Collection ID: C473
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Collection context

Summary

Creator:
Heiser, Charles B. (Charles Bixler), 1920-2010
Abstract:
Charles B. Heiser was a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Botany at Indiana University and considered to be an authority on capsicum, tortora and gourds. The collection consists of his research and correspondence.
Extent:
16.6 cubic feet (18 boxes)
Language:
Materials are primarily in English .Some are in Spanish , Russian , Japanese , German , Hungarian , Latin , and French .
Preferred citation:

[Item], Charles B. Heiser papers, Collection C473, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

Background

Biographical / Historical:

Charles "Charley" Heiser, born in 1920 in Cynthiana, Indiana, was a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Botany at Indiana University. He received his undergraduate and master's degrees from Washington University in St. Louis in 1944, and his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley in 1947. Heiser joined the faculty at Indiana University in 1947.

During his professional career, Heiser served as president of the American Society of Plant Taxonomists, vice president of the Society for the Study of Evolution and as a council member for the Society of Economic Botany.

A distinguished scholar, Heiser received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1953 and was named a NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in 1962. Additionally, Heiser was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a prestigious distinction given only to the top scholars in the field. In honor of this accomplishment, a portrait of Heiser was hung in Indiana University's Indiana Memorial Union. Other awards include the New York Botanical Garden's Henry Allan Gleason Award and the American Society of Plant Taxonomists Asa Gray Award.

Heiser was considered to be an authority on a variety of plants including capsicum, tortora and gourds. He also published a number of books written for both scholars and people without botanical experience, most notably "Seeds to Civilization" "Weeds in My Garden" and "Nightshades: The Paradoxical Plants."

Dr. Heiser retired from Indiana University in 1986, and died in 2010.

Scope and Content:

The Heiser papers are organized into two series: Research and publications and Correspondence. The Research and publications series is further organized into nine subseries, based on the particular publication or research project: Gourds, Seed to civilization, Of plants and people, Solanum, Sunflower, Capsicum, Tortora, Weeds and General.

The Gourds (1946-1994, undated) subseries of the Research and publications series consists primarily of manuscripts and research for Heiser's publication, "The Gourd Book." Contents of the book are focused on the different varieties, geographic locations and uses of gourds. Heiser also performed a significant amount of research on a specific type of gourd, the luffa. Publications, research and correspondence on luffa are also located in this subseries.

The Seed to civilization (1954-1998, undated) subseries consists of Heiser's research, photographs and correspondence relevant to his book titled "Seed to Civilization." Several plates and manuscript proofs are located in oversize boxes.

The next subseries, Of plants and people (1962-1991, undated), contains photographs and research for the various components of Heiser's book of the same title. Correspondence regarding the contract and production of the book can be found in the "Publication Correspondence" folder.

The Solanum (1945-2007, undated) subseries of the Research and publications series contains research on the varieties of solanum, with the focus on collecting publications of colleagues on the subject. Correspondence, mostly regarding seed requests, can also be found in this subseries.

The Sunflower (1944-1990, undated) subseries consists primarily of research-related photographs and planting data on the varieties of helianthus.

The next subseries in Research and publications, Capsicum (1947-2002, undated), consists primarily of research on the various varieties of capsicum and correspondence with colleagues. Heiser served as a consultant for the McIlhenny Company (the makers of Tabasco sauce) regarding species identification of their main ingredient, and records of correspondence are located in this subseries.

The Tortora (1945-1993) subseries of the Research and publications series contains research on the Latin American region and utilization of the thick tortora plant stems to construct boats and mats.

The Weeds (1950-2005, undated) subseries consists primarily of copies of drafts for Heiser's book on weeds. There are a few files containing research on the different species, locations and uses of weeds.

The final subseries in the Research and publications series, General (1947-2005, undated) contains research files for smaller publications, collections of seeds, and general resources on botany.

The Correspondence (1936-2007, undated) series contains letters to and from Heiser's colleagues. Many of the files contain several decades of communication and may thus include details about Heiser's personal life. Frequent correspondents include botanist Edgar Anderson as well as former students and botanists Gregory J. Anderson and Barbara Pickersgill. The files are arranged alphabetically by last name.

Acquisition information:
Accession 2002/039, 2007/156
Appraisal information:

Some of the correspondence files contained student records. These records were removed and destroyed.

Custodial history:

Gift of Charles Heiser to the University Archives in 2002 and 2007.

Processing information:

Processed by Ashley Zengerski.

Completed in 2014.

Arrangement:

The collection is organized into two series: Research and publications and Correspondence. The Research and Publications series is further organized into nine subseries: Gourds, Seed to civilization, Of plants and people, Solanum, Sunflower, Capsicum, Tortora, Weeds and General.

Access

RESTRICTIONS:

Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.

TERMS OF ACCESS:

The donor(s) of this collection have transferred their copyrights for the materials to the Trustees of Indiana University through a Deed of Gift. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.

The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials. Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.

Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.

PREFERRED CITATION:

[Item], Charles B. Heiser papers, Collection C473, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.

CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
LOCATION OF THIS COLLECTION:
Herman B Wells Library E460
1320 East Tenth Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-7000, United States
CAMPUS:
Indiana University Bloomington
CONTACT:
812-855-1127
archives@indiana.edu