COLLECTIONS at Yale

George Bird Grinnell Papers – MS 1388

Manuscripts and Archives, Sterling Memorial Library

 

George Bird Grinnell was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 20, 1849. He received his B.A. degree from Yale University in 1870 and did graduate work there under O. C. Marsh, receiving his Ph.D. in 1880. From 1876 until 1911 Grinnell was associated with “Forest and Stream” magazine, becoming editor-in-chief in 1880. Grinnell was active in several organizations instrumental in conserving the American West and protecting wildlife. He was also an authority on the Blackfeet, Cheyenne, and Pawnee Indians, and a prolific writer on Indian folklore and life, as well as on subjects relating to conservation. Grinnell died on April 11, 1938, in New York City.

 

The papers, which consist of letterbooks, correspondence, and subject files, including photographs and writings, document George Bird Grinnell’s leading role in the American conservation movement. The material focuses on Grinnell’s adult life (1886-1938) and details his work as editor of Forest and Stream magazine, authority on American Indians of the West, and active participant in the National Audubon Society, the Boone and Crockett Club, the American Game Protective and Propagation Association, and the National Parks Association.
 

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