Scope and Content Note
The papers of Lynn Margulis (1938-2011) span the years 1965-2013, with the bulk of the material dating between 2000 and 2010. The papers are organized into five series: Writings, Correspondence, Professional File, 2021 Addition, and Oversize.
This collection documents Margulis’s career as a biologist, evolutionary theorist, author, and educator from 1966 until her death in 2011. The papers primarily chronicle Margulis’s pursuits as a science author and comprise drafts and edits of her many books and articles. Represented to a lesser extent are files documenting Margulis’s career as a university educator and mentor and material reflecting the early portion of her career between 1966 and the early 1990s. Little to no documentation of Margulis’s personal life and family is included in this collection.
The Writings series comprises material documenting Margulis’s work as an author and editor and spans the years 1980 to 2013. This series forms the bulk of the collection and contains annotated drafts and markups for Margulis’s numerous articles, books, chapters, and forewards, correspondence with collaborating authors and peers, publishing agreements, and book proposals. Also included are articles and manuscripts written by other scientists and reviewed and edited by Margulis. This series comprises both published and unpublished works.
The Correspondence series primarily contains incoming letters to Margulis and spans the years 1974-2010. Correspondents include professional colleagues and topics frequently reflect matters of publishing, research collaboration, invitations to lecture, and preparation of course material. Little to no personal correspondence is included.
The Professional File contains files documenting Margulis’s work as a collegiate educator and biologist and span the years 1965-2010. The bulk of this series represents files associated with planning and publicity for the various lectures, panels, and conferences in which Margulis participated. Also included are syllabi for courses taught at Boston University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, grant applications, reports of professional activities and accomplishments, a series of research grants funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and material documenting an interactive lecture series Margulis developed over the span of many years.
The 2021 Addition series comprises papers collected by Betsey Dexter Dyer, Margulis's former student and graduate assistant, and spans the years 1976-2012. The series covers a range of topics, but is primarily reflective of Margulis's teaching career at Boston University and closely mirrors the Professional File series.