THE CHARLES H. STERNBERG FAMILY AND THEIR UNKNOWN PARK UNIVERSITY FOSSIL COLLECTION

Charles H. Sternberg (1850-1943) and his three sons formed a famous fossil collecting family with their numerous finds displayed in major museums worldwide. Dr. Merlin C. Findlay (1868-1957) was the founder of experimental sciences at Park University where he taught for 52 years. The mutual respect of these two gentlemen resulted in Park University acquiring and housing 98 dinosaur bones from the Red Deer River area that were collected by Charles H. Sternberg in 1917 and 19 specimens from the Cretaceous (Niobrara Group) of Kansas collected from 1918-1919. Charles H. Sternberg visited the Park University campus and quickly developed a rapport with Dr. Findlay, since shortly after leaving he wrote a personal note on March 24, 1919. The letter thanks Dr. Findlay for the visit to the college and his home and invites Dr. Findlay to come to his home in the fall when he returns from the field. Attached to the letter is a list of fossil specimens he selected and included with the letter. Sternberg categorized the fossils into 1) carnivorous, duck billed, horned, and plated dinosaur bones and 2) Niobrara Group, Logan Co., Kansas. The material is all listed as collected by Charles H. Sternberg, with the exception of three separate fish heads that were each collected by a different son (George F., Charles M., and Levi). Included in the Red Deer River material are two nasal horn cores (Monoclonius and Styracosaurs), various hadrosaur bones (Edmontosaurus?) and various carnosaur bones (Gorgosaurus?). The Logan County, Kansas material includes fish heads (Anogmius polymicrodus, Gillicus arcuatus, Icthyodectes anaides, Protosphyraena, Saurodon ferox, and Xiphactinus audax), mososaur teeth and bones (Tylosaurus and Clidastes), turtle jaws (Toxochelys latiremis), and crinoids (Uintacrinus socialis). Upon Dr. Findlay’s death the Sternberg collection was placed in storage in the Findlay-Wakefield Science Hall where it remained unopened until recently. It is now housed with the museum collections with select specimens on display.