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Letters to parents and friends regarding his Peace Corps activities; also diary, June 1962, commenting on life in a rural village in Colombia.

Civil engineer, consultant on marine development and dredging, and superintendent of the dredging division of the Panama canal. Topical files relating to the maintenance and development of the Panama Canal and dredging problems in Burma, Colombia, and other Latin American countries; scrapbook relating to the Spanish-American War; and photographs.

The collection documents the professional life of John G. Claybourn, superintendent of the Dredging Division of the Panama Canal from 1921 to 1948 and a consultant on matters of river and harbor improvement. In addition to the Panama Canal, the collection illustrates the role of the United States in infrastructure development in the Third World.

The papers include materials created and collected by Claybourn in his work on the Panama Canal, materials relating to personal business activities away from his primary work, materials relating to consulting jobs and to Claybourn's activities in professional engineering societies, and personal correspondence, much of it with some business connection.

The collection is not clearly divided by topic: papers relating to a particular topic may be divided among topical files, files arranged by correspondent or company, and the general personal correspondence file. Some of the topics of interest include the following:

Burma: The papers document Claybourn's consulting work in the early 1950s, on contract with the U.S. government, to rebuild commerce on the Irrawaddy River destroyed during World War II and to develop the Dalla Dockyards near Rangoon.

Claybourn, Elsie Greiser: A scrapbook documents her activities as a long-distance swimmer and canoeist. Her retirement years are described in detail in the personal correspondence file.

Claybourn, Leslie W.: Claybourn's correspondence with his brother, an inventor and printing industry executive, provides some documentation of the development of that industry.

Colombia: In the 1920s Claybourn was involved in the development of the Dique de Cartagena, a ship canal serving that city. The papers document his relations with the Colombian government.

Florida: Claybourn was a consultant in the early 1930s for a projected canal across Florida. The collection includes surveys and other papers relating to this project.

Panama Canal: The papers reflect both Claybourn's work on the Canal and his interest in the history of its construction. Most papers on this topic have been drawn together in processing, but many are found under the names of correspondents and in the general correspondence file. The topics documented in the greatest detail are maintenance of the canal, especially clearing of landslides, and planning for additional locks and later for a sea-level canal. Information about dredges used on the canal is also included. A collection of photographs, most of them from official sources, parallels these strengths.

The papers also document Claybourn's moonlighting on private dredging operations during the 1920s. This material is found under the names of companies and projects.

Retirement: Claybourn's retirement years were spent in Ann Arbor. The personal correspondence describes in great detail his and his wife's retirement activities.

Rumania: Correspondence with Bill Arthur includes a copy of Arthur's diary of events during a 1940 rebellion in that country.

World War II: In addition to the Rumanian material described above, the collection contains much relating to defensive activities on the Panama Canal. The Burma project described above includes information about war damage to transportation in that country.

Other consulting activities: Consulting projects in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Venezuela are documented less fully than those described above.

President of the University of New Mexico, later professor of business administration at the University of Michigan. Biographical and personal materials; correspondence, 1929-1987; topical files, 1942-1985; speeches and writings, 1932-1980; career files detailing various university and consulting work, notably his interest in executive training.

The collection has been arranged into six series: Biographical/Personal, Correspondence, Topical Files, Speeches and Writings, Career Materials, 1926-1948 and Career Materials, 1948 to 1985. Biographical and autobiographical materials and photographs have been placed at the beginning of the collection. In general, much of the material relates to Professor Wernette's writings and to his relationship with the business community. Little material about his teaching career at the University of Michigan or about the Michigan Business Review is included.

Professor of zoology at the University of Michigan, scientist for the Rockefeller Foundation, and scientific writer for both professional and popular publications. Correspondence, journals, manuscripts of writings, and class materials, including papers detailing his work with the United Fruit Company in Central America, 1928-1931, his later activities with the International Health Division of the Rockefeller Foundation, especially his interest in mosquito research and malaria control programs during the 1930's and 1940's, and his demographic studies of the people of the Ifalik Atoll in the South Pacific in 1953; and photographs.

The Bates papers cover the period 1913-1974 and include material relating to all phases of his career, including his research in Guatemala and Honduras with the United Fruit Company, his studies of mosquito biology and malaria control programs during the 1930's and 1940's in Albania, Egypt, Colombia, and elsewhere and his later investigations into problems of demography and human ecology. The collection includes correspondence, personal and scientific journals, miscellaneous entomological notes, manuscripts of many of his books, articles, and book reviews, copies of the scripts of his television appearances, and University of Michigan class notes. The collections also includes personal photographs and photographs relating to his scientific research.

The collection has been arranged into six series: Correspondence; University of Michigan; Journals, diaries, research; Writings; Notes/miscellaneous personal; and Photographs.