Restrictions on Access

No restrictions on access or use for research purposes. Boxes 10-13 are unprocessed without and inventory or list of contents.

Ownership and Custodial History

This collection was transferred from Alumni Relations to the Longwood Library for its archival collection in December 1993 by Nancy Shelton, Director of Alumni Relations. Dr. Jeffers' son, Jack Jeffers, had given these papers to Longwood via Alumni Relations.

Biographical sketch

George William Jeffers (1897-1995) was born in Freshwater, Newfoundland, in 1897. In 1917 Jeffers graduated from the Methodist College in St. Johns. He left Newfoundland in 1919 to attend Boston University where he earned his B.S. and M.A. degrees. In 1926 he became a professor at the State Teachers College in Farmville, Virginia, where he taught until his retirement in 1968. In 1931 he received his doctorate in marine biology from the University of Toronto. For a period of time during his tenure at Longwood, he served as head of the Department of Natural Sciences. In appreciation of his 42 years of dedication to his profession and his students, the science auditorium in Stevens Hall at Longwood was named in his honor. Dr. Jeffers served as President of the Virginia Academy of Science from 1940 to 1941, and as the Director of Survey for the Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Commission from 1943 to 1945. He was one of the co-founders of the National Association of Biology Teachers. Dr. Jeffers was a contributor of articles published in several scientific journals. He and a colleague, Edith Stevens, collaborated on several texts used in-house by their students. After his retirement from Longwood, Dr. Jeffers wrote a book entitled The Bastards' Book which was published in 1981 by Driftwood Press.

Scope and Contents

This collection, contained in nine archival boxes, is divided into the following series: Correspondence - All correspondence, with the exception of personal correspondence, are in chronological order. Personal correspondence is arranged alphabetically by the correspondent's last name. Manuscripts - contains a variety of articles written by Dr. Jeffers and texts of addresses given by Dr. Jeffers. This series also contains a draft (typed, with corrections) of a book written by Dr. Jeffers (The Bastards' Book). Included in this series are bits and pieces of stories written by Dr. Jeffers that appear to be autobiographical. Personal and Biographical Materials - contains a collection of materials that Dr. Jeffers kept with his personal papers and that relate to some aspect of his life and career. Included are a birth certificate, educational information, employment information, newspaper clippings, and a personal notebook. This series also includes scrapbook materials with miscellaneous writings, clippings, and photographs that were significant to Dr. Jeffers. There is also an informal notebook filled with random handwritten notes and typed stories. The notebook is entitled "Chats with Jarman and More." Teaching and research - contains research that Dr. Jeffers used in writing articles, including notes and clippings. This series also includes a variety of miscellaneous print materials dealing with organizations in which Dr. Jeffers was actively involved. In addition there is a series of Articles and Newspaper Clippings collected by Dr. Jeffers, as well as a series of photographs.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Biology -- Study and teaching (Higher)
• Jeffers, George William.
• Longwood College -- : History.