Summary Information
Marian E. Havlik Papers
1958-2010 (bulk 1975-2008)
La Crosse Mss DE; Audio 1462A
8.1 cubic feet (20 archives boxes and 1 oversize folder) and 2 tape recordings
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)UW-La Crosse Murphy Library / La Crosse Area Research Ctr. (Map)
Papers of Marian E. Havlik, a Wisconsin nurse-turned-malacologist, consultant and environmentalist, the bulk of which are from 1975-2008. Included is research on freshwater mollusks, with an emphasis on endangered species, including the Higgins' Eye Pearly Mussel ( Lampsilis higginsi ), and their habitats in the Upper Mississippi River Region; technical reports; published papers on research findings; newspaper clippings; and correspondence.
There is a restriction on use of this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-lx00de ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Marian Elizabeth (Glasheen) Havlik was born in Hiawatha, Kansas, on January 14, 1935, to George Elsworth and Elizabeth Rose (Kish) Glasheen. She earned a diploma in nursing from the St. Francis School of Nursing in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 1955. On September 15, 1956, she married Joseph Anthony Havlik with whom she had five children. She worked as a registered nurse in the chemical dependency unit at the St. Francis Hospital in La Crosse, Wisconsin, between 1955-1957 and 1969-1984. She also worked at the Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse from 1985-1986.
Her interest in the field of malacology, the study of freshwater mollusks, began while helping her daughter Rosemarie with a science fair project in 1969. The research they conducted piqued her interest enough to leisurely pursue further studies. The following year, she and her daughter decided to focus on clam shells that Marian had collected with her husband, Joe, from the nearby Mississippi River. It was the lack of information at the local libraries, universities, and research laboratories on these local species that prompted Marian Havlik to dig a little deeper.
She met a clam buyer in Prairie du Chien, who shared with her stories of his first-hand experience as a commercial clammer and provided her with several shell specimens. In 1972, Marian had received a specimen of the species Lampsilis higginsi (Lea, 1857), also known as the Higgins' Eye Pearly Mussel, a very rare naiad (freshwater) mollusk, that had been collected from the East Channel of the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien. Havlik had also started visiting various natural history museums to study their collections. She attended river planning meetings to gain a greater understanding of the species' habitats and she began to interact with biologists who were familiar with the freshwater ecosystems. In learning to identify specific traits unique to dozens of other local species she became a resource for other researchers. Marian spent her spare time studying freshwater mussels and their ecosystems. Using the scientific approach she had learned as a nurse, she observed and documented her findings in notebooks and compared them to the resources she had accumulated to verify her discoveries and theories.
In 1976, Havlik applied to the Bush Leadership Foundation, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for a grant to finance her continuing education. Upon receiving a Bush Leadership Fellowship, she went to Ohio State University's Museum of Zoology in Columbus, Ohio, where she spent five weeks studying under the leading expert at the time, and her future mentor, David H. Stansbery. Upon completion she began her independent study of naiad mollusks. Also in 1976, the Higgins' Eye Pearly Mussel was being considered for both federal and state endangered species lists. A Corps of Engineers-conducted dredge had disturbed a major clam bed in the Upper Mississippi River and Havlik immediately became involved. As she had one of the only specimens known to researchers, her expertise was requested by various state and federal government agencies to aid them with future projects and developments where there were known clam beds.
Thus began her professional career as a consultant; she started her own business, Malacological Consultants, in March of 1977, financed solely by her work as a registered nurse. She obtained scientific collector's permits for Federally Endangered Species in 1977 and began to work with the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge, the National Park Service, and state agencies in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. The business was contracted out by state chapters of the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Justice, the Corps of Engineers (both federal and state agencies), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Wisconsin in Madison and La Crosse, Historical Surveys, private businesses, and local industries to conduct surveys on, field age, and translocate various species. She became SCUBA certified in 1978, and achieved Advanced Open Water SCUBA status in 1980. She testified for environmental organizations, concerned citizens, and government agencies. She lectured, published and presented papers, performed outreach, and taught at local schools and universities. From 1987 on, she spent all of her time conducting large research projects, the findings of which have resulted in many changes in state and federal management of freshwater resources, including development plans on the river, dredging practices and barge traffic patterns.
Her research interests were focused on the Upper Mississippi River System naiad mollusks, especially rare naiades; the preservation of ecosystems; and clean water and the monitoring of contaminants. She worked tirelessly advocating the protection of the overlooked, yet vital species from developers, river transportation, and unmonitored commercial clamming that destroyed their habitats, thus earning her the title of “Clam Lady.” Though she has retired as a consultant, she still actively pursues research, authors papers and reports, and provides interviews for those interested in her studies.
Chronology
| 1935 |
Birth
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| 1955 |
Earned Nursing diploma
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| 1956 |
Married Joseph Havlik
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| 1969 |
First researched clams for daughter's school project
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| 1972 |
Received first living Lampsilis higginsi specimen
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| 1976 |
Received Bush Leadership Foundation Grant
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| 1976 |
Lampsilis higginsi placed on endangered species list; Corps of Engineers dredge spoils found to contain species
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| 1977 |
Begins Malacological Consultants
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| 1978 |
Barge traffic increases on Upper Mississippi River near Prairie du Chien
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| 1982-1985 |
Mussels die off in Mississippi River
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| 1983 |
Named Field Associate to Ohio State University Museum
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| 1984 |
Proposed harbor next to homes in Prairie du Chien creates controversy
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| 1989 |
Harbor proposed again
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| 1991 |
Involved with Flambeau mine as malacological consultant
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Scope and Content Note
The materials in this collection date roughly from 1975-2008, though there are a few photocopies of documents from 1958-1967 and at least one letter dated 2010, with the bulk of materials documenting the period between 1984-2004. The major subject of the collection is Havlik's observation of and participation in environmental issues in the Upper Mississippi River Region, specifically in and around the city of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The type of documents included in the collection range from handwritten notes to extensive clam surveys to dredging plans.
The papers are divided into nine series: CHRONOLOGICAL FILES, CORRESPONDENCE, FIELD JOURNALS, JOURNALS, MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS, PRINT MATERIALS, REPORTS, SUBJECT FILES, and AUDIO FILES.
The CHRONOLOGICAL FILES consist of documents grouped together by designated year. Havlik kept almost every scrap of paper that was related to her research and she often made notes on this material, providing direct reactions to the information conveyed. The types of materials in this series include correspondence, memos, requested reports and documents from government agencies, newspaper clippings, reports, public notices and meeting information. The information contained in this series provides the rich context of her interactions with government agencies, environmental organizations, concerned citizens, and the legal representatives for industry and transportation owners. This series reflects the public aspect of her research.
The CORRESPONDENCE series contains material that was originally filed in her ”Red Notebook” (a fact that is referenced on some documents in the collection). This series, covering the time period 1989-2010, highlights the particular issues with which she was involved, the key players and dates, and the seemingly never ending paper trail she followed. Material in this series consists of numerous letters, internal documents and messages to and from government agency officials, local/state/federal politicians, fellow researchers and consultants, zoologists, and concerned citizens. Most of the items are on (either her/their) official letterhead, though some are photocopies of handwritten notes. Havlik made copies of many letters to be distributed to politicians, advocates, and other interested parties. Her role as an environmental activist is evident through the information requests she made and subsequently shared. There are also numerous grant, award, and scholarship applications with rich autobiographical content in this series.
The FIELD JOURNALS, used in conjunction with the JOURNALS series, are the best evidence of Havlik’s role as a self-taught malacologist, biologist, zoologist, and all-around scientist providing documentation of her studies, research methods, and findings. Consisting of two hardcover journals, this series contains her handwritten notes on her fieldwork between 1975-1987, which documented her specimen collecting practices, surveying and translocating of freshwater mollusks, and which provided the basis for her published reports and findings. The FIELD JOURNALS are directly referenced in the JOURNALS series by date and page number.
The JOURNALS series contain an account of Havlik's daily activities between 1975 and 2000 and pertain mainly to her business and research. Originally existing as wire-bound notebooks, this series now consists of folders housing chronological chapters of over twenty years of research and day-to-day activities, meticulously noting everything she did, with whom she spoke, and the duration of time she spent performing specific activities. Browsing through the handwritten journals, one can see the evolution of her research and the development of her business. The notebooks contain the literal context of her thought processes, decisions, and interactions with the various communities with which she was involved.
MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS contain notes, minutes, contact lists, notices about public hearings, handouts and additional information to do with the Upper Mississippi River Region, its ecosystems and their relation to business and industry along the river. Many of the documents in this series were created by or addressed to the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission and the Division of Hearings and Appeals in the Public Intervenor's office. The material in this series dates from 1977-2005, though most items are focused on the events occurring between 1984 and 1990. This series is rich in first-hand accounts and opinions of each side. Though it is not the most thorough series, it does offer some insight into what the public was aware of and the steps the public took to protect its community or threatened species.
The PRINT MATERIALS series contains government agency public notices and technical reports (most from the Corps of Engineers which come complete with her comments and notes), newsletters, and assorted newspaper clippings, the bulk spanning 1985-2005. Concerned citizens and researchers Havlik befriended sent her numerous newspaper clippings relative to the issues they were addressing or related topics. Most of the newspapers are local to Prairie du Chien and La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The REPORTS are Havlik's published works and findings based on her research and collaborative efforts. Each report reflects the research documented in the FIELD JOURNALS and JOURNALS series. These published reports demonstrate the depth of Havlik's research for various industries, agencies, and scientific communities with which she was collaborating. The reports, originally bound by plastic spines, focus on the Higgins' Eye and other freshwater mollusk species found in the Upper Mississippi, St. Croix, and Wisconsin Rivers as studied by Havlik and her teams between 1978 and 2007, the bulk of which cover 1993-2003.
The SUBJECT FILES series consists primarily of information about and from government agencies, businesses, and industries with which she was working (sometimes with, sometimes against). The key agencies Havlik was working with were the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and the Corps of Engineers. The companies responsible for barge, harbor, and related river activities along the Upper Mississippi River in or near Prairie du Chien included Didion Inc., and Prairie Sand and Gravel.
The AUDIO RECORDINGS consist of two-90 minute audiocassette tapes. They are recordings of lectures given in 1984 by Professor Thomas O. Claflin, former professor of Limnology and River Studies in the Department of Biology, at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. The topics discussed in the lectures include: environmental law, groundwater, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the Upper Mississippi River.
Administrative/Restriction Information
The donor, Marian E. Havlik, retains copyright until January 1, 2019.
Presented by Marian E. Havlik, La Crosse, Wisconsin, 2008. Accession Number: M2009-004
Processed by Tara Genske (Practicum student), May 2009.
Contents List
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La Crosse Mss DE
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Series: Chronological Files
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Box
1
Folder
1-2
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1980-1990
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Box
1
Folder
3
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1985-1987
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Box
1
Folder
4-5
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1988
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Box
2
Folder
1-2
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1989
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Box
2
Folder
3-5
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1990
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Box
3
Folder
1-4
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, 1990 (continued)
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Box
4
Folder
1-3
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, 1990 (continued)
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|
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Box
4
Folder
4-5
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1991
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Box
5
Folder
1
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, 1991 (continued)
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Box
5
Folder
2-3
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1992
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Box
5
Folder
4-5
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1993-1996
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Box
6
Folder
1
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, 1993-1996 (continued)
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Series: Correspondence
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Box
6
Folder
2
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1989-1990
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Box
6
Folder
3
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1991-1992
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Box
6
Folder
4
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1993-1994
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Box
7
Folder
1
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1995
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Box
7
Folder
2
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1996
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Box
7
Folder
3
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1997
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Box
7
Folder
4
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1998
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Box
7
Folder
5
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1999-2000
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Box
8
Folder
1
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2001-2003
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Box
8
Folder
2
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2004-2010
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Series: Field Journals
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Box
8
Folder
3
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1976 August 11-1981 June 11
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Box
8
Folder
4
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1981 June 30-1987 November 14
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Series: Journals
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Box
9
Folder
1
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1975 September 26-1976 June 4
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Box
9
Folder
2
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1976 June 4-1976 October 12
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Box
9
Folder
3
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1976 October 14-1977 March 9
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Box
9
Folder
4
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1977 March 9-1977 July 30
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Box
9
Folder
5
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1977 July 30-1977 December 21
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Box
9
Folder
6
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1978 January 1-1978 May 25
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Box
9
Folder
7
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1978 May 26-1978 October 24
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Box
9
Folder
8
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1978 October 24-1979 August 1
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Box
9
Folder
9
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1979 August 2-1980 May 4
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Box
9
Folder
10
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1980 May 5-1980 July 15
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Box
10
Folder
1
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1980 July 15-1981 February 2
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Box
10
Folder
2
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1981 February 2-1981 June 24
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Box
10
Folder
3
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1981 June 24-1982 March 26
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Box
10
Folder
4
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1982 March 27-1983 February 12
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Box
10
Folder
5
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1983 February 12-1983 September 22
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Box
10
Folder
6
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1983 September 23-1984 February 10
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Box
10
Folder
7
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1984 February 10-1984 May 17
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Box
10
Folder
8
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1984 May 18-1985 January 17
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Box
10
Folder
9
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1985 January 18-1985 October 15
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Box
10
Folder
10
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1985 October 15-1986 September 4
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Box
11
Folder
1
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1986 July 1-1987 April 30
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Box
11
Folder
2
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1987 April 30-1987 December 30
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Box
11
Folder
3A
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1989 July 16-1990 April 14
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Box
11
Folder
3B
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1990 April 19-1991 October 14
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Box
11
Folder
3C
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1991 October 16-1992 November 3
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Box
11
Folder
4
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1993 January 1-1994 July 6
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Box
11
Folder
5
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1994 July 8-1995 March 17
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Box
11
Folder
6
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1995 March 19-1995 November 6
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Box
11
Folder
7
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1995 November 6-1996 September 25
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Box
11
Folder
8
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1996 October 15-1998 August 24
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Box
11
Folder
9
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1998 September 14-2000 April 3
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Box
12
Folder
1-2
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Series: Meetings and Public Hearings, 1983-1996
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Series: Print Materials
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Box
12
Folder
3
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Abstracts and consortia schedules, 1990-1994
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Box
12
Folder
4
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Government agency public notices and technical reports, 1975-1996
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Box
12
Folder
5
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Newsletters, 1975, 1982-1992
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Box
12
Folder
6
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Newspaper clippings, 1985-2006
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Series: Reports
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1978
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Box
13
Folder
1
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“From Buttons to Cultured Pearls” [“Wisconsin Shell Game”]
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Box
13
Folder
2
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“Naiad Mollusks of the Black River at the Clinton Street Bridge, La Crosse, Wisconsin, May 1978”
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Box
13
Folder
3
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“Wisconsin Shell Game”
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Box
13
Folder
4
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1979, “Feasibility of Transplantation Experiments using Lampsilis higginsi (Lea, 1857)”
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Box
13
Folder
5
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1981, “The Northern Extension of the Range of Anodonta suborbiculata”
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Box
13
Folder
6
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1983, “Naiad Mollusk Populations in Pools 7 and 8 of the Mississippi River Near La Crosse, Wisconsin”
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Box
13
Folder
7
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1985, “Bivalve Mollusks of the St. Croix River Near Hudson, Wisconsin”
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Box
13
Folder
8
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1987, “A Search for Living Populations of Lampsilis higginsi (Lea, 1857), Higgins' Eye Pearly Mussel, In Pool 7 of the Mississippi River Upstream of La Crosse, Wisconsin”
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Box
13
Folder
9
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1992, “Translocation of Unionid Mollusks, Wolf River, Old County A Bridge, North of Shawano, Shawano County, Wisconsin, August 1992”
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Box
13
Folder
10
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1993, “A Unionid Mollusk Survey State Highway 22 Bridge, Wolf River, South of Shawano, Shawano County, Wisconsin”
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1994
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Box
13
Folder
11
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“Unionid Mollusks in the Wisconsin River West of State Highway 61 Bridge and the Manhattan Beach Site, Crawford County, Northwest of Boscobel, Wisconsin, August 1993”
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Box
13
Folder
12
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“A Relocation of Unionid Mollusks, from the Wolf River State Highway 54 Bridge and By-pass Sites, Shiocton, Outagamie County, Wisconsin, August 1994”
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Box
13
Folder
13
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1996, “A Survey for Unionid Mollusks at the Proposed U.S. Highway 61 Bridge Site, Wisconsin River, North of Boscobel, Grant and Crawford Counties”
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1998
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Box
13
Folder
14
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“A Unionid Mussel Survey, Mississippi River Mile 820.0-821.6, between Lower Grey Cloud Island and the Main Channel, Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota”
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Box
13
Folder
15
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“A Unionid Mussel Survey at the La Crosse Airport Runway Lights, Lake Onalaska, Mississippi River Mile 704.0, La Crosse County, November 1998”
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1999
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Box
13
Folder
16
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“A Unionid Mollusk Translocation Downstream of Lake Mallalieu/Willow River Dam, St. Croix River Mile 17.9, Between Hudson and North Hudson, Wisconsin”
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Box
13
Folder
17
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“A Survey for Unionid Mussels, Alliant Generating Plant, Mississippi River Mile 659.4-660.4, Lansing, Allamakee County, Iowa, July-August 1999”
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Box
13
Folder
18
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“A Unionid Mussel Survey, Minnesota River Mile 9.8, East of I-35 W, Washington/Dakota Counties, Minnesota, July 1999”
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Box
13
Folder
19
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“Freshwater Mussels at Mississippi River Mile 697.8, Bulkhead Wall, Riverside Park, La Crosse, Wisconsin, October 1997”
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2000
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Box
13
Folder
20
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“Unionid Mollusk Survey, Mississippi River Mile 706.7, LDB, Dakota, Minnesota, September 2000”
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Box
13
Folder
21
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“A 1998 Mussel Survey on the South Branch of the Root River System, Southeastern Minnesota”
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Box
13
Folder
22
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2002, “A Mussel Survey in the Vicinity of a Proposed Outfall Pipe, Mississippi River Mile 823.0-823.4, Rosemount, Dakota County, Minnesota”
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2003
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Box
13
Folder
23
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“U.S. Highway 12 Wisconsin River Mussel Survey and Translocation, Sauk and Dane Counties, Wisconsin, May 2002”
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Box
13
Folder
24
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“A Mussel Translocation in the Vicinity of a New Disposal Pipe, Mississippi River Mile 818.9, Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota”
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Box
13
Folder
25
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“Mussel Surveys at Two U.S. Highway 52 Bridge Sites, Rochester, Minnesota, April 2003”
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Box
13
Folder
26
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2005, “A Preliminary Survey of Mussels in the Vicinity of Potassium Chloride Spill, Mississippi River Mile 818.7, Cottage Grove, Washington County, Minnesota”
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Box
13
Folder
27
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2007, “A Mussel Survey at a Test Trench Site, Mississippi River Mile 834.2, South St. Paul, Minnesota, October 2006”
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Series: Subject Files
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Box
14
Folder
1
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Association of American Railroads, 1983-1984
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Box
14
Folder
2-9
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Clippings, 1975-1984
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Box
15
Folder
1
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Didion, 1988-1990
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Box
15
Folder
2
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Dillman, 1958-1966, 1983-1987
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Box
15
Folder
3-4
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Environmental Assessments and comments, 1983-1985, 1988
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Box
15
Folder
5
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Environmental Policy Institute, 1975-1985
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Box
16
Folder
1-2
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Fleeting, 1979-1982, 1998
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Box
16
Folder
3-4
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Havlik's participation, 1976-1984
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Box
16
Folder
5
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Hazardous waste in Prairie du Chien, 1980
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Malacological Consultants
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Box
20
Folder
1-2
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1976-1982
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Box
20
Folder
3
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1994
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Oversize Folder
1
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Maps, 1976-1983, 1990
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Box
16
Folder
6
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Mississippi River stages, 1975-1985
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Prairie du Chien, 1978-1985
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Box
16
Folder
7
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Barge activities, 1978-1984
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Box
17
Folder
1-2
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Correspondence, 1980-1985
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Harbor
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Box
17
Folder
3-4
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1980-1985, 1989-1990
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Box
20
Folder
5
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1992-1995
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Box
17
Folder
5-6
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Prairie Sand and Gravel, 1979-1990, 1996
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Box
17
Folder
7
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Related projects, 1979-1989
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Box
18
Folder
1-4
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Research, 1976-1984
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Box
20
Folder
4
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Science Fair Projects of Havlik children, 1972-1973
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Box
18
Folder
5
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U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1975-1984, 1996
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Box
18
Folder
6-7
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1978-1984
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Box
19
Folder
1-2
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Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1979-1984
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Box
19
Folder
3-4
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Wisconsin Department of Transportation, 1980-1984
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Series: Audio Recordings
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1462A/1-2
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Claflin lectures, 1984
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