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Frank D. Kern papers

 Collection — Box: Communal Collections 27, Placement: 01
Identifier: MSF 209

Scope and Contents

Three folders containing articles by Frank Kern.

Dates

  • Creation: 1905 - 1919

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Access Information

The collection is open for research.

Copyright and Use Information

Portions of material in this collection are in the public domain. Other material copyrights are held by Purdue University or original creator. Consult with Purdue University Archives and Special Collections prior to reproduction of materials.

Biographical Information

Born in 1883 on a farm near Reinbeck, Iowa, Kern was the youngest of four. His twin brothers, who were 12 years older than him, and his sister, two years older, all attended the University of Iowa. Frank Kern followed in 1900. During the winter term of his senior year, Kern learned that a Professor Arthur, of Purdue University, needed a research assistant. Arthur worked with rusts, a type of fungus. In his memoirs, Kern writes, "It turned out that Dr. Arthur was visiting his mother, who was then living in Iowa. It was arranged that I should go to Chicago and that he would meet me on a 9 o'clock Big Four train and we would get acquainted on the three and a half hour trip to Lafayette, Indiana. There began an association which was to last for years. We took many trips together, in this country, to Europe, and to Puerto Rico."

Kern left Purdue in 1913 and was appointed Professor and Head of the Department of Botany at the Pennsylvania State College on July 1, 1913. He retired in 1950 with the status of dean emeritus and professor emeritus of botany, having served as dean for 28 years. Shortly before his death on September 28, 1973, Kern published the book on his life's work, A Revised Taxonomic Account of Gynmosporangium. Although his older brothers had accused him of laziness on the home farm, Kern published 140 articles; of those 88 are scientific in nature. He also described and named approximately 100 specimens of fungus.

Extent

0.075 Cubic Feet (Three folders)

Arrangement

The papers are arranged in chronological order.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source and date of acquisition are unknown.

Processing Information

The papers have been placed into acid-free folders and an acid-free box.

Genre / Form

Title
Frank D. Kern papers
Status
Under Review
Author
Mary A. Sego
Date
2020-06-03
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English
Edition statement
Second edition. Collection description first completed 2011-05-10.

Repository Details

Part of the Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Repository

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