology and Certification Committees. He won the George Mercer Award in 1964 and was a professor at the University of Wisconsin and Miami University in Ohio. In this interview, Loucks discusses his work with the International Biological Program and the Holcomb Research Institute.

ESA-004 Orie Loucks audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-005 Yaffa Grossman interviewed by Dennis Knight - August 12, 2014

1 sound_recording(s) 39 minutes

Yaffa Grossman was a member of the Ecological Society of America and a professor of biology at Beloit College. In this interview she discusses working in the ESA's public affairs office and talks about her involvement with the ESA's report on the effects of genetically engineered organisms.

ESA-005 Yaffa Grossman audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-006 Jean Langenheim interviewed by Dennis Knight - August 12, 2014

1 sound_recording(s) 64 minutes

Jean Langenheim was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 1986-1987. She wrote an autobiography, The Odyssey of a Woman Field Scientist: A Story of Passion, Persistence, and Patience, and was a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In this interview, she talks about the struggles of being a female scientist and about her studies of amber producing trees.

ESA-006 Jean Langenheim audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-007 Patricia Werner interviewed by Dennis Knight - August 13, 2014

1 sound_recording(s) 43 minutes

Patricia Werner was a member of the Ecological Society of America as well as a professor at Michigan State University. In this interview she talks about her research regarding disturbances on tree populations in the tropics of Darwin, Australia. She also discusses her work as division director for the National Science Foundation.

ESA-007 Patricia Werner audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-008 John Hobbie interviewed by Dennis Knight - August 13, 2014

1 sound_recording(s) 62 minutes

John Hobbie was President of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) from 1984-1986. He was also a member of the Ecological Society of America (ESA). In this interview, Hobbie talks about his career studying bacteria in arctic lakes as well as his stable isotope studies of whale bones and caribou tissues for the Marine Biological Laboratory.

ESA-008 John Hobbie audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-009 James Brown interviewed by Eva Dettweiler-Robinson - September 23, 2014

1 sound_recording(s) 125 minutes

James Brown was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 1996-1997 and won the 2002 ESA Robert H. MacArthur Award. In this interview he recalls coining the term "macroecology," discusses his ESA presidency, and shares his concerns about the future of ecology.

ESA-009 James Brown audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-010 Scott Collins interviewed by Eva Dettweiler-Robinson - October 28, 2014

1 sound_recording(s) 66 minutes

Scott Collins was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 2012-2013, and he has also been a professor at the University of New Mexico. In this interview, he talks about his involvement with the National Center of Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and the National Science Foundation's LTER (long-term ecological research) Program. He also discusses his thoughts regarding federally mandated open access to journals.

ESA-010 Scott Collins audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-011 Arthur Cooper interviewed by Thomas Wentworth - March 9, 2015

1 sound_recording(s) 66 minutes

Arthur Cooper was a professor at North Carolina State University (NCSU) and was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 1980-1981. He was also the deputy director of the Department of Conservation and Development in North Carolina. In this interview, he discusses his role in creating the ESA's Washington Office as well as his involvement with the Institute of Ecology.

ESA-011 Arthur Cooper audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-012 George Woodwell interviewed by Richard Houghton - May 20, 2015

1 sound_recording(s) 27 minutes

George Woodwell is the founder of the Woods Hole Research Center and was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 1977-1978. In this interview he talks about studying the effects of DDT at the University of Maine and the Brookhaven National Lab in Long Island. He also discusses the ESA's role in policymaking and the Washington Office.

ESA-012 audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-013 Margaret Davis interviewed by Jane Beiswenger - June 10, 2015

1 sound_recording(s) 33 minutes

Margaret Davis was a professor at the University of Michigan, Yale, and the University of Minnesota, and she served as President of the Ecological Society of America from 1987-198. In this interview, she talks about the role of women in science and discusses equal pay. She also talks about the formation of the ESA's Education Section.

ESA-013 Margaret Davis audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-014 Stuart Chapin interviewed by Jill Johnstone - July 1, 2015

1 sound_recording(s) 76 minutes

Stuart Chapin was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 2010-2011, and has taught at both the University of Alaska and the University of California, Berkley. In his interview, he talks about his work with the Peace Corps and his various research studies in arctic and alpine ecology. He also discusses the involvement of the ESA in policy formation and in providing solutions to human ecological impacts.

ESA-014 Stuart Chapin audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-015 Marjorie Holland interviewed by Dennis Knight - August 10, 2015

1 sound_recording(s) 56 minutes

Marjorie Holland was the Director of the Ecological Society of America's Public Affairs Office for six years, and is currently a professor in the biology department at the University of Mississippi. In this interview, she discusses her work during her time in the Public Affairs Office as well as other highlights of her career, including her sabbatical with UNESCO's aquatic ecology program.

ESA-015 Marjorie Holland audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-016 Simon Levin interviewed by Dennis Knight - August 11, 2015

1 sound_recording(s) 60 minutes

Simon Levin was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 1990-1991 and a professor at Princeton University. He has also taught at Cornell University and the University of Maryland. In this interview he talks about the highlights of his career, such as studying patch dynamics with Robert Paine at the University of Washington and his involvement with the ESA's Ecological Applications journal.

ESA-016 Simon Levin audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-017 Harold Mooney interviewed by Stuart Chapin - August 11, 2015

1 sound_recording(s) 73 minutes

Harold Mooney was the president of the Ecological Society of America from 1988-1989 and is a professor at Stanford University. In this interview, he discusses working with Dwight Billings, as well as his involvement with international science and public policy.

ESA-017 Harold Mooney audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-018 Katherine McCarter interviewed by Dennis Knight - August 13, 2015

1 sound_recording(s) 79 minutes

Katherine McCarter has been the Executive Director of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) since 1997. In this interview, she explains how she became the Executive Director and what she has done during her time at ESA. McCarter describes the Centennial Meeting of 2015, Barack Obama's video introduction for the organization, and the ESA's Public Affairs Office.

ESA-018 Katherine McCarter audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-019 William Reiners interviewed by Dennis Knight - October 20, 2015

1 sound_recording(s) 152 minutes

William Reiners was the Treasurer of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) from 1981-1984. He has also been a professor at the University of Minnesota, Dartmouth College, and the University of Wyoming. In this interview, he talks about his career and his research. Reiners also discusses the development of ecology and the ESA.

ESA-019 William Reiners audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-020 Frances James interviewed by Thomas Miller - November 20, 2015

1 sound_recording(s) 46 minutes

Frances James was a professor at the University of Florida and a member of the Ecological Society of America (ESA). She explains how she entered the field of ecology and describes her ornithological research. Retired from the University of Florida, James continues to conduct research and write.peer reviews.

ESA-020 Frances James audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-021 Gene Likens interviewed by Charles Canham - March 21, 2016

1 sound_recording(s) 89 minutes

Gene Likens, a former professor at Dartmouth College and Cornell University, was the president of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) from 1981-1982. In this interview, he discusses his education and his path to studying ecology. He also talks about his work at the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study as well as his research on acid rain.

ESA-021 Gene Likens audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-022 Robert Peet interviewed by Sharon Kingsland - August 11, 2016

1 sound_recording(s) 97 minutes

ESA-022 Robert Peet audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-023 Steward Pickett interviewed by Sharon Kingsland - January 18, 2017

1 sound_recording(s) 96 minutes

ESA-023 Steward Pickett audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-024 Dennis Knight interviewed by William Reiners - November 17, 2016

1 sound_recording(s) 133 minutes

Dennis Knight was a professor at the University of Wyoming. He served as the president of the Ecological Society of America (ESA) from 1989-1990 and has also served on the ESA's Historical Records Committee. He is the main interviewer for this collection. In this interview, Knight discusses the evolution of his career in ecology, highlighting the work of mentors and students. He talks about his involvement with the ESA and how the organization has changed.

ESA-024 Dennis Knight audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-025 Joy Zedler interviewed by Dennis Knight - March 31, 2018

1 sound_recording(s) 70 minutes

Joy Zedler was a professor at San Diego State University and the University of Wisconsin, Madison where she worked on ecological conservation of wetlands and sedge meadows. She served on the boards of The Nature Conservancy, the Environmental Defense Fund, and the Independent Science Board of the California Bay Delta. In this interview, she talks in detail about this work and also explains her role in promoting the Waubesa Wetlands as a Ramsar site.

ESA-025 Joy Zedler audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online

 

ESA-026 Jerry Franklin interviewed by Eva Stricker - December 7, 2018

1 sound_recording(s) 102 minutes

Jerry F. Franklin has a bachelor's and master's of science in forest management along with a PhD in botany, which he received from Washington State. Franklin has worked in many organizations, including the United State's International Biological Program (IBP), the Andrews Forest Experiment, the National Science Foundation, Washington State University, and as the president of the Ecological Society of America. In this interview, Franklin talks about his research at Washington, the National Science Foundation's long-term ecological studies, his work in the Ecological Society of America, and his predictions about the future of ecological work.

ESA-026 Jerry Franklin audio and interview index in OHMS Access Online