Eugenics Record Office Records , American Philosophical Society

Table of contents

Abstract

In 1910, the Eugenics Record Office was founded in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, as a center for the study of human heredity and a repository for genetic data on human traits. It merged with the Station for Experimental Evolution in 1920 to become the Department of Genetics at the Carnegie Institution, and under the direction of Charles B. Davenport and later of Albert Blakeslee and Milislav Demerec, it became the most important center for eugenic research in the nation. However with intellectual currents shifting, the Carnegie Institution stopped funding the office in 1939. It remained active until 1944, when its records were transferred to the Charles Fremont Dight Institute for the Promotion of Human Genetics at the University of Minnesota. When the Dight closed in 1991, the genealogical material was filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah and given to the Center for Human Genetics; the non-genealogical material was not filmed and was given to the American Philosophical Society Library.

Following the original order, the ERO Records are organized into thirteen series: I. Trait Files, 1670-1964 ; II. Trait Card Boxes, 1904-1939 ; III. Family Traits Card Boxes, 1920-1939 ; IV. RFT Submitters Card Catalog, 1910s-1930s ; V. Record of Family Traits, 1911-1940 ; VI. Fitter Family Studies, 1913-1936 ; VII. Field Worker Files, 1911-1926 ; VIII. Volunteer Collaborators, 1912-1939 ; IX. Pedigrees, 1828-1926 ; X. Harry H. Laughlin Files, 1915-1938 ; XI. Bibliographia Eugenica, 1734-1934 ; XII. Midget Schedules, 1919-1964 ; XIII. Index Card Boxes, 1910s-1930s.

Background note
Scope & content
Administrative information
Additional information
Added entries
Contact information
Collection overview
- Series I. Trait Files, 1670-1964
- Series II. Trait Card Boxes, 1904-1939
- Series III. Family Traits Card Boxes, 1920s-1930s
- Series IV. RFT Submitters Card Catalog, 1910s-1930s
- Series V. Record of Family Traits, 1911-1940
- Series VI. Fitter Family Studies, 1913-1936
- Series VII. Field Worker Files, 1911-1926
- Series VIII. Volunteer Collaborators, 1912-1939
- Series IX. Pedigrees, 1828-1926
- Series X. Harry H. Laughlin Files, 1915-1938
- Series XI. Bibliographia Eugenica, 1734-1934
- Seires XII. Midget Schedules, 1840s-1964
- Series XIII. Index Card Boxes, 1910s-1930s
Collection inventory
- Series I. Trait Files, 1670-1964
- Series II. Trait Card Boxes, 1904-1939
- Series III. Family Traits Card Boxes, 1920s-1930s
- Series IV. RFT Submitters Card Catalog, 1910s-1930s
- Series V. Record of Family Traits, 1911-1940
- Series VI. Fitter Family Studies, 1913-1936
- Series VII. Field Worker Files, 1911-1926
- Series VIII. Volunteer Collaborators, 1912-1939
- Series IX. Pedigrees, 1828-1946
- Series X. Harry H. Laughlin Files, 1915-1938
- Series XI. Bibliographia Eugenica, 1734-1934
- Series XII. Midget Schedules, 1840s-1964
- Series XIII. Index Card Boxes, 1910s-1930s
- Series Names: A Glossary
  - Series I:
  - Series II:
  - Series III:
  - Series IV:
  - Series V:
  - Series VI:
  - Series VII:
  - Series VIII:
  - Series IX:
  - Series X:
  - Series XI:
  - Series XII:
  - Series XIII:
  - Files at Center for Human Genetics:

Background note

The Eugenics Record Office was founded in 1910 and in 1920 merged with the Station for Experimental Evolution to become the Department of Genetics at the Carnegie Institution, in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, directed by Charles Benedict Davenport. The E.R.O. was a repository for genetic data on human traits. The Carnegie Institution stopped funding the E.R.O. in 1939, but the Office was active until 1944. The records were then transferred to the Charles Fremont Dight Institute for the Promotion of Human Genetics at the University of Minnesota. When the Dight closed in 1991, the genealogical material was filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah and given to the Center for Human Genetics; the non-genealogical material was not filmed and was given to the American Philosophical Society Library. A further history of the Eugenics Record Office can be found in the article in Appendix A, "The Records of the Eugenics Record Office, A Resource for Genealogists" by Thomas H. Roderick, Elving Anderson, Robert Charles Anderson, Roger D. Joslyn, and Wayne T. Morris, published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. In Series X, in a folder marked "Eugenics Record Office Brochure," there is also an informational brochure that was printed by the Eugenics Record Office, probably sometime between 1910 and 1920.

Scope and content

The Eugenics Record Office Papers (1670-1964) contain trait schedules, newspaper clippings, manuscript essays, pedigree charts, article abstracts, reprints, magazine articles, bibliographies, photographs, hair samples, postcard pictures, card files, and some correspondence which document the projects of the Eugenics Record Office during the thirty-four years of its operation. These items are also included on 518 reels of microfilm, which are listed at the end of this guide to the collection.

The papers (382 boxes; 330.5 lin. feet) are divided into thirteen series:


Series I	Trait Files, 1670-1964	(65 boxes; 32.5 lin. feet)
Series II	Trait Card Boxes, 1904-1939	(13 boxes; 12.25 lin. feet)
Series III	Family Traits Card Boxes, 1920-1939	(2 boxes; 2 lin. feet)
Series IV	RFT Submitters Card Catalog, 1910s-1930s	(13 boxes; 13 lin. feet)
Series V	Record of Family Traits, 1911-1940	(1 box;.25 lin. feet)
Series VI	Fitter Family Studies, 1913-1936	(5 boxes; 2.5 lin. feet)
Series VII	Field Worker Files, 1911-1926	(2 boxes; 1.25 lin. feet)
Series VIII	Volunteer Collaborators, 1912-1939	(5 boxes; 2.5 lin. feet)
Series IX	Pedigrees: 1828-1926	(1 box;.25 lin. feet and oversized)
Series X	Harry H. Laughlin Files, 1915-1938	(5 boxes; 2.5 lin. feet)
Series XI	Bibliographia Eugenica, 1734-1934	(21 boxes; 13.75 lin. feet)
Series XII	Midget Schedules, 1840s-1964	(2 boxes; 1.5 lin. feet)
Series XIII	Index Card Boxes, 1910s-1930s	(247 boxes; 246.25 lin. feet)

For a list of the discrepancies in series names as given by the American Philosophical Society Library, by the Dight Institute, and by the article published in National Genealogical Society Quarterly, see the end of this guide to the collection.

Administrative information

Provenance

Custodial history:

The Eugenics Record Office Papers were donated by the Charles Fremont Dight Institute for the Promotion of Human Genetics at the University of Minnesota in 1992 (Accession #1992-1401ms). An addition to the collection was made in January of 1993 (Accession #1993-55ms).

Preferred citation

Cite as: Eugenics Record Office Records, American Philosophical Society.

Processing information

Jan S. Ballard and Miriam B. Spectre