Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers, 1913-1977
type: FindingAid
type: Document
conforms to: General International Standard for Archival Description
publisher: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
encoded as: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers, 1913-1977
topic: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
subject: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
has part: Biographical History for: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
topic: SERIES 1: SCRAPBOOK, 1913-1919
subject: SERIES 1: SCRAPBOOK, 1913-1919
topic: Scrapbook 1913-1919
subject: Scrapbook 1913-1919
topic: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
subject: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
topic: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
subject: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
topic: Class of 1917 25th Reunion materials 1942-1977
subject: Class of 1917 25th Reunion materials 1942-1977
topic: Class of 1917 50th Reunion materials 1966-1967
subject: Class of 1917 50th Reunion materials 1966-1967
topic: Class of 1917 60th Reunion materials 1976-1977
subject: Class of 1917 60th Reunion materials 1976-1977
topic: Various reunion pins (3 large, 3 medium, 6 small, one mule/double horseshoe pin) n.d.
subject: Various reunion pins (3 large, 3 medium, 6 small, one mule/double horseshoe pin) n.d.
topic: Subseries B: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence and Publications, 1948-1967
subject: Subseries B: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence and Publications, 1948-1967
topic: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence 1948-1967
subject: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence 1948-1967
topic: Subseries C: Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst
subject: Subseries C: Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst
topic: Mss. and Correspondence regarding the 1944 "Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst" 1944
subject: Mss. and Correspondence regarding the 1944 "Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst" 1944
topic: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
subject: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
topic: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni 1945-1973
subject: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni 1945-1973
topic: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni (continued) 1945-1973
subject: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni (continued) 1945-1973
topic: Correspondence with Lloyd "Monty" Clark (AC 1917) 1961-1968
subject: Correspondence with Lloyd "Monty" Clark (AC 1917) 1961-1968
topic: Subseries E: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications
subject: Subseries E: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications
topic: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications 1945-1972
subject: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications 1945-1972

General International Standard for Archival Description
type: Standard

Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
type: Repository
type: Organization
type: Agent
country code: US
maintenance agency code: ma
is publisher of: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers, 1913-1977
administers: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
provides access to: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
provides access to: SERIES 1: SCRAPBOOK, 1913-1919
provides access to: Scrapbook 1913-1919
provides access to: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
provides access to: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
provides access to: Class of 1917 25th Reunion materials 1942-1977
provides access to: Class of 1917 50th Reunion materials 1966-1967
provides access to: Class of 1917 60th Reunion materials 1976-1977
provides access to: Various reunion pins (3 large, 3 medium, 6 small, one mule/double horseshoe pin) n.d.
provides access to: Subseries B: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence and Publications, 1948-1967
provides access to: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence 1948-1967
provides access to: Subseries C: Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst
provides access to: Mss. and Correspondence regarding the 1944 "Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst" 1944
provides access to: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
provides access to: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni 1945-1973
provides access to: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni (continued) 1945-1973
provides access to: Correspondence with Lloyd "Monty" Clark (AC 1917) 1961-1968
provides access to: Subseries E: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications
provides access to: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications 1945-1972

Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
type: SpatialThing
is administered by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers, 1913-1977
type: EAD
type: Document
description: Finding aid encoded in NoteTab Pro. Encoded by Peter A. Nelson. 2009-12-04
created: 2009-12-04
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description
conforms to: Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
encoding of: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers, 1913-1977

Encoded Archival Description
type: Standard

Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
type: Standard

Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
type: ArchivalResource
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
level: collection
date: 1913-1977
date created accumulated string: 1913-1977
date created accumulated start: 1913
date created accumulated end: 1977
produced in: Creation of Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
extent: 1 record storage box, 1 scrapbook
extent: (1.25 linear ft.)
origination: Romer, Alfred Sherwood,1894-
has biographical history: Biographical History for: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
acquisitions: Gifts of Prof. Robert H. Romer (AC 1952) in 1991 and 2009. Accession #91-124 and #2009-074.
scopecontent: Scope and Contents of the Collection The collection consists of correspondence, clippings, photographs and other material relating to Alfred Sherwood Romer's Amherst career, his service in both the American Field Service and the U.S. Army in WWI France, and his later activities as President of the Class of 1917 and as Chairman of the Phi Alpha Psi Fraternity Corporation. The collection includes correspondence pertaining to Phi Alpha Psi's pledging of Thomas W. Gibbs (AC 1951), its first African-American member, and the subsequent expulsion from the national chapter, as well as correspondence pertaining to John William Ward's participation in a Vietnam protest while sitting president of Amherst.
access restrictions: There is no restriction on access to the collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.
use restrictions: Requests for permission to publish material from the collection should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
related material: Alumni Biographical Files - Class of 1917 - Romer Ingham C. Baker (AC 1919) Papers, 1916-1919 United States. Army. Ambulance Service. Section 539. Records, 1917-1941 Amherst College War Materials Collection
processing: The collection was processed in October 2009 by John Emil Vincent, Intern, Simmons College GSLIS.
associated with: African American college students -- Massachusetts -- Amherst.
associated with: World War, 1914-1918 -- Medical care -- France.
associated with: Gibbs, Thomas W.
associated with: American Field Service.
associated with: Phi Alpha Psi.
associated with: Phi Kappa Psi.
associated with: Amherst College. Class of 1917.
associated with: Amherst College. Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst College.
associated with: Amherst (Mass.) -- Race relations.
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: SERIES 1: SCRAPBOOK, 1913-1919
aggregates: SERIES 1: SCRAPBOOK, 1913-1919
has part: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
aggregates: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977

collection
type: Level
type: Concept

Creation of Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
type: Creation
type: Event
product: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
involved: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
time: Time of Creation of Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
at time: Time of Creation of Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers

Time of Creation of Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
type: Interval
timeline: universaltimeline
start: 1913
interval starts: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1913
P86i contains: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1913
end: 1977
interval ends: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1977
P86i contains: http://reference.data.gov.uk/id/year/1977

1 record storage box, 1 scrapbook
type: Extent
label: (1.25 linear ft.)

Romer, Alfred Sherwood,1894-
type: Agent
is origination of: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers

Biographical History for: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
type: BiographicalHistory
type: Document
type: DocumentPart
body: Biographical Note Alfred Sherwood Romer (1894-1973) was an eminent vertebrate paleontologist. He graduated from Amherst College in 1917 and then served during World War I in the American Field Service and, subsequently, in the United States Army. It is believed that when he was with A.F.S. he drove ambulances or ammunition trucks in the Chemin des Dames sector; with the U.S. Army, he appears to have been attached to the "Air Service (non-flying)." Romer returned to the U.S. in 1919 and was discharged with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. He earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University. For most of his career, he taught at Harvard University, becoming the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology in 1947 and directing Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology from 1946 to 1961. In 1956 he won the National Academy of Sciences' Thompson Medal and in 1966 became president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was awarded five honorary degrees, including one from Amherst, and prizes from many other domestic and international scientific societies. As an alumnus, Romer was very active in the life of Amherst College, both as president of the Class of 1917 and as chair of the corporation of Phi Alpha Psi fraternity. Alfred Romer and his wife, Ruth, had three children: a daughter, Sally Evans, and two sons, Robert (AC 1952) and James (AC 1960). Robert Romer is a professor of Physics, Emeritus, at Amherst College. ASR maintained a residence in Pelham, Mass. and throughout his adult life was increasingly active in that community.
topic: Romer, Alfred Sherwood,1894-
subject: Romer, Alfred Sherwood,1894-
is biographical history for: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
is part of: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers, 1913-1977

African American college students -- Massachusetts -- Amherst.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

lcsh
type: ConceptScheme

World War, 1914-1918 -- Medical care -- France.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh

Gibbs, Thomas W.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: Gibbs, Thomas W.

lcnaf
type: ConceptScheme

Gibbs, Thomas W.
type: Person
type: Agent
type: E21 Person

American Field Service.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: americanfieldservice

Phi Alpha Psi.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: phialphapsi

Phi Kappa Psi.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: phikappapsi

Amherst College. Class of 1917.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: amherstcollegeclassof1917

Amherst College. Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst College.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcnaf
focus: amherstcollegealumnicommitteeonpostwaramherstcollege

Amherst (Mass.) -- Race relations.
type: Concept
in scheme: lcsh
focus: amherstmass--racerelations

SERIES 1: SCRAPBOOK, 1913-1919
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
is aggregated by: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
level: series
scopecontent: The scrapbook contains memorabilia from ASR's four years at Amherst, including photos, tickets, formal affair and sporting event programs, dance cards, short letters, playbills, the announcement of his selection as editor of The Student, his Army registration, train tickets within France, a French traffic violation, a mimeographed note about a new "German GAS," as well as his promotion to Second Lieutenant toward the end of WWI. Included with the scrapbook is a data disk created by Robert H. Romer (AC 1952) containing a guide to the DVD's contents, "Readme-ASR," dated 5/17/09, a short essay by RHR entitled "ASR and WWI," a digital photo of the certificate awarded to ASR upon completion of his service in the A.F.S., as well as digital photos of some of the contents of the scrapbook taken by RHR in August 2007.
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Scrapbook 1913-1919
aggregates: Scrapbook 1913-1919

SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
is aggregated by: Alfred Sherwood Romer (AC 1917) Papers
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
level: series
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
aggregates: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
has part: Subseries B: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence and Publications, 1948-1967
aggregates: Subseries B: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence and Publications, 1948-1967
has part: Subseries C: Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst
aggregates: Subseries C: Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst
has part: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
aggregates: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
has part: Subseries E: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications
aggregates: Subseries E: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications

series
type: Level
type: Concept

Scrapbook 1913-1919
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: SERIES 1: SCRAPBOOK, 1913-1919
is aggregated by: SERIES 1: SCRAPBOOK, 1913-1919
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
is aggregated by: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
level: subseries
scopecontent: Includes correspondence and other planning documents related to the class's 25th, 50th, 60th reunions. Folder 1, 25th Reunion, as well as several pins.
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Class of 1917 25th Reunion materials 1942-1977
aggregates: Class of 1917 25th Reunion materials 1942-1977
has part: Class of 1917 50th Reunion materials 1966-1967
aggregates: Class of 1917 50th Reunion materials 1966-1967
has part: Class of 1917 60th Reunion materials 1976-1977
aggregates: Class of 1917 60th Reunion materials 1976-1977
has part: Various reunion pins (3 large, 3 medium, 6 small, one mule/double horseshoe pin) n.d.
aggregates: Various reunion pins (3 large, 3 medium, 6 small, one mule/double horseshoe pin) n.d.

Subseries B: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence and Publications, 1948-1967
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
is aggregated by: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
level: subseries
scopecontent: Includes correspondence recording a crucial period in ASR's Chairmanship of Phi Alpha Psi. In 1948, Phi Kappa Psi elected to pledge Tom Gibbs (AC 1951), an African American, as a member. This includes letters to ASR from the present fraternity members as well as from the National Chapter "detailing" their objections to pledging Tom Gibbs. The National Chapter expelled the Amherst chapter and they became "Phi Alpha Psi." Also included are two copies of an offprint of ASR's essay published in the June 1949 issue of The Atlantic Monthly. These were distributed by the National Committee on Fraternities in 1954 with their own postscript added.
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence 1948-1967
aggregates: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence 1948-1967

Subseries C: Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
is aggregated by: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
level: subseries
scopecontent: Correspondence about meetings as well as drafts of the "Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee" report. Includes a final draft of the document and correspondence showing a foul-up in the delivery of documents from ASR to the Trustees when the report was delivered to them. Throughout, ASR is a strong advocate of greater public school presence at Amherst.
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Mss. and Correspondence regarding the 1944 "Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst" 1944
aggregates: Mss. and Correspondence regarding the 1944 "Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst" 1944

Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
is aggregated by: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
level: subseries
scopecontent: The later correspondence includes 1967 letters to President Calvin Plimpton (AC 1939) about his treatment of faculty members, particularly around issues of retirement. It also includes ASR's letter of support sent to President John Ward after Ward's 1972 arrest during a protest of the Vietnam War. ASR's son, Robert, had been arrested with Ward at the Westover site in Chicopee.
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni 1945-1973
aggregates: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni 1945-1973
has part: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni (continued) 1945-1973
aggregates: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni (continued) 1945-1973
has part: Correspondence with Lloyd "Monty" Clark (AC 1917) 1961-1968
aggregates: Correspondence with Lloyd "Monty" Clark (AC 1917) 1961-1968

Subseries E: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
is aggregated by: SERIES 2: AMHERST-RELATED CORRESPONDENCE, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS, 1942-1977
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA
level: subseries
type: Aggregation
type: Collection
has part: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications 1945-1972
aggregates: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications 1945-1972

subseries
type: Level
type: Concept

Class of 1917 25th Reunion materials 1942-1977
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
is aggregated by: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Class of 1917 50th Reunion materials 1966-1967
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
is aggregated by: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Class of 1917 60th Reunion materials 1976-1977
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
is aggregated by: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Various reunion pins (3 large, 3 medium, 6 small, one mule/double horseshoe pin) n.d.
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
is aggregated by: Subseries A: Class of 1917 Reunion Materials
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence 1948-1967
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Subseries B: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence and Publications, 1948-1967
is aggregated by: Subseries B: Phi Alpha Psi Correspondence and Publications, 1948-1967
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Mss. and Correspondence regarding the 1944 "Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst" 1944
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Subseries C: Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst
is aggregated by: Subseries C: Admissions and Scholarships Subcommittee of the Alumni Committee on Postwar Amherst
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Correspondence with 1917 Alumni 1945-1973
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
is aggregated by: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Correspondence with 1917 Alumni (continued) 1945-1973
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
is aggregated by: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Correspondence with Lloyd "Monty" Clark (AC 1917) 1961-1968
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
is aggregated by: Subseries D: Correspondence with 1917 Alumni, 1945-1973
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA

Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications 1945-1972
type: ArchivalResource
is part of: Subseries E: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications
is aggregated by: Subseries E: Miscellaneous Correspondence and Publications
access provided by: Amherst College Archives and Special Collections Amherst, MA