Treasures Lost and Found

The UC Museum of Paleontology celebrates a century of discoveries. By Katherine Blesie ’21

THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA MUSEUM OF PALEONTOLOGY (UCMP) celebrates its centennial this year, but the story of its founding begins nearly two centuries ago, when California’s newly formed legislature commissioned a survey of the state, eager to map its gold deposits.

A team of geologists led by Josiah Whitney struck out for the wilderness, collecting fossils and taking meticulous notes on California’s natural wonders, from the soaring granite walls of Yosemite to the towering sequoias of the Sierra—“grand wonders of the vegetable world.” They published their findings in a monumental tome adorned with vivid illustrations and a gold-embossed cover.

The legislators were not impressed. They had sent the men out on a prospecting mission—or so they thought. Whitney remarked in frustration at the lawmakers’ disapproval: “ We have escaped perils by flood and field, have evaded the friendly embrace of the g r i z z l y, a n d n ow fi n d o u r s e l ve s i n t h e jaws of the Legislature.” When those jaws clamped shut, cutting off funding, the team gave a portion of its fossil cache to the newly formed University of California, establishing the founding collection of what would later become the UCMP. But it was the dogged determination of a trailblazing woman scientist named Annie Alexander that gave the museum its official designation. Her interest sparked on a visit to Crater Lake in 1899, Alexander began auditing courses taught by the renowned Berkeley paleontologist John Merriam. The two became close, and Alexander, a sugar heiress, began funding the professor’s expeditions, many of which she also joined. Alexander and Merriam were intellectual partners for many years, but she soon grew frustrated with his thirst for recognition and influence. “I am more than ever convinced that it is quiet research that brings results,” she wrote to the famed naturalist George Grinnell. To ensure that quiet research continued, she wrote to the University in 1921, offering to fund a separate museum of paleontology. The UCMP was born. “Museum” may be a bit misleading; the UCMP is a research collection and is mostly closed to the general public. That said, it has worked hard to bring its resources to the world via the internet. In collaboration with the National Center for Science Education, the museum has created awardwinning educational websites including Understanding Evolution, Understanding Science, and Understanding Global Change.