Series 2: Departmental records, 1891-1979

The department's records spanning 1924-1979 were deposited in the VP Archives at different times and in separate groupings. It has not always been possible to determine if files came from a secretary's or chairman's department office. The result is a collection with duplicated records and overlapping dates.

This collecton contains personnel, administrative, departmental events, council matters, expeditions, and financial records of the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology. Boxes 1-4 (1924-1959) consist of annual reports; personnel matters; general Museum matters; council decisions; finances; expeditions and biographical sketches. Boxes 5-9 (1924-1966) consist of administrative files arranged into sub-groups. Dates in some instances start as early as 1928 and continue to 1965, with main dates primarily 1933-1965. Boxes 10-12 (1964-1977) consist largely of administrative records from Bobb Schaeffer's Chairmanship period (1966 to 1978) arranged by subject as they were handled during his departmental tenure. Includes administrative files from the Frick Lab Endowment Fund (1964-1970). Curatorial personnel folders on Edwin H. Colbert (1966-1970); Eugene Gaffney (1969-1976); Ted Galusha (1968-1979); Malcom C. McKenna (1967-1977); Bobb Schaeffer (1957-1977); Morris Skinner (1928, 1954, 1966-1976); Beryl E. Taylor (1968-1972); Richard H. Tedford (1966-1976); and support staff job descriptions, Research Associates Letters of appointment and some c.v. Also included are review of relations and intents of incorporation (1969) with Columbia University and matters with Museum of Texas Tech University regarding Data Conventions for Specimen Record file. The last 2 boxes contain personnel records, photographs, biographies, and group photos of the Department of Vertebrate Paleontology. Originally arranged in a loose-leaf notebook called the "Rogue's Gallery," the materials are now in folders and filed in their original order. Box 1 (1916-1965) contains group photos, individual photos, biographies, and personnel records; box 2 (1893-1958) contains group photos and a typed, unsigned manuscript that provides an historical account of the museum's collectors, preparators, research staff, art staff, growth of the collection, and source of skeletons, possibly prepared by Rachel Nichols.