Agassiz, Louis (1807-1873) to William Claflin
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC01417 Author/Creator: Agassiz, Louis (1807-1873) Place Written: Cambridge, Massachusetts Type: Letter signed Date: 18 July 1871 Pagination: 3 p. ; 18 x 23.5 cm. Order a Copy
Explains that the United States Coast Survey is attempting to "make us acquainted with the bottom of the Ocean, as thoroughly as we already are with the surface of the Earth." Requests a contribution of $20,000 from Massachusetts Governor Claflin to finance the preservation, for scientific purposes, of specimens discovered in the course of the surveys dredging and fishing along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
Biography: Louis Agassiz was a widely-respected, Swiss-born paleontologist and systematist, known as the "father of glaciology" because of his theory of ice ages. In 1846, he became the first professor of zoology and geology at Harvard and established its Natural History Museum.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.