A Guide to the Papers of William Allison Kepner, 1898-1975 Kepner, William Allison, Papers 12780

A Guide to the Papers of William Allison Kepner, 1898-1975

A Collection in
Special Collections
The University of Virginia Library
Accession Number 12780


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Processed by: Special Collections Staff

Repository
Special Collections, University of Virginia Library
Accession number
12780
Title
Papers of William Allison Kepner 1898-1975
Physical Characteristics
This collection consists of ca. 4500 items.
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

[Title], Accession # , Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This combined collection incorporates archival transfers from other departments of Alderman Library as well as gifts of Mr. Kepner and of his executor, Perry N. Jester. These materials were originally accessioned between 1953 and 1976 as manuscript collections #4538, -a-f.

Biographical/Historical Information

William Allison Kepner (1875-1971) was born in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Gettysburg Academy in 1894, earned his B.A. in 1898, and was awarded the M.A. in 1900 from Franklin and Marshall College. Kepner served as fellow at the University of Goettingen in the summer of 1903 and at Princeton during the academic year 1903/1904. In 1908 he received his Ph.D. in biology from the University of Virginia.

Kepner's teaching career in the Biology Department at the University of Virginia spanned the years 1904-1946, when he retired. A gifted lecturer and perennially one of the University's most popular professors, Kepner was also a prodigious scholar. A member of leading scientific societies and organizations, he published over 60 articles in scholarly journals and co-authored, with Uric Dahlgren, The Principles of Animal Histology , which remains a leading textbook in that field.

Scope and Content Information

The William Allison Kepner Papers (1898-1975) consist of approximately 4500 items (3.9 shelf feet), including correspondence with friends and colleagues (1920-1975), manuscript and typescript articles by Kepner of both philosophical and biological importance, and extensive drawings and drafts for his "testament", an unpublished textbook entitled "The Awareness of Life". In addition, the collection includes approximately thirty papers written by Kepner's colleagues and students, including a testimonial volume: William Allison Kepner : Teacher, Scientist, Philosopher [compiled by Bruce D. Reynolds at the time of Mr. Kepner's retirement in 1946].

Organization

The collection totals nine manuscript boxes and is organized in four series. Series I comprises some fifty years of correspondence and is arranged chronologically. Series II, "Writings," has three subseries: philosophical articles, which are arranged chronologically; technical articles, which are arranged alphabetically and conclude with drawings and some miscellaneous materials; and subseries III, which consists of chapter drafts and accompanying drawings. Series III consists of five notebooks from Mr. Kepner's student days. Series IV is one box of writings by other biologists, chiefly Kepner's mentors, colleagues and students.

Contents List

Series I: Correspondence
Series II, Writings
Box 7
Series III: Notebooks

Five bound class notebooks, 1903-1906 [Princeton University]

Series IV: Writings by Others