Title: Alfred O. Gross Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1928-1931

Creator:

• Gross, Alfred Otto, 1883-1970

Call Number: Mss 61; PH 3368

Quantity: 0.8 c.f. (2 archives boxes) and 73 photographs (1 album)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Papers concerning an investigation by pathologist Alfred Gross and others, sponsored by the Wisconsin Conservation Commission, into the biology and pathology of the Wisconsin prairie chicken; including correspondence, data, photographs, and manuscripts of articles and reports. Correspondents include Aldo Leopold. The album contains images of prairie chickens, nests, eggs, nesting hens, and chicks. Also included are images of field blinds and camera installations.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00061

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Dr. A.O. Gross of Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, conducted a Wisconsin prairie chicken investigation for six weeks during the summer of 1929 and three months in summer 1930, after which he prepared a Progress Report of the Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Investigation, published by the Wisconsin Conservation Commission in 1930.

His initial contact with the Research Bureau of the Commission stemmed from 1928, when he began receiving grouse specimens from Wisconsin for pathological examination. After 1930, he maintained an interest in the investigation, which was continued by F.J.W. Schmidt, who served as Dr. Gross' assistant in 1930.

Acquisition Information

The papers described here were offered by Dr. Gross, Brunswick, Maine, December 21, 1967 to Walter Scott, representing the Wisconsin Conservation Commission. They were transferred to the Historical Society by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, September 5, 1969.

Processing Information

This description was prepared by Susan Flader of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, June 29, 1968.

Mss 61	Correspondence
Box   1 Folder   1	, 1928 re: Specimens Scope and Content Note: This folder contains about 35 letters, mostly August-October 1928, concerning Wisconsin grouse specimens shipped to Dr. Gross in Maine for pathological examination. Correspondents include conservation wardens, Dr. M.L. Jones of the Research Bureau, W.B. Grange, Superintendent of Game, and various other individuals who sent specimens.
Box   1 Folder   2	1928-1929 Scope and Content Note: About 105 letters, September 1928 to December 1929, are included, many of them correspondence with W.B. Grange concerning initiation and conduct of the first year's investigation. Among other correspondents are Duane Kipp, Dr. M.L. Jones, Aldo Leopold, William C. Adams, Herbert L. Stoddard, P.S. Lovejoy, and M.D. Pirnie. The letter from Gross to Grange, Dec. 14, 1928, contains a list of legends for lantern slides.
Box   1 Folder   3	1930, Jan.-May Scope and Content Note: About 85 letters are included, dealing with the progress report, photographs, and preparation for the summer 1930 investigation. Besides considerable correspondence with Grange and Kipp, there is some with Leopold, Paul Kelleter, Matt Patterson, A.C. Bent, Outram Bangs, Jones, Pirnie, Alvin Whitney, Carlos Avery, F.S. Lodge, and W.L. McAtee.
Box   1 Folder   4	1930, June-1931, Feb. Scope and Content Note: The approximately 105 letters in this folder concern conduct of the summer 1930 investigation, preparation of motion picture films, preparation and editing of the progress report, and matters relating to other articles and talks about the investigation. Much of the correspondence is with Duane Kipp, Superintendent of Education and Publications; also represented are Grange, Jones, Patterson, Stoddard, O.J. Gromme, E.E. Tyzzer, F.J.W. Schmidt, William Mauthe, Kelleter, and William F. Grimmer.
Box   1 Folder   5	, 1931 Comments Scope and Content Note: The progress report was distributed in February 1931. This folder contains about 30 congratulatory letters, February and March 1931, from many noted ornithologists and naturalists.
	Data and Photographs
Box   1 Folder   6	Data: Specimens, Films, etc. Scope and Content Note: Included in this folder are data on stomach contents of prairie chicken and sharp-tailed grouse; hatching times; lists of specimens and collectors, and parasites and diseases; subject matter of moving picture reels, and legends for lantern slides.
Box   1 Folder   7	Specimens selected for food determination by Dr. E.E. Tyzzer Scope and Content Note: Envelope containing about 38 data cards on individual birds.
Box   1 Folder   8	Original Field Notes, 1929-1930 Scope and Content Note: This envelope contains 4x6 inch cards or slips, pencil or typed, of Gross' field notes. For summer 1929, there are pages numbered 1-180 (with a few missing) covering June 4 to July 14. For summer 1930 there is a list of nests found (15 pp.), notes from May 29 to June 14 (circa 20 pp.), about 60 pp. of notes arranged according to nest numbers, and about 15 miscellaneous sheets.
Box   2 Folder   1	Photographs Scope and Content Note: Envelope containing 18 prints of prairie chickens and habitat, including one hand-colored print.
PH 3368	Snapshots Scope and Content Note: An album containing about 73 photographs by Gross, 1930, of prairie chickens, eggs, chicks, and habitat. Negative numbers are indicated, but not captions. (This album was originally housed in Box 2, Folder 2.)
Mss 61	Manuscripts
	Progress Report
Box   2 Folder   3	Early Draft Scope and Content Note: These are typed drafts of about half the material in the completed progress report. Several sections are labelled “first draft” and most contain pencil or ink revisions, many of which are incorporated in the later draft. Also included in the folder are 4 outline maps showing grouse, nest, and feeding station distribution.
Box   2 Folder   4	Copy 1 Scope and Content Note: This folder contains the original copy of the major draft, but it is not complete. Page numbers corresponding to the published version have been noted in the upper left corner. The draft contains some pencil and ink revisions, mostly in Gross' hand.
Box   2 Folder   5	Copy 2 Scope and Content Note: This is a complete carbon of the major draft (above), also with revisions, some of which are different from those on the original copy. Included in the folder are proof sheets for many of the photographs and drawings used in the report.
Box   2 Folder   6	Copy 3 Scope and Content Note: Unrevised carbons of some sections of the above.
Box   2 Folder   7	Gross Manuscripts Scope and Content Note: The following typed drafts, many with revisions, are included: “Prairie Chicken Report” 4 pp. plus carbon of pp. 2-4; early version of below “Prairie Chicken Report” 6 pp. “as read in N.Y.” “The Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Investigation” 7 pp. “as presented to Bull. Am Game Protective Ass.” with cover letter from Carlos Avery, Jan. 7, 1930 (A revised version of “Prairie Chicken Report” above) “New England Ruffed Grouse Investigation” 5 pp. “New England Game Conference, January 11th, 1930” “Home Life of the Prairie Chicken in Wisconsin” 2 pp. “Federation--Boston” “The Prairie Chicken of the Wisconsin Prairies” pp. 1, 6-9. “Bird Lore” “Prairie Chicken” 9 pp. talk “Prairie Chicken Investigation” 1-p. fragment; “A.O.U. Meeting, Salem, Mass., Oct 21-23 Inc.” [193O] “The Heath Hen Census for 1930” 3 pp. 2 copies “Save the Prairie Chicken for Illinois” 4 pp. with cover letter to F.S. Lodge, Dec. 14, 1930; also included in correspondence with Lodge is a 2-pp. comment on Professor Frank Smith “305. Tympanchus Cupido Americanus...” 29 pp. 2 magazine covers with Gross prairie chicken photographs (American Game, April-May 1930, and The Game Breeder, Feb. 1931) pp. 85-88 of “The Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Investigation” clipped from the Game Breeder, March 1931 a mimeographed bibliography of the publications of A.O. Gross, to 1966
Box   2 Folder   8	F.J.W. Schmidt Manuscripts Scope and Content Note “Program of Work for Game Research” 3 pp. “Food, Parasites, Disease and Abundance of Grouse in Wood County” 6 pp. “Parasites and Disease at the State Game Farm” 1 p. “Predatory Animal Nest Destruction” 2 pp. “Conservation Commission Study Skin Collection” 1 p. “Grouse Hunting at Babcock, October 1-6, 1932” 7 pp. “Banding...” 6 pp. handwritten report, 1932 [3 drawings] 1932 [letter to Gross] Nov. 21, 1932.
Box   2 Folder   8	Wallace Grange Manuscripts Scope and Content Note “A Five Year Program for Game Research” 8 pp. typed [circa May 1930--see Grange to Gross, May 16, 1930] “The Future of the Prairie Chicken” clipped from Outdoor America, March 1930, pp. 18-20