THE HISTORY, SIGNIFICANCE AND RESURRECTION OF THE STANFORD PALEONTOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS

Since its founding in 1885, Stanford University has had a rich history of geological fieldwork and specimen-based research that resulted in the formation of one of the most important natural history collections in North America. Regrettably, the retirement of key faculty and changing trends in scientific focus prompted the University to divest much of its important fossil collections in the 1960’s and 1970’s. A final transfer of fossil material occurred again in 1989 following infrastructure damage suffered during the Loma Prieta earthquake. Despite decades without dedicated staff and space, collections have continued to grow through faculty research. Today, Stanford is reestablishing its place among natural history collections through the resurrection of its Geoscience Collections, which are composed of fossils and other geological materials.

This presentation will provide a brief overview of the history and significance of the paleontologists and natural history collections of Stanford University, review the result of divestment of Stanford collections in the mid- to late-twentieth century, describe the collections that remained post-divestment, and discuss the current and future trajectory of this important scientific resource.