George H. M. Lawrence Papers


University Archives and Special Collections
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632

email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Published in 2009

Collection Overview

Title: George H. M. Lawrence Papers
Date range: 1850-1982
Creator: Lawrence, George H. M. (George Hill Mathewson), 1910-1978
Extent: 15.5 linear feet,
36 box(es)
Abstract: This collection contains the papers of celebrated botanist George H. M. Lawrence. The majority of the records in the collection are from the period 1971 to 1978 when Lawrence was in semi-retirement at his home in East Greenwich, Rhode Island.
Language of materials: English
Repository: University Archives and Special Collections
Collection number: Mss. Gr. 49

Scope & content

The papers of George Hill Mathewson Lawrence were donated to the University of Rhode Island Library in 1984 and 1985 by Lawrence's widow, Miriam B. Lawrence. The bulk of the papers are from the period 1971 to 1978 when Lawrence was in semi-retirement at his hone in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Though still on the staff of the Hunt Botanical Library as a Research Associate and Consultant, his sole responsibility was editing the proposed catalogue of Linnaeana in the Hunt Botanical Library.

The papers contained in this manuscript group represent only a small fragment of those generated by Lawrence during his professional life. The bulk of his professional papers are housed in the Archives of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation (formerly the Hunt Botanical Library) at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and at the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

The papers were divided into six series as follows: Linnaeus Catalogue, Correspondence, Subject, Chronological File, the Lawrence Family , and the Ives Family: Household Receipts.

Series I, Linnaeus Catalogue, 1966-1982, contains records relating to Lawrence's work on the proposed catalogue describing the Linnaeus collection in the Hunt Botanical Library. Included are such materials as correspondence, annotated print-outs, lists, slides, and notes concerning the proposed catalogue.

Series II, Correspondence, 1950-1982, consists of Lawrence's professional and personal correspondence with botanists, bibliophiles, rare book dealers, and friends. Correspondence relating to the Linnaeus Catalogue can be found in Series I and some general correspondence can also be found in Series III, the Subject Series and Series IV, the Chronological File. Included in this series are a few items of correspondence of Miriam Lawrence with the same correspondents, mostly letters of condolence concerning the death of her husband.

Series III, Subject File, 1904-1979, consists of a variety of general records relating to activities and areas of interest to Lawrence. Included are correspondence, brochures, printed programs, photographs, course notes, speeches, honorary degrees, and a copy of Lawrence's doctoral dissertation submitted to Cornell in 1939. The Subject File also contains interesting photographs of botanist and plant explorer, David Fairchild (1869 - 1954) and philanthropist, Barbour Lathrop (1847-1927). There are two photographs which depict Lathrop with Alexander Graham Bell and one with Mrs. Bell. Dr. Fairchild was married to Bell's daughter, Marian Hubbard Bell. Most of the photographs appear Fairchild's book, The World Was My Garden, New York, C. Scribner's sons; London, C. Scribner's sons, ltd., 1938.

Series IV, Chronological File, 1970-1978, consists of carbon copies Lawrence's outgoing letters. Most of these letters are duplicated in one of the three preceding series.

Series V, Lawrence Family, 1794-1949, contains a variety of diaries, journals, ledgers, and account books of Lawrence's ancestors in Rhode Island. The materials were collected by Lawrence in anticipation of writing a family history.

Series VI, Ives Family Household Receipts, 1856-1873, consists entirely of receipts for household expenditures made by Moses and Anne Ives of Power Street in Providence. Whether Lawrence collected this material because of a family connection with the Ives or simply out of interest in a well to do nineteenth century Rhode Island family is unknown.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into six series:

  • 1. Linnaeus Catalog
  • 2. Correspondence
  • 3. Subject File
  • 4. Chronological File
  • 5. Lawrence Family
  • 6. Ives Family

Biographical note

George Hill Mathewson Lawrence, a native of Rhode Island, was for many years one of the preeminent botanists in the world. Born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island on June 19, 1910, he was the son of Dana and Anna (Mathewson) Lawrence. He attended local schools, graduating from Lockwood High School in Warwick in 1928. Remaining in his native state, Lawrence received both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from the then Rhode Island State College in 1932 and 1933 respectively. He also received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from his Alma Mater in 1952.

In 1934, he married Miriam Boothby of Westbrook, Maine. After serving as Superintendent of Greenhouses and Grounds at Rhode Island State Hospital from 1934 to 1936, Lawrence left Rhode Island to study for his doctorate at Cornell University. There, as a student of the renowned botanist/ horticulturalist Liberty Hyde Bailey, he received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in botany in 1939. After receiving the doctorate, Lawrence remained as Bailey's assistant in the Bailey Hortorium until World War II military service interrupted his career in 1943. After the war, in 1946, Lawrence returned to Cornell and the Bailey Hortorium as a Professor of Botany. In 1951, he was named Director of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium and in that same year, he published his seminal botany textbook, Taxonomy of Vascular Plants. In 1954, he assumed the editorship of the Bailey Hortorium journal, Baileya.

After nearly twenty-one years as a student and staff member at the Bailey Hortorium, Lawrence left in 1960 to assume the position of director of the newly established Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt Botanical Library at the then Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon University). With the collection of Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt (of the American Aluminum Company (Alcoa) Hunts) as a cornerstone, Lawrence developed the Hunt Botanical Library into one of the finest of its kind in the world. One of his major accomplishments was the acquisition for the Library of a 4000 item collection of Linnaeus materials from the private library of Dr. Birger Strandell of Sweden, a direct descendant of Linnaeus. In the ten years after its acquisition, the Linnaeana collection doubled in size.

Due in part to ill health, Lawrence stepped down as Director of the Hunt Botanical Library at the end of 1970 and returned to his native Rhode Island. He remained on the staff of the Hunt Botanical as a Research Associate and Consultant, however, in order to complete an annotated catalogue of its Linnaeus collection. Working with the donor of the collection, Dr. Birger Strandell, Lawrence devoted the remaining seven and one half years of his life to the completion of the Linnaeus Catalogue. Due to many problems, including several with its computer generated format, the Catalogue was never completed.

In addition to his lifelong interest in botany, Lawrence was also a student of local history and an avid bibliophile and collector of rare books. He combined his vocation and his avocations in accumulating a fine library of botanical works, general rare books, and books of Rhode Island history in his East Greenwich home. Many of these books, in particular those on Rhode Island history, were donated to the University of Rhode Island Library by his widow, Miriam Lawrence. This donation broadened both the Library's Rhode Island Collection and its rare book collection. George Lawrence died in East Greenwich on June 10, 1978.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: Open for research.
Use of the materials: Terms governing use and reproduction: Photocopying and scanning of materials is a fee based service available in the repository and is allowed at the discretion of the Archivist when in compliance to the Unit's policy on copyright and publication.
Preferred citation: George H. M. Lawrence Papers, 1850-1982, Mss. Gr. 49, University of Rhode Island, University Archives and Special Collections.
Contact information: University Archives and Special Collections
15 Lippitt Road
Kingston, RI 02881-2011
Tel: 401-874-4632

email: archives@etal.uri.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Acquisition: The papers of George Hill Mathewson Lawrence were donated to the University of Rhode Island Library in 1984 and 1985 by Lawrence's widow, Miriam B. Lawrence.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid prepared by Dr. Kevin J. Logan.
Encoding: Finding aid encoded by Hailie D. Posey 2009 June 24, updated by Mark Dionne on 2020 April 13
Descriptive rules: Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Inventory


Inventory

Series 1. Linnaeus Catalog
Box 1-4, Folder 1-65
This Series consists of materials relating to the efforts of George Lawrence and Birger Strandell to compile for publication an annotated catalogue describing the Linnaeus collection of the Hunt Botanical Library (later the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation). Included in the series are correspondence, annotated print-outs, sample pages, slides, and lists concerning the proposed catalogue.

Of particular interest is Lawrence's correspondence with the principals involved in the production of the catalogue, his co-editor, Birger Strandell of Sweden and Gilbert Daniels, Lawrence's successor as Director of the Hunt Botanical Library. Lawrence's correspondence with Strandell, who donated the nucleus of the Linnaeus collection to the Hunt Botanical Library, reflects his urgency to get the catalogue completed and his frustration at delays caused by computer problems and his own ill health. The Daniels correspondence reveals Lawrence's anger and frustration with what he perceived as Daniels' less than enthusiastic support for the project. Both men held firm views strongly expressed. All of the correspondence relating to the catalogue has been grouped together in folders labeled "Correspondence" followed by the name of the correspondent.

Other items of interest include lists of pupils of Linnaeus, a typed copy of a keepsake prepared for a Linnaeus Symposium held at the Hunt Botanical in 1973, and a paper by Lawrence entitled, "A Catalogue of Linnaeana," in which he outlined the format and objectives of the proposed catalogue.

The series is arranged alphabetically by topic or type of record and chronologically by date within folders.

Container Description Date
Box 1, Folder 1 Almquist and Wiksell, International
1977-1978
Box 1, Folder 2 Appendices: Format
undated
Box 1, Folder 3 Articles About Linnaeus
1976
Box 1, Folder 4 Botanists Cited
undated
Box 1, Folder 5 Budget and Schedule
1974-1975
Box 1, Folder 6 "A Catalogue of Linnaeana" by George Lawrence
1975
Box 1, Folder 7 Content Entries
undated
Box 1, Folder 8 Corrections of Birger Strandell
undated
Box 1, Folder 9 Corrections of Birger Strandell
undated
Box 1, Folder 10 Corrections of Birger Strandell
undated
Box 1, Folder 11 Correspondence: Daniels, Gilbert, Director, Hunt Institute
1971-1972
Box 1, Folder 12 Correspondence: Daniels, Gilbert, Director, Hunt Institute
1973-1974
Box 1, Folder 13 Correspondence: Daniels, Gilbert, Director, Hunt Institute
1975-1977
Box 1, Folder 14 Correspondence: Kiger, Robert, Assistant Director and Director, Hunt Institute
1976-1978, 1982
Box 1, Folder 15 Correspondence: Lilly, Mary Jo
1971-1973
Box 1, Folder 16 Correspondence: Lilly, Roberta,
1972-1974
Box 2, Folder 17 Correspondence: Lilly, Roberta
1975-1978
Box 2, Folder 18 Correspondence: Morris, Kate
1971
Box 2, Folder 19 Correspondence: Strandell, Birger
1966, 1968, 1970-1971
Box 2, Folder 20 Correspondence: Strandell, Birger
1973-1973
Box 2, Folder 21 Correspondence: Strandell, Birger
1974
Box 2, Folder 22 Correspondence. Strandell, Birger
1975
Box 2, Folder 23 Correspondence: Strandell, Birger
1976
Box 2, Folder 24 Correspondence: Strandell, Birger
1977
Box 2, Folder 25 Correspondence: Strandell, Birger
1978
Box 2, Folder 26 Correspondence: Swanberg, Ingrid
1973-1975 Mar
Box 2, Folder 27 Correspondence: Swanberg, Ingrid
1975 Apr-1975 May, 1977
Box 3, Folder 28 Correspondence: Teck, Eva
1971-1979
Box 3, Folder 29 Correspondence: Von Sydow, Carl-0tto
1972-1974
Box 3, Folder 30 Correspondence: Miscellaneous
1971-1974, 1982
Box 3, Folder 31 Cuttings List
undated
Box 3, Folder 32 Entries for Catalogue
undated
Box 3, Folder 33 Entry Cards
undated
Box 3, Folder 34 Formats
1972, 1975
Box 3, Folder 35 Geographical Place Names
undated
Box 3, Folder 36 Illustrations
undated
Box 3, Folder 37 Index Headings
1973, undated
Box 3, Folder 38 Inquiries Re: Linnaeus
1971-1973
Box 3, Folder 39 Introduction
undated
Box 3, Folder 40 Linnaean Society of London
1973, 1978
Box 3, Folder 41 Linnaeus Keepsake
1973
Box 3, Folder 42 Newspaper Names
undated
Box 3, Folder 43 Notes, Miscellaneous
undated
Box 3, Folder 44 PaImblad, Wilhelm
undated
Box 3, Folder 45 Portraits of Linnaeus in Tulberg
undated
Box 3, Folder 46 Pupils of Linnaeus: Biographical Sketches
undated
Box 4, Folder 47 Pupils of Linnaeus: Biographical Sketch
undated
Box 4, Folder 48 Sacklen, Johan Fredric
undated
Box 4, Folder 49 Slides Re: Linnaeus
undated
Box 4, Folder 50 Slides Re: Linnaeus
undated
Box 4, Folder 51 Soulsby Catalogue
undated
Box 4, Folder 52 Strandell, Birger: Reprints and Articles by
1961, 1966, 1969, 1972-1974
Box 4, Folder 53 Strandell Room of the Hunt Botanical Library Opening of
1973
Box 4, Folder 54 Strandell's Addenda
1969, 1972, 1976
Box 4, Folder 55 Strandell's Desiderata
1970
Box 4, Folder 56 Strandell's Errata List
1971
Box 4, Folder 57 Strandell's Foreword
undated
Box 4, Folder 58 Strandell's Linnaean Manuscripts
undated
Box 4, Folder 59 Swedish-English Glossary
undated
Box 4, Folder 60 Thunberg, Carl Peter: Pupils of
undated
Box 4, Folder 61 Title Translations
undated
Box 4, Folder 62 Title Translations
undated
Box 4, Folder 63 Title Translations
undated
Box 4, Folder 64 VaIda avhandlingar
undated
Box 4, Folder 65 Miscellaneous
undated

Series 2. Correspondence
Box 5-12, Folder 66-193
The Correspondence Series contains the personal and professional correspondence of George Lawrence with botanists, bibliophiles, rare book dealers, and friends. Also included in this series are a few items of correspondence of his wife Miriam, primarily letters of condolence on Lawrence's death and her responses to them. Correspondence relating specifically to the Linnaeus catalogue can be found in Series I. Some correspondents are represented in both series.

Particularly interesting is the correspondence with the renowned botanist Liberty Hyde Bailey, with whom Lawrence studied and for whom he worked as the Director of the Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. Also significant is the correspondence with members of the Hunt family, particularly Roy Hunt, Sr. and his son, Alfred Hunt. The Hunt family founded the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa) and the Hunt Foundation, which provided the funding for the establishment and operation of the Hunt Botanical Library. The Library was named after Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt, wife of Roy Hunt, Sr. and an accomplished amateur botanist in her own right.

The series is arranged alphabetically by the name of the correspondent and chronologically by date within folders.

Container Description Date
Box 5, Folder 66 Abbe, Elfreibe: Printer
1950, 1971-1972, 1974, 1977
Box 5, Folder 67 Alava, Prof. Reino
1975-1976
Box 5, Folder 68 Arete Publishing Company
1978, 1980
Box 5, Folder 69 Bailey Hortorium
1950 May-1950 Oct
Box 5, Folder 70 Bailey Hortorium
1950 Nov-1951 Jun
Box 5, Folder 71 Ballard, Ernesta D.
1970-1978
Box 5, Folder 72 Bates, David M.
1971-1973, 1976-1977
Box 5, Folder 73 Blithewold
1979-1981
Box 5, Folder 74 Blunt, Wilfrid
1970-1972
Box 5, Folder 75 Bossert, Theodore W.
1972-1973, 1975, 1977
Box 5, Folder 76 Bridge, Edward M.
1974
Box 5, Folder 77 Brindle, John V.
1972-1976, 1978
Box 5, Folder 78 Buchheim, Dr A. F. Günther
1967, 1974, 1982
Box 5, Folder 79 "A-B" - Miscellaneous
1970-1979
Box 5, Folder 80 Caspari, Claus: Illustrator
1970-1974
Box 5, Folder 81 Cleuter, M. Albert
1972-1973, 1976
Box 6, Folder 82 Constance, Lincoln
1950, 1970-1971
Box 6, Folder 83 Cornell University: Bailey
1970-1971, 1973
Box 6, Folder 84 The Current Company: Dealers
1973-1977
Box 6, Folder 85 "C" - Miscellaneous
1969-1979
Box 6, Folder 86 Daniels, Gilbert S.: Director Hunt Institute
1970-1973
Box 6, Folder 87 Daniels, Gilbert S.: Director Hunt Institute
1974-1977
Box 6, Folder 88 de Vos, Francis
1970, 1971, 1978
Box 6, Folder 89 Dictionary of Scientific Biographies
1973
Box 6, Folder 90 "D" - Miscellaneous
1969-1979
Box 6, Folder 91 Eckhardt, Theo
1971, 1974, 1977-1979
Box 6, Folder 92 Editorial Bruguera
1971
Box 6, Folder 93 Ewan, Joseph
1970, 1972-1974, 1976-1977
Box 6, Folder 94 "E" - Miscellaneous
1966-1976
Box 6, Folder 95 Fales, Edward L.: Book Dealer
1972, 1975
Box 6, Folder 96 Fredrick, William C.
1973-1979
Box 6, Folder 97 Fry, Marion
1972
Box 6, Folder 98 "F" - Miscellaneous
1965-1977
Box 6, Folder 99 Garden Club of Toronto
1970
Box 6, Folder 100 Gifford, G. Edmund
1974-1979
Box 7, Folder 101 Gilmour, J. S. L.
1971-1975
Box 7, Folder 102 Griswold, Ralph E.
1972-1974, 1977-1979
Box 7, Folder 103 Gunthart, Lotti: Botanical Artist
1971-1972, 1975, 1977
Box 7, Folder 104 "G" - Miscellaneous
1969-1982
Box 7, Folder 105 Haight, Mrs. Sherman P.
1972-1973, 1976-1977, 1980
Box 7, Folder 106 Heine, Heino: Stamp Collector
1970-1974, 1976
Box 7, Folder 107 Heller, John L.
1972-1973, 1975-1978
Box 7, Folder 108 Hodge, Walter H.
1974
Box 7, Folder 109 Hooper, Frances
1971-1973, 1978, 1980-1981
Box 7, Folder 110 Horne, Kathleen and Bernard
1966, 1969-1974
Box 7, Folder 111 Horne, Kathleen and Bernard
undated
Box 7, Folder 112 Hull, Helen
1973-1978
Box 7, Folder 113 Hunt, Alfred M.
1966-1967, 1969-1975 Jul
Box 7, Folder 114 Hunt, Alfred M.
1975 Sep-1981
Box 8, Folder 115 Hunt, Roy A. and Rachel
1892
Box 8, Folder 116 Hunt, Roy A. and Rachel
1961-1966
Box 8, Folder 117 Hunt Botanical Library
1971-1978
Box 8, Folder 118 Hunt Institute; X-Ref: Hunt Botanical Library
undated
Box 8, Folder 119 "H" Miscellaneous
1969-1980
Box 8, Folder 120 Jackson, Mary H.
1973
Box 8, Folder 121 "I - J" - Miscellaneous
1971-1978
Box 8, Folder 122 Kelso, Leon H.
1968-1975 Nov
Box 8, Folder 123 Kelso, Leon H.
1975 Dec-1976 Jun
Box 8, Folder 124 Kelso, Leon H.
1977
Box 9, Folder 125 Kelso, Leon H.: Attachment to Correspondence
1977
Box 9, Folder 126 Kiger, Robert
1971, 1974, 1978
Box 9, Folder 127 Korth, Wolfgang
1970-1973
Box 9, Folder 128 Kunzelmann, Helen D.
1970-1971
Box 9, Folder 129 "K" - Miscellaneous
1967-1978
Box 9, Folder 130 Lawrence, Henry
1973, 1975-1976
Box 9, Folder 131 Lees, Carlton B.
1970-1972, 1976, 1978
Box 9, Folder 132 "L" - Miscellaneous
1969-1977
Box 9, Folder 133 McConnell, Priscilla H.
1970-1971
Box 9, Folder 134 McGourty, Frederick
1973-1974
Box 9, Folder 135 McEwen, Currier
1972-1974
Box 9, Folder 136 MacMillan Company
1953, 1955, 1965, 1970, 1972-1973, 1975-1978
Box 9, Folder 137 McVaugh, Rogers
1968, 1970, 1973
Box 9, Folder 138 Margadant, William D.
1970-1977
Box 9, Folder 139 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1977-1978
Box 10, Folder 140 Masters, Charles O.
1972
Box 10, Folder 141 Mathias, Mildred
1968, 1971-1975
Box 10, Folder 142 Menninger, Edwin A.
1970-1972, 1977
Box 10, Folder 143 Murphy, Robert L.
1972-1974
Box 10, Folder 144 "M" - Miscellaneous
1968-1978
Box 10, Folder 145 "N" - Miscellaneous
1968-1978
Box 10, Folder 146 "O" - Miscellaneous
1972-1978
Box 10, Folder 147 Patterson, Thomas
1972
Box 10, Folder 148 Pears, Thomas C.
1971-1979
Box 10, Folder 149 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
1972-1973, 1976-1977
Box 10, Folder 150 Plesch, Arpad
1973-1975
Box 10, Folder 151 Poluzzi, Carlo
1970, 1972-1973
Box 10, Folder 152 Popenoe, John
1971-1976
Box 10, Folder 153 "P" - Miscellaneous
1970-1975
Box 10, Folder 154 Rea, J.
1971
Box 10, Folder 155 Rhode Island, State of
1967, 1969, 1971-1973
Box 11, Folder 156 Rodriguez, Rafael
1970-1976
Box 11, Folder 157 Rosengarten, Frederic J.
1971-1976
Box 11, Folder 158 Ross, Thomas
1974-1977
Box 11, Folder 159 Ryerson, Knowles
1971-1972, 1974
Box 11, Folder 160 "R" - Miscellaneous
1968-1978
Box 11, Folder 161 Sheehan, Marion R.
1970-1971, 1976, 1978
Box 11, Folder 162 Skinner, Henry
1967
Box 11, Folder 163 Smiley, Nixon
1971, 1974, 1980, 1981
Box 11, Folder 164 Smith, Nina
1970, 1976
Box 11, Folder 165 Sollitt, Ralph V.
1974
Box 11, Folder 166 Spongeberg, Stephen
1977
Box 11, Folder 167 Stafleu, Frans A.
1971-1972, 1974, 1977
Box 11, Folder 168 Stauffacher, Jack
1973, 1976-1977
Box 11, Folder 169 Stearn, William L.: University of Maryland
1971-1979
Box 11, Folder 170 Stearn, William T.
1971, 1973-1977
Box 11, Folder 171 Strandell Family
1972-1981
Box 11, Folder 172 Swarthmore College
1973, 1975
Box 11, Folder 173 "S" - Miscellaneous
1968-1974
Box 11, Folder 174 "S" - Miscellaneous
1975-1978
Box 11, Folder 175 Thomas, John H.
1971, 1973, 1976
Box 11, Folder 176 Trueblood, Emily K.
1970-1977
Box 11, Folder 177 Tukey, Harold B., Jr.
1972
Box 11, Folder 178 Tukey, Harold B., Sr.
1970-1972
Box 12, Folder 179 "T" - Miscellaneous
1970-1978
Box 12, Folder 180 U.S. Government
1971
Box 12, Folder 181 Upham, Munroe
1973, 1975-1977
Box 12, Folder 182 Wheldon and Wesley, Ltd.
1971-1979
Box 12, Folder 183 Wechsler, Harry L.
1976-1978, 1981-1982
Box 12, Folder 184 Wedell, Carl
1971-1973, 1976
Box 12, Folder 185 West, Franklin
1973-1974
Box 12, Folder 186 West, George L.
1971, 1976-1977
Box 12, Folder 187 Williamson, Gene
1970-1971
Box 12, Folder 188 Woodburn, Elizabeth
1971, 1974, 1977-1978, 1983
Box 12, Folder 189 Woodward, Carl R, Jr.
1975
Box 12, Folder 190 Wright, Austin
1970, 1972-1973
Box 12, Folder 191 Wreden, Byra
1971
Box 12, Folder 192 "U-W" - Miscellaneous
1968-1977
Box 12, Folder 193 Yale Library Associates
1974-1977

Series 3. Subject File
Box 13-35, Folder 194-387
This Series consists of a variety of materials relating to activities and areas of interest to Lawrence. Also included are materials relating to his death in folders labeled "Memorial Service" and "Obituaries". Of particular interest are the papers concerning his European research trips in 1950-51 and 1962. Correspondence with European botanists reveal the particular research interests and concerns of Lawrence at these times. Also of interest are the folders containing records relating to professional botany and horticultural organizations of which Lawrence was a member or in which he had an interest. Represented in this series are the American Horticultural Society, Garden History Society, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and the Planting Fields Foundation.

To gain some insight into Lawrence as a student, one can peruse the notes he took as a student in a Cornell taxonomy course in 1936 and read his dissertation completed in 1939. Both are contained in this series and both reflect his meticulous approach to his work. That same attention to detail is evident in the notes and syllabus for a seminar in Tropical Botany which Lawrence taught in 1971 at the University of Miami, Florida.

The Subject File also contains interesting photographs of botanist and plant explorer, David Fairchild (1869 - 1954) and philanthropist, Barbour Lathrop (1847 - 1927). There are two photographs which depict Lathrop with Alexander Graham Bell and one with Mrs. Bell. Dr. Fairchild was married to Bell's daughter, Marian Hubbard Bell. Most of the photographs appear Fairchild's book, The World Was My Garden, New York, C. Scribner's sons; London, C. Scribner's sons, ltd., 1938.

The Series is arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically by date within folders. The last two boxes in this Series are located at the end of the entire collection and are enumerated to reflect this.

Container Description Date
Box 13, Folder 194 American Horticultural Society
1966-1967
Box 13, Folder 195 American Horticultural Society
1968 Jan-1968 Mar 15
Box 13, Folder 196 American Horticultural Society
1968 Mar 15-1968 Jun
Box 13, Folder 197 American Horticultural Society
1968 Jul-1968 Sep
Box 13, Folder 198 American Horticultural Society
1968 Oct-1968 Nov 15
Box 13, Folder 199 American Horticultural Society
1968 Nov 20-1968 Dec
Box 13, Folder 200 American Horticultural Society
1969 Jan-1969 Jun
Box 13, Folder 201 American Horticultural Society
1969 Jul-1969 Sep 15
Box 13, Folder 202 American Horticultural Society
1969 Sep 16-1969 Oct
Box 13, Folder 203 American Horticultural Society
1969 Nov-1969 Dec
Box 14, Folder 204 American Horticultural Society
1970 Jan-1970 Mar
Box 14, Folder 205 American Horticultural Society
1970 Apr-1970 Jul 13
Box 14, Folder 206 American Horticultural Society
1970 Jul 14-1970 Jul 31
Box 14, Folder 207 American Horticultural Society
1970 Aug-1970 Sep
Box 14, Folder 208 American Horticultural Society
1970 Oct-1970 Dec
Box 14, Folder 209 American Horticultural Society
undated
Box 14, Folder 210 American Horticultural Society Education Committee
1968-1970
Box 14, Folder 211 American Horticultural Society Plant Record Centre
1967-1970
Box 15, Folder 212 American Horticultural Society 24th American Horticultural Congress
1969 Sep 16-1969 Sep 20
Box 15, Folder 213 Appointments: Cornell University
1950-1953
Box 15, Folder 214 Appointments: Harvard University
1970-1973, 1975, 1978
Box 15, Folder 215 Awards
1960, 1969, 1973
Box 15, Folder x ref Bell, Alexander Graham and Mrs. X-Ref: folder
undated
Box 15, Folder 216 Biographical Data
1971, 1979-1980
Box 15, Folder x ref Barbour, Lathrop X-Ref: see folder 225
undated
Box 15, Folder 217 Cardiogram of Lawrence
1978 May 30-1978 May 31
Box 15, Folder 218 Conservation of Library Materials
1969
Box 15, Folder 219 Doctoral Dissertation, Lawrence
1939
Box 16, Folder 220 European Research Trip
1950-1951, 1949- 1950 Jun
Box 16, Folder 221 European Research Trip
1950-1951
Box 16, Folder 222 European Research Trip
1950-1951
Box 16, Folder 223 European Research Trip
1962
Box 16, Folder 224 Exhibits: Hunt Botanical Library
1970-1971
Box 16, Folder 225 Fairchild, David and Barbour Lathrop: Photographs
1896, 1920, undated
Box 16, Folder 226 Flora North America Project
1970-1973
Box 16, Folder 227 Garden History Society
1973
Box 16, Folder 228 The Hermonite
1904-1905
Box 16, Folder 229 Honorary Degree: University of Rhode Island
1952
Box 16, Folder 230 Hunt Botanical Library
1959, 1962, 1964, 1969
Box 16, Folder 231 H B L Botanist Portrait Congress
1971
Box 17, Folder 232 International Botanical Congress
1975
Box 17, Folder 233 Iris Breeding
1957
Box 17, Folder 234 Massachusetts Horticultural Society
1962-1972
Box 17, Folder 235 Memorial Services for G. Lawrence
1978 Jun 15
Box 17, Folder 236 Minnesota, University of:
1974
Box 17, Folder 237 Obituaries of George Lawrence
1978 Jun
Box 17, Folder 238 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
1977
Box 17, Folder 239 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
1977
Box 17, Folder 240 Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
1977
Box 17, Folder 241 Pictures of George Lawrence
undated
Box 18, Folder 242 Plant Explorers
1970
Box 18, Folder 243 Planting Fields Foundation
1971-1973
Box 18, Folder 244 Planting Fields Foundation
1974
Box 18, Folder 245 Planting Fields Foundation
1975-1976 Jul
Box 18, Folder 246 Planting Fields Foundation
1976 Sep-1976 Dec
Box 18, Folder 247 Planting Fields Foundation
1977-1978
Box 18, Folder 248 Planting Fields Foundation: Publication
1972-1973, 1975-1978
Box 18, Folder 249 Planting Fields Foundation: Publication
undated
Box 19, Folder 250 Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery
1973, 1975 -1976 Aug
Box 19, Folder 251 Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery
1976 Sep-1977 Mar
Box 19, Folder 252 Quidnessett Memorial Cemetery
1977 May-1979, undated
Box 19, Folder 253 University of Rhode Island
1932, 1952-1953, 1978, 1980
Box 19, Folder 254 Rosenblum, Charles J.
1971, 1973-1975, 1978-1979
Box 19, Folder x ref Simson, Torrey X-Ref: folder 225
undated
Box 19, Folder 255 Society of Economic Botany
1971
Box 19, Folder 256 Speeches and Addresses
1961, 1965-1966, 1974, 1978
Box 19, Folder 257 Speeches and Addresses
undated
Box 19, Folder 258 Taxonomy Class Memento 20
undated
Box 20, Folder 259 Taxonomy Lecture Notes
1936
Box 20, Folder 260 Taxonomy of Vascular Plants
1950-1951
Box 20, Folder 261 Tropical Botany Seminar: University of Miami
1970-1971
Box 20, Folder 262 Tropical Botany Seminar: University of Miami
1971
Box 34, Folder 376 Speeches and Addresses (Bound)
1956-1960
Box 34, Folder 377 Speeches and Addresses (Bound)
1961-1966
Box 35, Folder 378 Speeches and Addresses (Bound)
1967-1970
Box 35, Folder 379 University of Rhode Island: Class of 1932 Fiftieth Reunion
1982
Box 35, Folder 380 University of Rhode Island: Class of 1932 Fortieth Reunion
1972
Box 35, Folder 381 University of Rhode Island: Class of 1932 Forty-Fifth Reunion Class History
1977
Box 35, Folder 382 University of Rhode Island: Class of 1932 Forty-Fifth Reunion Questionnaires (A-L)
1977
Box 35, Folder 383 University of Rhode Island: Class of 1932 Forty-Fifth Reunion Questionnaires (M-W)
1977
Box 35, Folder 384 University of Rhode Island: Class of 1932 Forty-Fifth Reunion, Miscellaneous
1977-1978
Box 35, Folder 385 University of Rhode Island: Class of 1932 Mailing List
undated
Box 35, Folder 386 University of Rhode Island: Class of 1935 Fortieth Reunion
1975
Box 35, Folder 387 University of Rhode Island: Class of 1941Thirty-Fifth Reunion
1976

Series 4. Chronological File
Box 21-22, Folder 264-285
The Chronological File consists of carbon copies of Lawrence's outgoing letters. Copies of most, if not all, of these letters can also be found in Series I-III. This Series is arranged chronologically by the date of the letter.

Container Description Date
Box 21, Folder 264 October - November
1970
Box 21, Folder 265 December
1970
Box 21, Folder 266 January 2-11
1971
Box 21, Folder 267 January 19-29
1971
Box 21, Folder 268 February - March
1971
Box 21, Folder 269 April
1971
Box 21, Folder 270 May - August
1971
Box 21, Folder 271 September - December
1971
Box 21, Folder 272 January - April
1972
Box 21, Folder 273 May - December
1972
Box 21, Folder 274 January - March
1973
Box 22, Folder 275 April - December
1973
Box 22, Folder 276 January - April
1974
Box 22, Folder 277 May - August
1974
Box 22, Folder 278 September - December
1974
Box 22, Folder 279 January - May
1975
Box 22, Folder 280 June - December
1975
Box 22, Folder 281 January - March
1976
Box 22, Folder 282 April - June
1976
Box 22, Folder 283 July - December
1976
Box 22, Folder 284 January - February
1977
Box 22, Folder 285 March - October
1977

Series 5. Lawrence Family
Box 23-24, Folder 286-302
George Lawrence's interest in local history most certainly extended to the history of his own family, an interest reflected in the materials contained in this Series. In apparent anticipation of writing a family history, Lawrence gathered together the sources of his family history in the form of diaries, ledgers, estate and business inventories, genealogical notes, and miscellaneous research notes.

Of particular interest in this series are the diaries of Anna M. Mathewson, Lawrence's mother. In addition to daily observations about the weather, her diaries recorded the daily activities of a fairly well-to-do family in turn of the century Rhode Island. It is also clear from the diaries that prior to the age of radio and television the principal form of leisure activity was visiting neighbors and socializing.

Also of interest are the estate inventories and appraisals of the businesses and homes of the Thurston family compiled in the first third of the nineteenth century. The Thurstons, Lawrence's ancestors and apparently owners of a dry goods/general store, left extensive inventories of their businesses and homes which Lawrence preserved. These inventories and appraisals reflect the diversity and value of items sold in a store of this type in the 1820's and 1830's. The estate inventory of the Thurston family home indicates the amount and type of household furnishings possessed by a fairly wealthy family in the early nineteenth century.

The Series is arranged alphabetically by name of the person or business or by type of record.

Container Description Date
Box 23, Folder 286 D. B. Thurston and Co.: Ledger and Stock Inventory (see oversize)
1831-1832
Box 23, Folder 287 George Thurston and Co.: Inventory of Goods
1819 Aug
Box 23, Folder 288 Genealogy Notes
undated
Box 23, Folder 289 Hoppin, William Warner: Memorial Sermon for
1890
Box 23, Folder 290 Inventory of Household Goods
undated
Box 23, Folder 291 Jeremiah Thurston and Co.: Accounting and Appraisal of Stock (see oversize)
1828 Feb 25
Box 23, Folder 292 Jeremiah Thurston and Co.: Balance Due Ledger
1828 Apr 01
Box 23, Folder 293 Jeremiah Thurston and Co.: Stock Sale Ledger
1830 May 11
Box 24, Folder 294 Ledger of Accounts, Unidentified
1794-1799
Box 24, Folder 295 Mathewson, Anna M.: Autograph Book
1891
Box 24, Folder 296 Mathewson, Anna M.: Diary
1894, 1898-1899
Box 24, Folder 297 Mathewson, Anna M.: Diary
1900-1902
Box 24, Folder 298 Mathewson, Anna M.: Diary
1903, 1905, 1908
Box 24, Folder 299 Mathewson, Anna M.: Diary
1928, 1949
Box 24, Folder 300 Notebook of Quotations, Recipes, and Family Genealogies
undated
Box 24, Folder 301 Rhode Island Society of Sons of the American Revolution
1909-1910, 1912, 1914
Box 24, Folder 302 Thurston Homestead: Inventory for Auction
undated

Series 6. Ives Family
Box 25-33, Folder 303-375
George Lawrence's interest in local history is also reflected in this Series which contains receipts for household expenditures of Moses B. and Anne A. Ives of 37 and, later, 66 Power Street on Providence's East Side. Moses Ives, a merchant, co-owned the apparently successful Brown and Ives business on South Main Street in Providence, Rhode Island.

Although Moses Ives died in 1857, the business continued to support his widow, Anne, in the manner to which she had become accustomed for the remaining twenty-seven years of her life. The Ives were wealthy by the standards of any age, and particularly so by the standards of the late nineteenth century. In 1856 and 1857, they spent nearly ten thousand dollars to refurnish their home at 37 Power Street. The receipts for that project can be found in the first folder of this Series. Even after Moses died, Anne Ives continued to spend large sums of money on oriental carpets, imported china, mahogany furniture, and silver tea services. Other expenditures which appear regularly over the eighteen year span represented are those for fine clothing, wine by the cask, imported champagne, ($15 a bottle in 1862), rare books, and fine jewelry. The Ives' library, for example, was extensive enough for Mrs. Ives to pay one R. A. Guild to organize it and prepare a catalogue for it in 1861. Yet another interesting receipt is one for a silver snuff box, purported to have belonged to Roger Williams, which Mrs. Ives purchased for $25 on June 19, 1860 from William's descendant Sarah Congdon.

The receipts are arranged by the date of payment which is recorded on the back of the receipt, along with the name of the payee and the type of purchase. The receipts for the 1856-1857 remodeling of the 37 Power Street home are grouped together in chronological order at the beginning of the Series.

Container Description Date
Box 25, Folder 303 Receipts: Refurnishing Power Street Mansion
1856 Mar-1857 May
Box 25, Folder 304 Household Receipts
1856 Jan-1856 Jun
Box 25, Folder 305 Household Receipts
1856 Jul-1856 Dec
Box 25, Folder 306 Household Receipts
1857
Box 25, Folder 307 Household Receipts
1858 Jan-1858 Apr
Box 25, Folder 308 Household Receipts
1858 May-1858 Jul
Box 25, Folder 309 Household Receipts
1858 Aug-1858 Dec
Box 26, Folder 310 Household Receipts
1859 Jan-1859 Mar
Box 26, Folder 311 Household Receipts
1859 Apr-1859 Jun
Box 26, Folder 312 Household Receipts
1859 Jul
Box 26, Folder 313 Household Receipts
1859 Aug-1859 Oct
Box 26, Folder 314 Household Receipts
1858 Nov-1859 Dec
Box 26, Folder 315 Household Receipts
1860 Jan-1860 Mar
Box 26, Folder 316 Household Receipts
1860 Apr-1860 Jun
Box 26, Folder 317 Household Receipts
1860 Jul-1860 Sep
Box 26, Folder 318 Household Receipts
1860 Oct-1860 Dec
Box 27, Folder 319 Household Receipts
1861 Jan-1861 Mar
Box 27, Folder 320 Household Receipts
1861 Apr-1861 Jun
Box 27, Folder 321 Household Receipts
1861 Jul-1861 Aug
Box 27, Folder 322 Household Receipts
1861 Sep-1861 Oct
Box 27, Folder 323 Household Receipts
1861 Nov-1861 Dec
Box 27, Folder 324 Household Receipts
1862 Jan-1862 Feb
Box 27, Folder 325 Household Receipts
1862 Mar-1862 Apr
Box 27, Folder 326 Household Receipts
1862 May-1862 Jun
Box 28, Folder 327 Household Receipts
1862 Jul-1862 Sep
Box 28, Folder 328 Household Receipts
1862 Oct-1862 Dec
Box 28, Folder 329 Household Receipts
1863 Jan-1863 Feb
Box 28, Folder 330 Household Receipts
1863 Mar-1863 Apr
Box 28, Folder 331 Household Receipts
1863 May-1863 Jun
Box 28, Folder 332 Household Receipts
1863 Jul-1863 Aug
Box 28, Folder 333 Household Receipts
1863 Sep-1863 Oct
Box 28, Folder 334 Household Receipts
1863 Nov-1863 Dec
Box 29, Folder 335 Household Receipts
1864 Jan
Box 29, Folder 336 Household Receipts
1864 Feb-1864 Mar
Box 29, Folder 337 Household Receipts
1864 Apr-1864 Jun
Box 29, Folder 338 Household Receipts
1864 Jul-1864 Aug
Box 29, Folder 339 Household Receipts
1864 Sep-1864 Dec
Box 29, Folder 340 Household Receipts
1865 Jan-1865 Feb
Box 29, Folder 341 Household Receipts
1865 Mar-1865 Apr
Box 29, Folder 342 Household Receipts
1865 May-1865 Jun
Box 30, Folder 343 Household Receipts
1865 Jul-1864 Aug
Box 30, Folder 344 Household Receipts
1865 Sep-1895 Oct
Box 30, Folder 345 Household Receipts
1865 Nov-1865 Dec
Box 30, Folder 346 Household Receipts
1866 Jan-1866 Feb
Box 30, Folder 347 Household Receipts
1866 Mar-1866 Apr
Box 30, Folder 348 Household Receipts
1866 May-1866 Jun
Box 30, Folder 349 Household Receipts
1866 Jul-1866 Sep
Box 30, Folder 350 Household Receipts
1866 Oct-1866 Dec
Box 31, Folder 351 Household Receipts
1867 Jan-1867 Apr
Box 31, Folder 352 Household Receipts
1867 May-1867 Jun
Box 31, Folder 353 Household Receipts
1867 Aug-1867 Dec
Box 31, Folder 354 Household Receipts
1868 Jan-1868 Mar
Box 31, Folder 355 Household Receipts
1868 Apr-1868 Jun
Box 31, Folder 356 Household Receipts
1868 Jul-1868 Dec
Box 31, Folder 357 Household Receipts
1869 Jan-1869 Mar
Box 31, Folder 358 Household Receipts
1869 Apr-1869 Jun
Box 31, Folder 359 Household Receipts
1869 Jul-1869 Sep
Box 31, Folder 360 Household Receipts
1869 Oct-1869 Dec
Box 32, Folder 361 Household Receipts
1870 Jan-1870 Apr
Box 32, Folder 362 Household Receipts
1870 May-1870 Jul
Box 32, Folder 363 Household Receipts
1870 Aug-1870 Oct
Box 32, Folder 364 Household Receipts
1870 Nov-1870 Dec
Box 32, Folder 365 Household Receipts
1871 Jan-1871 Mar
Box 32, Folder 366 Household Receipts
1871 Apr-1871 Jun
Box 32, Folder 367 Household Receipts
1871 Jul-1871 Dec
Box 33, Folder 368 Household Receipts
1872 Jan-1872 Apr
Box 33, Folder 369 Household Receipts
1872 May-1872 Jul
Box 33, Folder 370 Household Receipts
1872 Aug-1872 Oct
Box 33, Folder 371 Household Receipts
1872 Nov-1872 Dec
Box 33, Folder 372 Household Receipts
1873 Jan-1873 Mar
Box 33, Folder 373 Household Receipts
1873 Apr-1873 Jun
Box 33, Folder 374 Household Receipts
1873 Jul-1873 Oct
Box 33, Folder 375 Household Receipts
1873 Nov-1873 Dec