LeConte Family papers

Descriptive Summary
Repository:	Hargrett Manuscripts
Creator:	LeConte, John, 1818-1891
Creator:	LeConte, Joseph, 1823-1901
Title:	LeConte Family papers
Dates:	1857-1916
Quantity:	0.8 Linear feet (2 document boxes)
Abstract:	The collection consists primarily of the writings, in pamphlet form, of John and Joseph LeConte, Georgia scientists and educators.
Coll. Number:	ms2085

---

Biographical/Historical Note

The LeConte brothers were born at Woodmanston Plantation near Savannah. They were the sons of Louis LeConte, famous for his botanical research and for setting up a botanical garden on the plantation. Both LeContes graduated from the University of Georgia and practiced briefly as physicians in Savannah and Macon. They later taught at the University of Georgia until they were forced to leave by controversy. President Church charged both professors with insubordination because of their belief in the then-developing evolutionary theories and their refusal to enforce some of the strict disciplinary rules at the university. The LeContes moved to California after teaching at the University of South Carolina and working as chemists for the Confederate army. They helped to found the University of California at Berkeley and John became the first president of this university. Joseph became its first professor of geography. The biology building at the University of Georgia was named for Joseph LeConte.

The LeConte brothers were born at Woodmanston Plantation near Savannah. They were the sons of Louis LeConte, famous for his botanical research and for setting up a botanical garden on the plantation.

Both LeContes graduated from the University of Georgia and practiced briefly as physicians in Savannah and Macon. They later taught at the University of Georgia until they were forced to leave by controversy. President Church charged both professors with insubordination because of their belief in the then-developing evolutionary theories and their refusal to enforce some of the strict discipline rules at the university.

They moved to California after teaching at the Univ. of South Carolina and working as chemists for the Confederate army. They helped found the Univ. of California at Berkeley and John became the first president of the university. Joseph became its first professor of geology.

The biology building at the Univ. of Georgia was named for Joseph LeConte. Considered a top scientist of his time, along with his brother, Joseph studied under Agassiz at Harvard and became a charter member of the Sierra Club.

See also MSS 647, 853, 1563, 1618, 1986 and 2239.

---

Scope and Content Note

This collection contains primarily the writings, in pamphlet form, of John and Joseph LeConte-Georgia scientists and educators.

---

Arrangement

No special arrangement was given; collection is listed by title of publication and by contents.

---

Index Terms

---

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

LeConte Family papers, MS 2085. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries.

---

Related Material

Related materials are available in the following collections of this repository: LeConte genealogical collection; LeConte, Emma - photograph album; LeConte, Joseph - letter; J. N. LeConte - notebooks; LeConte/Furman/Carter family papers, circa 1795-1999; LeConte, Joseph, 1818-1901 - miscellaneous items.

See also photographic materials from this collection that were removed to the Cased Image Collection, MS 3529.

---

Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

Box

Folder

Request Box

1

1

"Preliminary researches on the alleged influence of Solar light on the Process of combustion", by John LeConte, from The American Journal of Science and Arts, 2nd Series, Vol. XXIV, November 1857

 

2

The Principles of a Liberal Education, an address delivered by Dr. Joseph LeConte, 1859, at Solumbia, S.C. (2 copies)

 

3

"The Relation of Organic Science to Sociology", published in the Southern Presbyterian Review, for, no author given, April 1860

 

4

"Article I, On the Optical Phenomena", from the American Journal of Science and Arts, Second Series, Vol. XXXI, No. 91, by John LeConte, January 1861

 

5

"On the Nature and Uses of Art", by Joseph LeConte, from The Southern Presbyterian Review, Vol. XV, No. 3, January 1863

 

6

Memorial of Mrs. Annie LeConte Stephens, late of Baker County, Georgia, 1867

 

7

"Article IX, Vital Statistics: Illustrated by the Laws of Mortality from Cancer", by John LeConte, 1872

 

8

Address; of Ex-president Dr. John L. LeConte before the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at Detroit, Michigan, 13 August 1875

 

9

Man's Place in Nature, by Joseph LeConte, 1877

 

10

"Evolution in Relation to Materialism", The Princeton Review, by Joseph LeConte, 1878

 

11

Some Thoughts on the Glycogenic Function of the Liver, by Joseph LeConte, 1879

 

12

Effect of Mixture of Races on Human Progress, by Joseph LeConte, April 1880

 

13

"Relation of Berkeley to Certain Phases of Modern Thought", from The Berkeleyan, by Joseph LeConte, 1880

 

14

The Higher Utilities of Science, by Prof. Joseph LeConte, 1881

 

15

"Influence of Modern Methods of Popularizing Science", an address by Prof. John LeConte, 1882

 

16

"On Sound Shadows in Water", from The American Journal of Science, Vol. XXIII, by John LeConte, January 1882

 

17

On Certain Remarkable Tracks, found in the Rocks of Carson Quarry", from the Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, by Joseph LeConte, 27 August 1882

 

18

"Apparent Attractions and Repulsions of Small Floating Bodies", from The American Journal of Science, Vol. XXIV, by John LeConte, December 1882 (2 copies)

 

19

"Physical Studies of Lake Tahoe", by John LeConte, 1883

 

20

The Botanical Gazzette, with article titled "Some North American Botanists" by John LeConte, April 1883

 

21

Sketches from the Early History of Athens, Georgia, 1801-1825, by Dr. Henry Hull, edited by A.L. Hull, 1884

 

22

"Horizontal Motions of Small Floating Bodies in Relation to the validity of the postulates of the Theory of Capillarity", from The American Journal of Science, Vol. XXVII, by John LeConte, April 1844

 

23

A Biographical Sketch of Dr. John Lawrence LeConte, by Samuel H. Scudder, read before the National Academy of Science, 17 April 1884

 

24

Dr. John Lawrence LeConte, a memoir read to the National Academy of Science, with an appendix on the ancestry of the family by Samuel H. Scudder from the Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 17 April 1884 (2 copies)

 

25

"Are Not Dynamite Catastrophes Intimately associated with Electric Phenomena?", from The Technical Society of the Pacific Coast, Vol. II, by L.J. LeConte, August 1885

 

26

"Article XVIII, A Post-Tertiary Elevation of the Sierra Nevada shown by the River Beds", from the American Journal of Science, by Joseph LeConte, September 1886

 

27

"Facts connected with the explosion of a cargo of dynamite aboard the Schooner 'Parallel' while trying to clear the entrance to San Francisco Harbor", from The Technical Society of the Pacific Coast, by J.L. LeConte, 1 July 1887 (2 copies)

 

28

Article Xii, "On some phenomena of Binocular vision", from The American Journal of Science, Vol. XXXIV, by Joseph LeConte, August 1887

 

29

The Flora of the Coast Islands of California in Relation to Recent Changes of Physical Georgraphy, by Joseph LeConte, September 1887

 

30

"Vital Statistics and the True Coefficient of Mortality Illustrated by Cancer", from the Tenth Biennial Report of the State Board of Health of California, by John LeConte, 1888

 

31

Pacific Educational Journal, March 1888

 

32

"Minor Contributions on a Curious Visual Phenomenon", reprinted from The American Journal of Psychology, Vol. III, No. 3, by Prof. Joseph LeConte, 1890 (2 copies)

 

33

University of California Philosophical Union, Bulletin No. 8, contains addresses made by Prof. Joseph LeConteand Prof. Howison, 1890

 

34

In Memoriam: Professor John LeConte, reprinted from the Overland Monthly, for, June 1891 (5 copies; 2 badly torn)

 

35

"The Race problem in the South", lectures and discussions before the Brooklyn Ethical Association, by Joseph LeConbe, 1 May 1892

 

36

Proceedings at the Banquet given to Professor John LeConte by the Alumni Association of the University of California, 24 September 1892

 

37

"Sketch of a Philosophy That Might Fitly be Named Evolutiona Idealism", by Joseph LeConte, March 1893

 

38

Addresses at the Inauguration of Martin Kellogg, LI.D., as President of the University of California, Berkeley, 23 March 1893

 

39

Memoir of John LeConte, 1818-1891, by Joseph LeConte, read before the National Academy, April 1894

 

40

"For the Beauty of An Ideal", from The Contemporary Review, May 1895

 

41

Address by W. LeConte Stevens, August 1895, from the Proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Vol. XLIV, 1895

 

42

"Ramblings through the High Sierra", by Joseph LeConte, Publication No. 21 of the Sierra Club, San Francisco, 1900

 

43

The University of California Magazine, Vol. VI, No. 4, May 1900

 

Box

Folder

Request Box

2

1

"Chemicals and Chemical Apparatus", Science, Vol. XIII, No. 338, 21 June 1901

 

2

"Joseph LeConte", by Andrew C. Lawson, reprinted from Science, N.S., Vol. XIV, No. 347, 23 August 1901

 

3

"The Greatness of Joseph LeConte", from The University of California Magazine, Vol. VII, No. 5, by Thomas R. Bacon, September 1901

 

4

"Biographical Notice", by Joseph LeConte, by S.B. Christy, reprinted from Vol. XXXI of the Transactions, 1902

 

5

"Sierra Club Bulletin", Vol. IV, No. 1, January 1902

 

6

"The Metric System", reprinted from Science, N.S., Vol. XIX, No. 483, by W. LeConte Stevens, 1 April 1904 (3 copies)

 

7

In Memoriam of Eugene Woldemar Hilgard, reprinted from The University of California Chronicle, Vol. XVIII, No. 2, 1916

 

8

List of published writings of John and Joseph LeConte, to, 1886

 

9

A Century of Geology, by Joseph LeConte, undated

 

10

"The Essential Characteristics and Mutual Relations of the School, the College and the University", from the Princeton Review, by Joseph LeConte, undated

 

11

"Evolution in Relation to Materialism", The Princeton Review, by Joseph LeConte, undated

 

12

Furman's Intensive Farming, Atlanta, Ga., undated

 

13

"The General Principles of Art and Their Application to the Novel", reprinted from the Overland Monthly by Joseph LeConte, undated

 

14

"Illustrations of a law of Evolution of Thought", from The Princeton Review, by Joseph LeConte, undated

 

15

"Mars and His Moons", from The Popular Science Monthly, Vol. XVI, No. 6, by John LeConte, undated

 

16

Memoir of John LeConte, 1818-1891, by Joseph LeConte, undated

 

17

"Morphology and its Connection with Fine Art", by Joseph LeConte, undated

 

18

Mutual Relations of Intellectual & Moral Culture, by Joseph LeConte, undated

 

19

"On the optical phenomena presented by the Silver Spring in Marion County, Florida", by Prof. John LeConte, reprinted from Physics of the Globe, undated

 

20

"The Relation of Evolution to Religious Thought", by Professor Joseph LeConte, undated

 

21

Remarks of Professor Joseph LeConte, [pp. 13-20], undated

 

22

A Study of Browning, by Caroline LeConte, undated

 

23

Fragments of LeConte writings

 

24

Clippings

 

25

Miscellaneous

 

26

Photos

 

27

Scrapbook [& copies]