Marshall, Robert, 1901-1939

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Forester and explorer; graduate of New York State College of Forestry, 1924.

From the description of Papers, 1923-1954. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 155478351

Civil servant in the U.S. Forest Service.

From the description of Papers, 1933. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 155524092

Wilderness advocate and forester Robert Marshall was born in New York Jan. 2, 1901. Graduating from the College of Forestry at Syracuse University in 1924, he went on to earn a master's degree at Harvard in 1925, and a doctorate at the Johns Hopkins Laboratory of Plant Physiology in 1930. Marshall began his career with the U.S. Forest Service in 1925. In 1933 he became head forester of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and in 1937, Chief of the Division of Recreation and Lands for the U.S. Forest Service. He authored several books, influential articles and government reports on wilderness and forestry. He was a long-distance wilderness hiker and outspoken supporter of the need to preserve wilderness. He was a founding member of and major financial contributor to the Wilderness Society. The Bob Marshall Wilderness (1,000,000 acres) in Montana was named in his honor. He died in his sleep Nov. 11, 1939 at age 38. [From: "Arctic Village," 1991, UAF Press.].

From the description of Robert Marshall photograph collection, 1929. [graphic]. (Alaska State Library). WorldCat record id: 50406990

Director of Forestry for the U.S. Office of Indian Affairs, Director of U.S. Forest Service Division of Recreation and Lands, co-founder of The Wilderness Society.

From the description of Robert Marshall papers, 1908-1939. (University of California, Berkeley). WorldCat record id: 214932393

Biography

Robert Marshall, forester and environmentalist, was born in New York on January 2, 1901. The son of Louis Marshall, a constitutional lawyer and philanthropist, Robert Marshall developed an early interest in mountains, the outdoors, and activism. After graduating from the Ethical Culture School in New York, he attended Columbia College, the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse, and then Harvard University. From 1925-1928 he worked at the United States Forestry Service's Northern Rocky Mountain Forest Experiment Station in Missoula, Montana returning to school in 1928 at Johns Hopkins University to earn a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology.

Marshall traveled to Alaska in the summer of 1929 exploring the basin of the Koyukuk River in the Central Brooks Range. After receiving his doctorate in 1934, he built a log cabin near an arctic village, Wiseman Alaska, which was his base of operations during his 13 month exploration of the northern Koyukuk region. He returned to Alaska in 1938 to explore and map the North Fork of the Koyukuk and Upper Anaktuvuk Rivers, and again in 1939 to complete mapping the Koyukuk territory. He was the first person to map much of the area.

From 1933 to 1937 Marshall served as Director of Forestry for the Office of Indian Affairs. During this period Marshall, along with Benton MacKaye, Aldo Leopold and others, established the Wilderness Society, an organization dedicated to preserving the wilderness in its unspoiled state. In 1937 Marshall was made chief of the new Forest Service Division of Recreation and Lands. Marshall died suddenly of a heart attack in 1939 at 38 years of age.

From the guide to the Robert Marshall Papers, 1908-1939, (The Bancroft Library.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn George Marshall papers, 1836-1993, bulk 1945-1980 Bancroft Library
creatorOf Marshall, Robert, 1901-1939. Robert Marshall papers, 1908-1939. UC Berkeley Libraries
creatorOf Robert Marshall Papers, 1908-1939 Bancroft Library
referencedIn Margaret Owen collection on Robert Marshall, 1928-1940 Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections
referencedIn Robert Marshall Wilderness Fund. Robert Marshall Wilderness Fund records, 1937-1985. Denver Public Library, Central Library
referencedIn Wilderness Society (U.S.). Wilderness Society records. Series 2, Administration, 1874-2002. Denver Public Library, Central Library
referencedIn Ellison, Lincoln, 1908-. Lincoln Ellison papers, 1923-1958. Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library
creatorOf Marshall, Robert, 1901-1939. Articles by and about Robert Marshall, [ca. 1920-1950]. UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Cardozo, Benjamin N. (Benjamin Nathan), 1870-1938. Benjamin Cardozo letters, 1933-1938. The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
creatorOf Marshall, Robert, 1901-1939. Papers, 1933. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Canby, Henry Seidel, 1878-1961. Letter, 1933 March 24, New York, to Vilhjalmur Stefansson, New York. Dartmouth College Library
referencedIn Ernest C. Oberholtzer papers., 1854-[198-]. Minnesota Historical Society
creatorOf Olson, Sigurd F., 1899-1982. Sigurd F. Olson papers, 1920s-1989. Minnesota Historical Society, Division of Archives and Manuscripts
referencedIn Sigurd F. Olson papers., 1920s-1989. Minnesota Historical Society
creatorOf Zon, Raphael, 1874-1956. Raphael Zon papers, 1887-1957. Minnesota Historical Society Library
creatorOf Marshall, Robert, 1901-1939. Papers, 1923-1954. Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
creatorOf Marshall, George, 1904-2000. George Marshall papers, 1836-1993 (bulk 1945-1980). UC Berkeley Libraries
referencedIn Wilderness Society (U.S.). Wilderness Society records. Series 1, Governing Council, 1917-1999. Denver Public Library, Central Library
creatorOf Marshall, Robert, 1901-1939. Robert Marshall photograph collection, 1929. [graphic]. Alaska State Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Canby, Henry Seidel, 1878-1961. person
associatedWith Cardozo, Benjamin N. (Benjamin Nathan), 1870-1938. person
associatedWith Carson, Russell M. L. (Russell Mack Little), 1884- person
associatedWith Collier, John. person
associatedWith Collier, John. person
associatedWith Cooper, William Skinner, b. 1884. person
associatedWith Copeland, Royal Samuel, 1868-1938. person
correspondedWith Ellison, Lincoln, 1908- person
associatedWith Foote, James A. person
associatedWith Foote, James A. person
associatedWith Forest Conservation Conference (1st :, Washington, D.C. :, 1933) corporateBody
associatedWith Forest Conservation Conference (2nd :, Washington, D.C. :, 1937) corporateBody
associatedWith Forest Conservation Conference Washington, D.C. : 1933) corporateBody
associatedWith Forest Conservation Conference Washington, D.C. : 1937) corporateBody
associatedWith Frank, Bernard. person
associatedWith Frank, Bernard. person
associatedWith Ickes, Harold L. (Harold LeClair), 1874-1952. person
associatedWith Izaak Walton League of America. corporateBody
associatedWith Johns Hopkins University. corporateBody
associatedWith Leopold, Aldo, 1886-1948. person
associatedWith MacKaye, Benton, 1879-1975. person
associatedWith Marshall, George, 1904- person
associatedWith Marshall, George, 1904-2000. person
associatedWith Martin, Newell. person
associatedWith Martin, Newell. person
associatedWith National Parks Association (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith New York (State). Conservation Dept. corporateBody
associatedWith New York (State). Conservation Dept. corporateBody
associatedWith Oberholtzer, Ernest C. person
associatedWith Olson, Sigurd F., 1899-1982. person
associatedWith Online Archive of California. corporateBody
correspondedWith Owen, Margaret Regina Hart, 1896-1986 person
associatedWith Pinchot, Gifford, 1865-1946. person
associatedWith Robert Marshall Wilderness Fund. corporateBody
associatedWith Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945. person
associatedWith Smith and Haas, Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Smith and Haas, Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Society of American Foresters. corporateBody
associatedWith State University College of Forestry at Syracuse University corporateBody
associatedWith Torrey, Raymond. person
associatedWith Torrey, Raymond. person
associatedWith United States. Forest Service. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. National Park Service. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Office of Indian Affairs. corporateBody
associatedWith Wilderness Society (U.S.) corporateBody
associatedWith Zon, Raphael, 1874-1956. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Quetico-Superior Area
Wiseman (Alaska)
Alaska--Koyukuk River Valley
Alaska
Wiseman (Alaska)
Koyukuk River (Alaska)
United States
Alaska
Cranberry Lake (N.Y.)
Adirondack Mountains (N.Y.)
United States
Koyukuk River Valley (Alaska)
Koyukuk River (Alaska)
Subject
Conservation of natural resources
Forest policy
Forestry schools and education
Forests and forestry
Geology
Glaciers
New Deal, 1933-1939
Prospecting
Occupation
Authors
Explorers
Forester
Activity

Person

Birth 1901-01-02

Death 1939-11-11

Information

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