James A. Organ Collection
SC 216

 

Summary Information

Repository
McConnell Library Archives and Special Collections
Title
James A. Organ Collection
ID
SC 216
Date 1956-
 
Extent
8 Linear feet
Physical Description

Collection is arranged as follows:

Series 1: Research materials, research papers, correspondence.

Series 2: Teaching materials, notes from when Organ was a student.

Series 3: A few files concerning Organ's personal life.

 

 

Location
Located in locked compact shelving, level 1.
Language
English

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], James A. Organ Collection, Special Collections, McConnell Library, Radford University, Radford, VA.

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Biographical/Historical Note

James A. Organ (1931-2015) attended and received degrees from Rutgers University, and the University of Michigan, and also served for 4 years in the United States Air Force. He taught biology at the City College of New York from 1961-1992. During his lifetime he did extensive field work and research on Whitetop Mountain Mount Rogers, which straddle the counties of Grayson and Smyth in Southwest Virginia and in 2010 the northern pygmy salamander was officially named in his honor- Desmognathus organi. Dr. Organ also spent considerable amounts of time at the Mountain Lake Biological Research Station providing education and conducting research.

 

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Scope and Contents

This collection consists of original field notes, compilations of field notes, scholarly papers written by Dr. Organ, professional correspondence, teaching materials from his time at City University of New York and the Mountain Lake Biological Research Station in Pembroke, VA, color slides, etc.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

McConnell Library Archives and Special Collections

McConnell Library
PO Box 6881
Radford, Virginia
540-831-5692
archives@radford.edu

Restrictions to Access

An appointment for research is required. The collection is open for research. No interlibrary loan.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The documents are available for free personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided the proper citation is used (e.g. McConnell Library Archives and Special Collections, Radford University, Radford VA).  Any commercial use of the materials, without the written permission of the Radford University, and the copyright holder, is prohibited.  Please refer to the McConnell Library Archives and Special Collections website for more information.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

All materials were found in the Radford University archives collection except the court transcript, which was purchased for the purpose of including it in this collection.

Accruals

Further accruals may be coming but there are none scheduled.

Existence and Location of Originals

Archives and Special Collections, McConnell Library

 

 

Collection Inventory

Series 1: BOX 1.

Box 1: Folder 1: Collection Permits- 1956. For locations in Great Smoky Mountains, Mammoth Cave National Park, Shenandoah National Park, and Pisgah National Forest.

Box 1: Folder 2: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Eurycea bislineata wilderae.

Box 1: Folder 3: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Desmognathus ochrophaeus carolinensis.

Box 1: Folder 4: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Desmognathus fuscus.

Box 1: Folder 5: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Desmognathus monticola.

Box 1: Folder 6: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Desmognathus quadramaculatus.

Box 1: Folder 7: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Desmognathus wrighti.

Box 1: Folder 8: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Gyrinophilus porphyriticus.

Box 1: Folder 9: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Plethodon cinereus.

Box 1: Folder 10: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Plethodon glutinosis.

Box 1: Folder 11: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Plethodon jordani metcalfi.

Box 1: Folder 12: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Plethodon richmondi popei.

Box 1: Folder 13: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Plethodon welleri.

Box 1: Folder 14: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Plethodon yonahlossee.

Box 1: Folder 15: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1956. Collection Worksheets- Pseudotriton ruber nitious.

Box 1: Folder 16: Mount Rogers, VA 1957. Altitude Information.

Box 1: Folder 17: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1957. Field Notes July 1, 1957-Aug 5, 1957.

Box 1: Folder 18: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1957. Field Notes Aug. 5, 1957-Aug 6, 1957.

Box 1: Folder 19: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1957. Field Notes July 1, 1957-July 30, 1957.

Box 1: Folder 20: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1957. Field Notes Aug. 1, 1957-Aug 30, 1957.

Box 1: Folder 21: Critical Thermal Maxima of Salamanders of the Genus Desmognathus in the Mount Rogers NRA, Virginia. 1957. Paper and data.

Box 1: Folder 22: Critical Thermal Maxima Studies (data copies) 1957.

Box 1: Folder 23: Critical Thermal Maxima Experiments. 1957.

Box 1: Folder 24: Field Studies Summer 1957 and Temperature Studies of Critical Thermal Maxima

Box 1: Folder 25: Size Frequency Studies. 1957. Plethodon glutinosis.

Box 1: Folder 26: Plethodon jordani.

Box 1: Folder 27: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1957. Collection Worksheets- Desmognathus (various).

BOX 2.

Box 2: Folder 1: Size Frequency Studies. 1957-58. Plethodon richmondi popei.

Box 2: Folder 2: Size Frequency Studies. 1957-58. Plethodon welleri.

Box 2: Folder 3: Size Frequency Studies. 1957-58. Plethodon yonahlossee.

Box 2: Folder 4:  Ventral Pigmentation of Plethodon. 1958. Report to N.G. Hairston.

Box 2: Folder 5: Current Work. 1958.

Box 2: Folder 6: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1957. Field Notes July 10, 1958-Aug 7, 1958.

Box 2: Folder 7: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1957. Field Notes Aug. 10, 1958-Sep. 5, 1958.

Box 2: Folder 8: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1957. Field Notes Sep. 5, 1958-Sep. 20/21, 1958.

Box 2: Folder 9: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1957. Field Notes Sep. 19, 1958-Oct. 8, 1958.

Box 2: Folder 10: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1957. Field Notes Oct 11, 1958-Oct 16, 1958.

Box 2: Folder 11 Miscellaneous Data. 1958.

Box 2: Folder 12: Graphs. 1958. Desmognathus.

BOX 3.

Box 3: Folder 1: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1958. Field Notes Summary. July 2, 1957-Aug 21, 1958.

Box 3: Folder 2: Various Locations. 1958. Field Notes July 17, 1958-Sep 5, 1958.

Box 3: Folder 3: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1958. Field Notes July 10, 1958-Aug 12, 1958.

Box 3: Folder 4: Various Locations. 1958. Field Notes Aug 14, 1958-Sep 8, 1958.

Box 3: Folder 5: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1958. Field Notes Sep 9, 1958-Sep 21, 1958.

Box 3: Folder 6: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1958. Field Notes Sep 29, 1958-Oct 25, 1958.

Box 3: Folder 7: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1959. Field Notes Apr 16, 1959-May 8, 1959.

Box 3: Folder 8: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1959. Field Notes May 10, 1959-June 6, 1959.

Box 3: Folder 9: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1959. Field Notes June 7, 1959-June 19, 1959.

Box 3: Folder 10: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1959. Field Notes June 20, 1959-June 26, 1959.

BOX 4.

Box 4: Folder 1: Whitetop Mountain, VA. Horizontal Transects 1956-59.

Box 4: Folder 2: Whitetop Mountain, VA. Horizontal Transects 1956-59.

Box 4: Folder 3: Whitetop Mountain, VA. Activity Studies 1956-59.

Box 4: Folder 4: Data 1956-59.

Box 4: Folder 5: Occurance of Multiple Testes in Salamanders Data Sheets and Summaries.

Box 4: Folder 6: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1959. Field Notes Apr 16, 1959-Apr 30, 1959.

Box 4: Folder 7: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1959. Field Notes Apr 30, 1959-May 18, 1959.

Box 4: Folder 8: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1959. Field Notes May 18, 1959-May 31, 1959.

Box 4: Folder 9: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1959. Field Notes June 7, 1959-June 19, 1959.

Box 4: Folder 10: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1959. Field Notes June 20, 1959-June 26, 1959.

BOX 5.

Box 5: Folder 1: Size Frequency Studies. 1959. Plethodon cinereus.

Box 5: Folder 2: Size Frequency Studies. 1959. Plethodon jordani metcalfi.

Box 5: Folder 3: Published Works, 1960. Organ, James A.(1960). Studies on the Life History of the Salamander, Plethodon welleri. COPEIA (4), 289-97.

Box 5: Folder 4: Plethodon. 1961.

Box 5: Folder 5: Published Works, 1961. Organ, James A. (1961). Life History of the Pigmy Slaamander, Desmognathus wrighti, in Virginia. The American Midland Naturalist 66 (2), 384-90.; Organ, James A. (1961) Studies of the Local Distrubution, Life History, and Population Dynamics of the Salamander Genus Desmognathus in Virginia. Ecological Monographs, 31, 189-220.

Box 5: Folder 6: Demography of Salamanders. 1966. Paper and Data.

Box 5: Folder 7: Mud Creek Plethodon Study. 1966.

Box 5: Folder 8: Mountain Lake Biological Station, Pembroke, VA, 1966. Worksheets. Desmognathus fuscus.

Box 5: Folder 9: Mountain Lake Biological Station, Pembroke, VA, 1966. Worksheets. Desmognathus monticola.

Box 5: Folder 10: Mountain Lake Biological Station, Pembroke, VA, 1966. Worksheets. Desmognathus ocrophaeus.

Box 5: Folder 11: Mountain Lake Biological Station, Pembroke, VA, 1966. Worksheets. Desmognathus quadramaculatus.

Box 5: Folder 12: Spermatophore Studies. 1966.

Box 5: Folder 13: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1966. Nocturnal Activity Studies.

Box 5: Folder 14: Field Notes, Various Locations. June 20, 1966-Aug 23-1966.

Box 5: Folder 15: The Density and Demography of Salamanders in a Mountain Spring. 1966.

Box 5: Folder 16: Population Density, Structure, and Dynamics of Salamanders. Manuscript; Conference Program. 1967.

Box 5: Folder 17: Program. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 1967.

Box 5: Folder 18: Courtship Data. 1968.

Box 5: Folder 19: Current Population Analysis. 1968.

BOX 6.

Box 6: Folder 1: Density and Demography of Salamanders in a Mountain Spring. 1968. Paper and Data.

Box 6: Folder 2: Published Works, 1968. Organ, James. (1968). Courtship Behavior and Spermatophore of the Cave Salamander, Eurycea lucifuga (Rafinesque). COPEIA (3), 576-80.

Box 6: Folder 3: Ecology of Plethodon. 1968. Paper and Data.

Box 6: Folder 4: Density and Demography of Salamanders in a Mountain Spring. 1968. Manuscript and Revisions.

Box 6: Folder 5: Potts Mountain, VA, 1968. Field Notes June 15, 1968-Aug 21, 1968.

Box 6: Folder 6: Mountain Lake, Post Doctoral Work, 1966-68.

Box 6: Folder 7: Virginia Herpetological Society Maps. 1970.

Box 6: Folder 8: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1977-78. Field Notes Nov 4, 1977-Apr 19, 1978.

Box 6: Folder 9: Whitetop Mountain, VA, 1977-78. Field Notes 1977-78.

Box 6: Folder 10: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. 1982.

BOX 7.

Box 1: Folder 1: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. 1986-93.

Box 1: Folder 2: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area Working File. 1987.

Box 1: Folder 3: Dave's Ridge Project. 1989.

Box 1: Folder 4: Dave's Ridge Project. 1989.

Box 1: Folder 5: Critical Thermal Maxima of Salamanders of the Genus Desmognathus. 1990.

Box 1: Folder 6: Forest Service Talk. July 19, 1990.

Box 1: Folder 7: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Challenge Grant. 1990.

Box 1: Folder 8: TVA Fertility Project. 1990. Work Forms.

Box 1: Folder 9: 1990 Original Figures, Tables, Maps.

Box 1: Folder 10: Salamander Study. 1990/91.

Box 1: Folder 11: Activity Plates. 1990 Report.

Box 1: Folder 12: Survey. 1991.

Box 1: Folder 13: Original Illustrations. 1991.

BOX 8.

Box 8: Folder 1: Comprehensive Bibliography. 1991. Plethodontid Salamanders.

Box 8: Folder 2: The Structure, Function, and Dynamics of Aggregations in the Pigmy Salamander, Desmognathus wrightii in Virginia. Paper.

Box 8: Folder 3: Gland Study. 1991/92.

Box 8: Folder 4: Completed Transect Study. 1990/91.

Box 8: Folder 5: Collection Permits- Virginia. 1990-93.

Box 8: Folder 6: Desmognathus wrightii, Aug 16, 1991; Plethodon jordani, Aug 20-21, 1991.

Box 8: Folder 7: Whitetop Mountain Opportunity Area. 1992.

Box 8: Folder 8: Original Specimen Catalog. 1993.

Box 8: Folder 9: Mount Rogers Interpretive Association. 1993.

Box 8: Folder 10: Mountain Heritage Alliance. 1993.

Box 8: Folder 11: Route 58 Opinion Letters. 1994.

Box 8: Folder 12: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. 1996. Crest Zone Allotment Environmental Assessment.

Box 8: Folder 13: Hungry Mother State Park. 1998.

Box 8: Folder 14: Memoirs. By James A. Organ. 1998.

Box 8: Folder 15: UMMZ Holdings of Specimens. 1999.

BOX 9.

Box 9: Folder 1: Correspondence. 1956-1965. Mostly professional correspondence.

Box 9: Folder 2: Correspondence. 1966-1999, 2010. Mostly professional correspondence.

Box 9: Folder 3: Desmognathus Donation Record- Univ. of Michigan.

Box 9: Folder 4: Sabbatical Information.

Box 9: Folder 5: Regulations and Laws Protecting Virginia Salamanders.

Box 9: Folder 6: Mountain Lake Biological Station, Pembroke, VA.

Box 9: Folder 7: Topographical Maps.

Box 9: Folder 8: Maps.

Box 9: Folder 9: Correspondence- American Society of Ichthydrologists and Herpetologists.

Box 9: Folder 10: Research Data for Talks.

Box 9: Folder 11: Orphaned Data- various years and subjects.

Box 9: Folder 12: Herpetological Review. April 1968.

Box 9: Folder 13: Horizontal Transect Data. 2003

BOX 10.

5 Notebooks. Various subjects, mostly blank.

BOX 11.

631 Color Slides. Mostly salamanders but including frogs, turtles, and snakes.

BOX 12.

515 Color Slides. Mostly salamanders.

BOX 13.

424 Color Slides. Various subjects.

BOX 14.

468 Color Slides. Various Subjects.

BOX 15.

478 Color Slides. Anatomy and Habitat.

Series 2: BOX 16.

Box 16: Folder 1: Comparative Anatomy Illustrations (most likely student work done by Organ) 1953.

Box 16: Folder 2: Invertebrate Zoology Drawings (most likely student work done by Organ) 1954.

Box 16: Folder 3: Zoology 108. Quantitative Methods in Biology Supplement. 1956.

Box 16: Folder 4: Comparative Anatomy Teaching Materials. 1957.

Box 16: Folder 5: Zoology 241. Final Examination. 1957.

Box 16: Folder 6: Courtship Behavior of the Red Salamander. Manuscript and Revisions. 1967.

Box 16: Folder 7: Biology 99. Comparative Osteology. 1967.

Box 16: Folder 8: Biology 109.

Box 16: Folder 9: Instructors Manual for A Manual for the Biology of the Vertebrates, by James Organ.

Box 16: Folder 10: Bioloby 111. Manual for the Biology of the Vertebrates, by James Organ. 1972.

BOX 17.

Box 17: Folder 1: A Manual for the Biology of the Vertebrates, by James Organ. 1972

Box 17: Folder 2: Gregor Award. 1976.

Box 17: Folder 3: Biology 208. Lecture Notes. 1984.

Box 17: Folder 4: Biology 208. Spring Handouts. 1985.

Box 17: Folder 5: Biology 208. Instructors Checklists. 1985.

Box 17: Folder 6: Biology 208. Lecture Notes (Part 1). 1986.

Box 17: Folder 7: Biology 208. Lecture Notes (Part 2). 1986.

Box 17: Folder 8: Biology 208. Lecture Notes (Part 3). 1986.

Box 17: Folder 9: Biology 208. Lecture Notes (Part 4). 1986.

Box 17: Folder 10: Biology 208. Lecture Information.

Box 17: Folder 11: Biology 208 Laboratory Instructors Checklist.

Box 17: Folder 12: Biology 208. Testing Information.

BOX 18.

Box 18: Folder 1: Course Notes. Herpetology- Amphibia.

Box 18: Folder 2: Course Notes. Herpetology- Reptiles.

Box 18: Folder 3: Reading Lists for Classes.

Box 18: Folder 4: Biology 24. Lab Work.

Box 18: Folder 5: Geology 217 and 218.

Box 18: Folder 6: Various Class Notes.

Box 18: Folder 7: Masters for Lecture Slides.

Box 18: Folder 8: William Paterson College. 1983.

Box 18: Folder 9: Laboratory Manual for Population and Community Biology. Revisions. 1987.

Box 18: Folder 10: Laboratory Manual for Population and Community Biology.1989.

Box 18: Folder 11: Lecture Transparencies. Population Ecology.

BOX 19.

Box 19: Folder 1: Manual Revision Articles used.

Box 19: Folder 2: Biology 108. Organismic Biology Class Schedule and Lecture Notes. 1990.

Box 19: Folder 3: Biology 108. Testing Material. 1990.

Box 19: Folder 4: CUNY Research Award. 1990.

Box 19: Folder 5: Various Data used to print slides. 1991.

Box 19: Folder 6: Manual Revision- Article Reprints. Snake Data.

Box 19: Folder 7: Manual Revision- Article Reprints. Turtle Data.

Box 19: Folder 8: Manual Revision- Article Reprints. Frog and Toad Data.

Box 19: Folder 9: Salamander Survey of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area. Part 2. 1991.

BOX 20. MISC. Files.

Box 20: Folder 1: Fellowship Leave. 1992.

Box 20: Folder 2: Challenge Grant. 1992-94.

Box 20: Folder 3: 1993 Challenge Grant.

Box 20: Folder 4: Dave's Ridge Project.

Box 20: Folder 5: Mountain Lake Biological Station. 1966. Eurycea Lucifuga Studies.

Box 20: Folder 6: Critical Thermal Maxima of Salamanders. Manuscript.

Box 20: Folder 7: Courtship Behavior. Manuscript and Comments.

Box 20: Folder 8: Revision Suggestions for 1972 Manuscript.

Box 20: Folder 9: Amphibia Caudata Information.

Box 20: Folder 10: Samuel Wilen Correspondence.

SERIES 3: BOX 20.

Box 20: Folder 11: Personal Information.

Box 20: Folder 12: Personal Information- Education.

Box 20: Folder 13: Personal Information- Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi.

Box 20: Folder 14: Miscellaneous Information.

Box 20: Folder 15: Naturalist Rallies.

BOX 21.

Box 1: Folder 1: 3.5 inch floppy discs.