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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by Kepner of both philosophical and biological importance, and extensive drawings and drafts for his "testament", an unpublished textbook entitled "The Awareness of Life".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
  • Box 1
    W. A. K. to Edwin A. Alderman 1920 Jan 14
  • Box 1
    W. A. K. to Dr. Geza Entz 1929 Jan 4
  • Box 1
    Dr. E. Sekera to W. A. K. 1930 Dec 13
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with Edward P. Mumford 1934-1939
  • Box 1
    W. J. Schoene to Mr. Homer Rickey 1936
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with Trenton K. Ruebush 1937-1940
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with Miriam I. Pennypacker 1938 May
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with Waldo Schmitt 1938-1942
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with Dr. Herbert Prytherch 1939
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with L. H. Hyman 1939
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with Dr. F. F. Ferguson 1939-1940
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with Dr. M. A. Stirewalt 1939-1940
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with W. J. Hayes 1939-1940
  • Box 1
    R. C. Schiedt to W. A. K. 1943 Nov 24
  • Box 1
    W. A. K. to Dr. E. C. Cocke 1945
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with Dr. A. W. Jones, re second edition of Histology 1948-1949
  • Box 1
    Correspondence from R. F. Ewer 1951 Jun 27
  • Box 1
    Correspondence concerning article, "Concerning the Food-Reactions of Amoebas..." 1951
  • Box 1
    Correspondence with Taliaferro, Karl Lashley, and John Cook Wyllie 1957-1959
  • Box 1
    Correspondence re possible publication of The Awareness of Life 1963-1975
  • Box 1
    Miscellaneous Correspondence 1930-1939
  • Box 1
    Miscellaneous Correspondence 1940-1950
  • Box 1
    Miscellaneous Correspondence 1952-1953
  • Box 1
    Miscellaneous Correspondence 1954
Series II, Writings
  • Subseries 1: Philosophical Articles
    • Box 1
      "Cartesinism is Becoming Less a Dogma" 1934
    • Box 1
      Review of Tobias Dantzig's Aspects of Science 1937
    • Box 1
      "Teaching in Science" from Proc Dept. Teacher Training Va. Education Assoc. 1939 Apr 14-15
    • Box 1
      "Then and Now" from Seminar contacts 1940-1941
    • Box 1
      Notes for book: "Animals use the things of this world" 1940-1945
    • Box 1
      "Youth Faces Pulchritude as Infancy Faces Milk" [1946]
    • Box 1
      "Imponderables" 1947 May
    • Box 1
      "Are Our Bodies We?" 1950 Apr 15
    • Box 1
      "Our Bodies Are Not We" 1951
    • Box 1
      "I am a non-conformist because..." 1953
    • Box 1
      "What is Life?" and notes for Ch.IX - The Awareness of Man 1959
    • Box 1
      "Biology and Life" n.d.
    • Box 1
      "Biology and Democracy" n.d.
  • Subseries 2: Technical Articles
    • Box 1
      "Amphibolla Virginia" 1937
    • Box 1
      "Analogies and Amebas" - Science article; "Amoebas and Analogy" - Seminar report 1947-1949
    • Box 1
      Ants and Bees [?] 1959
    • Box 2
      " Archiloa Wilsoni " [1940]
    • Box 2
      "Concerning the Food Reactions of Amoebas and the Manipulation of Nematocysts of Hydra by Microstomum " 1951
    • Box 2
      "Concerning Conjugating of Paramecium" 1943-1945
    • Box 2
      "The Ductus Genito-Intestinalis in the Geus Castrada , based upon Castrada Lutheri " n.d.
    • Box 2
      "The Discharge of Nematocysts of Hydra with Special Reference to the Renetrant" n.d.
    • Box 2
      "The Discharge of Nematocysts of Hydra with Special Reference to the Renetrant" 1950
    • Box 2
      "Epithelia" n.d.
    • Box 2
      Filmstat Lists - Numerical and Alphabetical n.d.
    • Box 2
      "The formation of the ovum of Chlorohydra viridissima ..." n.d.
    • Box 2
      "Fuhrmania Reynoldsii" n.d.
    • Box 2
      "International Rules of Zoological Nomenclature" 1936
    • Box 2
      "Effect of High Frequency Irradiation and Inanition upon Microstomum lineare" with corr. and notes 1944
    • Box 2
      "Literature" and Slide References 1942
    • Box 2
      "The Manipulation of the Nematocysts of Pennaria tiarella by Aeolis pilata " 1943
    • Box 2
      Microstomum Irradiation notes 1942-1943
    • Box 2
      Microstomum Irradiation - Readings of slides 1941-1942
    • Box 2
      Microstomum Irradiation Literature 1942 Sep
    • Box 2
      "Naked Amebas" - Chapter II n.d.
    • Box 2
      "A New Turbellarian Worm (Rhabdocoele) from Beaufort, N. Carolina" Phonorhynchus pearsi n. sp. 1939
    • Box 3
      "A New Turbellarian (Rhabdocoele) from Beaufort, N. Carolina" Trignostomum prytherchi 1940
    • Box 3
      "A New Turbellarian Worm (Rhabdocoele) from Beaufort, N. Carolina" 1940
    • Box 3
      Drawings - Beaufort 1939-1941
    • Box 3
      Drawings - [Rhabdocoeles?] n.d.
    • Box 3
      Drawings - [Turbellaria] n.d.
    • Box 3
      Drawings - [Turbellaria] n.d.
    • Box 3
      "Origin of ovary and stenostomum oesophagium," notes on 1930
    • Box 3
      "Plagiostomum" 1940
    • Box 3
      Drawings - "Plagiostomum" n.d.
    • Box 3
      "Plagiostomum dahlgreni" [1939]
    • Box 3
      "Shell - Building Amebas" 1946 May 17
    • Box 3
      Chapter III "Shelled Amebas" n.d.
    • Box 3
      "Short Wave Radiation and Therapy," notes on n.d.
    • Box 3
      "Stenostomum predatorium," notes and drawings n.d.
    • Box 3
      "Trigonostomum," notes and drawings n.d.
    • Box 3
      Miscellaneous Writings 1958-1959
    • Box 4
      Drawings - Castrella n.d.
    • Box 4
      Drawings - [Dalyellia] 1936
    • Box 4
      Drawings - [Macrostomum] n.d.
    • Box 4
      Drawings and Photos - [Nematocysts] n.d.
    • Box 4
      Drawings - Opistomum 1930-1937
    • Box 4
      Drawings - [Prorhyneline] n.d.
    • Box 4
      Miscellaneous Drawings n.d.
    • Box 4
      Miscellaneous Notes and Drawings 1947-1953, n.d.
    • Box 4
      Miscellaneous References to Slides 1936
    • Box 4
      Miscellaneous Quizzes 1946, 1948
    • Box 4
      News Clippings 1951-1971
  • Subseries 3: Drafts for Text on Gun-Makings
    • Box 4
      "Form and Function of a Gun-Maker," notes for - Ch. III 1945
    • Box 4
      "Paramecium" - Ch. IV 1946
    • Box 4
      "A Gun-Maker" - Ch. V n.d.
    • Box 4
      "A Gun-Thief," notes for - Ch. V 1945
    • Box 4
      "Guns and Gun-Making" - Ch. VI n.d.
    • Box 4
      "Guns and Gun-Making" 1946
    • Box 4
      "A Gun-Thief," - Ch. VII n.d.
    • Box 4
      "Another Gun-Maker" - Ch. VIII n.d.
    • Box 4
      "Another Gun-Maker" n.d.
    • Box 4
      "Another Gun-Maker" Ch. IX n.d.
    • Box 4
      "Another Gun-Maker," notes for 1946
    • Box 5
      "We Gun-Makers" - Ch. X n.d.
    • Box 5
      "We Gun-Makers," notes for 1945
    • Box 5
      "Gun-Makers and Gun-Thieves," notes for book 1942-1945
    • Box 5
      "Uniqueness of Gun-Makers and Gun-Thieves" 1945
    • Box 5
      Legends for Figures n.d.
    • Box 5
      Textfigures n.d.
  • Subseries 4: The Awareness of Life
    • Box 5
      Carbon Copy with Holograph Corrections, Ch.'s 1-2, The Awareness of Life 1963
    • Box 5
      Carbon Copy with Holograph Corrections, Ch.'s 3-4, The Awareness of Life 1963
    • Box 5
      Carbon Copy with Holograph Corrections, Ch.'s 5-6, The Awareness of Life 1963
    • Box 5
      Carbon Copy with Holograph Corrections, Ch.'s 7-10, The Awareness of Life 1963
    • Box 5
      Carbon Copy with Holograph Corrections, Ch.'s 11-12, The Awareness of Life 1963
    • Box 5
      Carbon Copy with Holograph Corrections, Ch.'s 13-14, The Awareness of Life 1963
    • Box 6
      Carbon Copy with Holograph Corrections, Ch.'s 15, Epilogue, Appendices and References, The Awareness of Life 1963
    • Box 6
      Drawings for Ch.'s 1-3 of The Awareness of Life 1963
    • Box 6
      Drawings for Ch.'s 1-3 of The Awareness of Life 1963
    • Box 6
      Drawings for Ch.'s 1-3 of The Awareness of Life 1963
    • Box 6
      Prints for Illustrations - The Awareness of Life 1963
Box 7
Series III: Notebooks

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

Series IV: Writings by Others
  • Box 8
    "Chromidia of Mantis" 1908
  • Box 8
    "On the visibility of Centrosomes in the living cell..." (Bresslau) 1910
  • Box 8
    Writings of Roman Kenk 1931-1932
  • Box 8
    "Class Turbellaria" (2 c.) (attributed to Bresslau) 1933
  • Box 8
    [Einige Rhabdocoele Turbellarian aus Trinidad, Westindien" (J. Kennel) [1935]
  • Box 8
    "Egg Shell and Yolk Cells in Turbellarien and Trematodes" (H. V. Hofsten; trans. Ferguson) [1935]
  • Box 8
    "The Family Prorhynchidae in America" (with correspondence concerning) (Richard J. Porter) 1936 May
  • Box 8
    "Alum-Cochineal - Hematoxylin Stain" (Bruce D. Reynolds) [1936]
  • Box 8
    "Biological Stains and Staining" (H. A. Senn) 1936 Feb 28
  • Box 8
    "Cytology and Its Relation to Taxonomic Problems"; "A Cytological Study of Macrostomum tuba von Graff" (H. M. Phillips) 1937
  • Box 8
    Photos of Hydra's egg incubation (Carl H. McConnell) 1937
  • Box 8
    "Delafield's Haematoxylin" and "Blood Grouping" 1937-1938
  • Box 8
    "Turbellaria, Alleocoela" (Lauri Maristo) 1938
  • Box 8
    "The Role of Vitamins in Plant Development" (James Bonner; review by W. C. Gregory) 1938
  • Box 8
    "Castiada" and "Turbellaria" (with note F. Ferguson to M. A. Stirewalt) 1938
  • Box 8
    "Studies of the Turbellarian fauna of the Mountain Lake Biological Station" (Ferguson, Stirewalt, Brown, Hayes) 1938
  • Box 8
    "The Protonephridum of Stenostomum " (Mary Louise Grumbein) 1939
  • Box 8
    "Short Wave Radiation Data" (Leonard Malis) 1939
  • Box 8
    "Life Cycle of the Holomastigotoides" n.d.
  • Box 8
    Transcriptions (Beauchamp, M. Braun, and B. Wahl) n.d.
  • Box 8
    "The Turbellarian Fauna of the Aral Lakes" (W. N. Beklemischen) n.d.
  • Box 8
    Miscellaneous Writings n.d.
  • Box 8
    "On Straudskov's Certain Physiological Effects of X-Rays on Euplanaria dorotocephala " n.d.
  • Box 8
    "The Culture of Microstomum" (and notes) (M. A. Stirewalt) n.d.
  • Box 8
    "Stenostoma langi" (H. Sabussov) n.d.
  • Box 8
    "The Cell" and "Mitosis" (Arthur Jones) n.d.
  • Box 8
    William Allison Kepner: Teacher, Scientist, Philosopher edited by Bruce D. Reynolds 1946