Finding Aid to the Joshua Lederberg Papers, 1904-2002

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary

Biographical/Historical Note

Collection Summary

Administrative Information

Restrictions

Other Descriptive Information

Series Descriptions

Series I: Biography, 1904-1999

Series II: Academic Career, 1925-1999 (bulk 1947-1978)

Series III: Correspondence, 1935-1999
Subseries: CA
Subseries: CB
Subseries: CC
Subseries: CD
Subseries: CE
Subseries: CF
Subseries: Chronological

Series IV: Research, 1941-1999

Series V: Writings, 1941-2001

Series VI: Public Service, 1929-2000

Series VII: Consulting Work, 1948-2000

Series VIII: Calendar Files (Pastcal), 1947-1999

Series IX: Photographs, ca. 1910-2002

Series X: Audiovisual Materials, 1953-2001

Series IX: Photographs, ca.1910-2002, 3.0 linear feet

The Photographs series contains photographs and slides from Lederberg’s personal and professional life. The series is divided into four sub-series: Lederberg Family Photographs, Joshua Lederberg Personal Photographs, Joshua Lederberg Professional Photographs, and General Photographs. Caption information is available with the majority of photographs

IX.1 Lederberg Family Photographs, ca. 1910-1995, 0.20 linear feet

The Lederberg Family Photographs sub-series contains photographs of Joshua Lederberg and his relatives. There are photographs of Lederberg’s parents (including their 1924 wedding photograph), aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great-grandparents. There are photographs of Lederberg as a young child and young man with several of his brothers. In addition, there are two photographs of Lederberg with his first wife Esther. The later photographs, from the 1990s, include photographs of Lederberg with his daughter Annie and wife Marguerite.

The photographs are arranged in chronological order.

IX.2 Joshua Lederberg Personal Photographs, 1925-1999, 0.20 linear feet

The Joshua Lederberg Personal Photographs sub-series contains photographs of Joshua Lederberg in personal settings. There is a baby photo of Lederberg from 1925 and photos of Lederberg at junior high and high school age, including a junior high school class photo. The collection also contains photos of Lederberg as a young man in the 1940s, as well as several photographs of an older Lederberg relaxing with friends and colleagues.

The photographs are arranged in chronological order.

IX.3 Joshua Lederberg Professional Photographs, 1946-2002, 2.0 linear feet

The Joshua Lederberg Professional Photographs sub-series contains photographs of Joshua Lederberg in professional settings. There are photographs of Lederberg at work in labs and classrooms at places like the University of Wisconsin, Stanford University, and Rockefeller University. There are also photographs of Lederberg with colleagues from such groups as the original DENDRAL team (twenty-five years later), the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board, the National Library of Medicine Board of Regents, and the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Panel.

The sub-series includes many photographs of special note. There are photographs from 1958 of Lederberg receiving his Nobel Prize, watching as Edward.L. Tatum receives the same award, and standing with several other Nobel Prize winners. In addition, there are photos of Lederberg with New York City Mayor Rudolph Guliani (1997), with Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig (2000), and with Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (2001). Finally, there are photographs of Lederberg at the White House with Presidents John F. Kennedy (1961), George H. W. Bush (1989), and Bill Clinton (1998).

The photographs are arranged in chronological order.

IX.4 General Photographs, 1941-1961, 0.10 linear feet

The General Photographs sub-series contains photographs that do not include Joshua Lederberg. There are photographs of objects, buildings, and Lederberg’s colleagues. There are photographs of United States Naval Reserve Units at Columbia University, the University of Wisconsin genetics building, Lederberg’s 1958 Nobel Prize diploma, and a plaque honoring Lederberg in the archway of the Yale University Oswald Botanical Library. There are also photographs of Francis J. Ryan, Edward L. Tatum, the entire Columbia University Zoology Department, and several others. Lederberg created a list of these images providing identifying information for the various individuals. Slides of these images are available in Series IX.5.

The photographs are arranged in chronological order.

IX.5 Slides, n.d.;1976, .50 linear feet

The Slides sub-series contains slides of the photographs of individuals in Series IX.4, as well as about five hundred slides of the NASA Viking Mars mission. Due to his work in exobiology Lederberg was involved in the Viking mission and these slides are his personal copies of images taken in space.

Please note that the slides are housed in their original boxes to facilitate organization and access.

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