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Tom Harrisson Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS Group 085

Scope and Content

The Harrison Papers document his career as a turtle researcher and conservationist during his tenure as curator of the Sarawak Museum and as an active member of the SSC of the IUCN and as co-chair of its Marine Turtle Specialist Group. The Papers contain many of Harrisson's complete manuscripts, including the book length Turtle Island, his turtle notes and observation records from 1947, correspondence, some published writings, manuscripts and secondary materials of other writers, and his IUCN files. A very small portion of the Papers are more personal, or relate to subjects other than turtles.

Harrisson was closely associated with Archie Carr, whose presence and influence is very noticeable in the Papers. Many of the correspondents and topics are the same as in the Carr Papers, and there is doubtless duplication. Harrisson's Papers often expand the point of view found in Carr's Papers and are rich in details of certain geographic areas, notably Malaysia and Indonesia, but also other islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Harrisson's IUCN files are more extensive than Carr's. Researchers on turtle topics are advised to consult both the Carr and the Harrisson Papers.

Condition: At some point, some of the Papers became wet. In addition to moisture damage, this caused clips and staples to rust extraordinarily, resulting in further deterioration.

Dates

  • Creation: 1866-1976
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1947-1976

Creator

Access

The collection is open for research.

Usage Restrictions

Copyright to these papers has not been conveyed to the University of Florida. The copyright owner is not known.

Biographical/Historical Note

Tom Harrisson, noted turtle scientist and conservationist, first began turtle observations as curator of the Sarawak Museum in Borneo and as chief executive officer of the Sarawak Turtle Board, posts to which he was appointed in 1947. His activities included turtle tagging, hatching young turtles, and keeping detailed records of eggs collected. In 1974 he was appointed co-chair, with Archie F. Carr, Jr., of the Marine Turtle Specialist Group (MTSG) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Survival Services Commission (SSC), and undertook a reorganization of the group.

Upon retiring from Sarawak, Harrisson joined the Southeast Asian studies faculty at Cornell University (1967-68) and for the remainder of his life was involved with IUCN activities and as director of the Mass-Observation Archive at the University of Sussex. Harrisson died along with his third wife, Barronne Christine Forani, in a traffic accident in Thailand, January, 1976. Before assuming his duties in Borneo, Harrisson had been active in mass observation in his native England. Earlier in his life, he attended Pembroke College, Cambridge, participated in several scientific expeditions, and lived among native tribes in the Pacific. He was the author of numerous books, primarily based on his experiences in the Pacific and on mass observation. He was the author of many articles, but no published books on turtles. (Cf. Who Was Who, 1971-1980).

Extent

3.3 Linear feet (8 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Research materials, correspondence, writings, manuscripts and other files of Tom Harrisson, D.S.O., O.B.E, the noted turtle scientist, conservationist and curator of the Sarawak Museum in Borneo.

Arrangement

There was little apparent order to the Papers, as received by the library. It appears that Harrisson had cannibalized his own correspondence, manuscripts, and notes as well as the secondary material of other writers to create subject files, indicated by the red script found on many papers, probably for use in his intended book, Turtle Island. Many apparently disparate item were found together, however, and items on the same subjects were dispersed throughout the papers. Rather than restore these subject files, the attempt has been to restore papers to the units in which they were created.

They have then been assigned to either a Sarawak series or IUCN series, and grouped by type and subject. There is some overlap between the two series, as Harrisson was a MTSG member before he left Sarawak, but the bulk of the IUCN Papers are from the time he became co-chair in 1974, after leaving Sarawak, or are clearly identified as IUCN business.

Physical Location

University of Florida Smathers Library Building

Acquisition Information

There are two sources of the Harrisson Papers. In 1975, Harrisson, through his ex-wife Barbara, sent some of his papers to Archie Carr at the University of Florida. Barbara wrote Carr: "T.H. has asked me to send on his files relative of his work on turtles in Sarawak and internationally. Essentially these are unsorted working papers in loose-leaf form, stacked within file-covers; but there are some exercise books and other miscellaneous records. Some of these files date back to early turtle work out of the Sarawak Museum and Sarawak's turtle islands, and have archive value. There are also some maps." Carr acknowledged receipt of the manuscripts.

In 1978, following Harrisson's death, Carr was asked to accept additional Harrisson Papers. There is no way of determining which items belong to which batch. The Papers remained in Carr's possession until his death, after which they were donated, along with his own Papers, to the George A. Smathers Libraries, by his widow, Marjorie Harris Carr. A folder on the provenance of the Harrisson Papers is stored in the first box.

Alternate Form of Material

Digital reproductions of items in this collection are available online via the University of Florida Digital Collections (UFDC). Please read the Permissions for Use statement for information on copyright, fair use, and use of UFDC digital objects.

Related Material

The University of Florida also holds the Archie F. Carr, Jr. Papers.

Title
A Guide to the Tom Harrisson Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid created by Dept. Staff
Date
September 2010
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared Using Dacs
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida Repository

Contact:
George A. Smathers Libraries
PO Box 117005
Gainesville Florida 32611-7005 United States of America
352-273-2755