MSS 751 Edward S. Thomas Papers

              Owlo
H I S T O R Y MSS 751
Edward S. Thomas Papers
5- 1/ 2 cubic f e e t
Standard inventory
Collection Synopsis
Provenance: The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l Society acquired the Edward S.
Thomas Papers as a g i f t of Edward S. Thomas, M r s . Richard Smith,
and Walter Tucker from April 1981 t o February 1983. Barbara
Floyd processed the c o l l e c t i o n i n April 1983.
Property r i g h t s : The Ohio H i s t o r i c a l Society owns the property
r i g h t s t o t h i s c o l l e c t i o n .
Copyrights: Edward S. Thomas has dedicated such copyrights as
he possesses i n t h i s c o l l e c t i o n to the public. Consideration
of a l l other copyrights is the r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of the author and
publisher.
Access: This c o l l e c t i o n is open under the r u l e s and regulations
of the Ohio H i s t o r i c a l Society.
C i t a t i o n : Researchers a r e requested t o c i t e c o l l e c t i o n name,
c o l l e c t i o n number, and the Ohio H i s t o r i c a l Society in a l l foot-note
and bibliographic references.
Transfer: Audiovisual m a t e r i a l s , including nuinerous photographs
and negatives produced by Thomas, were t r a n s f e r r e d to the audio-v
i s u a l section in 1982- 1983. Maps and p r i n t e d m a t e r i a l from the
c o l l e c t i o n were t r a n s f e r r e d t o the l i b r a r y .
Biographical sketch: Edward S i n c l a i r Thomas was born in Woodsfield,
Monroe County, Ohio, on April 22, 1891. He became i n t e r e s t e d in
n a t u r a l h i s t o r y at an e a r l y age through the influence of h i s mother,
Tempe S i n c l a i r Thomas, an expert on wildflowers, and h i s f a t h e r ,
Edward B. Thomas, a lover of b i r d s . The family moved from iqoods-f
i e l d t o Columbus, Ohio, e a r l y i n Thomas's l i f e . He attended the
Ohio S t a t e University and received a bachelor of a r t s degree in
1913 and a law degree i n 1916. After f i f t e e n years of p r a c t i c i n g
law, Thomas resigned t o become c u r a t o r of n a t u r a l h i s t o r y a t the
Ohio S t a t e Archaeological and H i s t o r i c a l Society ( now the Ohio
H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y ) , serving from 1931 t o 1962.
In 1922. a f r i e n d reauested Thomas w r i t e s e v e r a l a r t i c l e s for the
~ olumbus Dispatch, and a weekly column e n t i t l e d " Our Birds" ( l a c e r
changed to " In Woods and F i e l d s " ) evolved from t h i s request.
~ homas wrote for the Dispatch u n t i l 1981, producing over 3,000
a r t i c l e s . He a l s o wrote the t e x t for the " Professor Nature Bug"
cartoon series c a r r i e d i n the paper from 1958 u n t i l 1980.
OM10 HISTORICAL SOCZETY
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