Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
The papers of C. Hart Merriam were given to the Library of Congress as a bequest of Merriam in 1947. Additional material was given by the National Geographic Society in 1976.
Processing History
The papers of C. Hart Merriam were processed in 1947. Additions and revisions were made between 1976 and 1987 and again in 2002. The finding aid was revised in 2014.
In 2024, the "Indian Vocabularies" in boxes 24-47 were reprocessed and the finding aid revised by Katherine S. Madison. Folders were retitled using Merriam's phonetic spellings as written on the vocabulary lists, and his original hierarchical arrangement, grouping individual dialects according to wider language families, was reinstated. Research was also conducted to determine the related modern spelling or equivalent term of a language or Indigenous band, predominantly by using the California Language Archive, maintained by the University of California, Berkeley (see https://cla.berkeley.edu/), and California Indian Languages by Victor Golla (University of California Press, 2011), as well as other verified sources. These modern terms, including variant spellings, are included in parentheses next to Merriam's original phonetic spellings. Every effort was made to ensure accuracy in representing both Merriam's original classification and its modern equivalents.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of part of these papers is available on ten reels. Consult a reference librarian in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm edition.
Online Content
Part of the papers of C. Hart Merriam is available on the Library of Congress Web site at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/collmss.ms000129. To promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the online edition.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or reel number, C. Hart Merriam Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.