Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Joseph C. McDaniel Papers, Accession 10553-j, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Acquisition Information

These papers were given to the Library on April 21, 1988, by Mrs. Mary Nell McDaniel of Urbana, Illinois.

Funding Note

Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Biographical Note

Joseph C. McDaniel (1912-1982) was an assistant professor of Horticulture at the University of Illinois, Urbana. He was born in Harselle, Alabama, and received his bachelor's degree in horticulture and botany from Auburn University in 1934. He also pursued graduate studies at the University of Tennessee, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Florida State Universities.

Prior to joining the staff at the University of Illinois in 1950, McDaniel worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority, the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, Michigan State University, and the Tennessee State Department of Agriculture.

He has made numerous selections of ornamental and edible fruited plants. Included in the more than thiry plant introductions are varieties of apple, pecan, walnut, holly, hygrangea, and magnolia. He received the American Horticultural Society's Scientific Citation in 1975, for his breeding, propagation, and introduction of ornamental woody plants.

McDaniel has served as Secretary, President, and Editor of Publications for the Northern Nut Growers Association, initiating "The Nutshell," Editor of the American Pomological Society Journal , and President of the American Magnolia Society. He has contributed many horticultural articles to publications including Hortus Third (1976), The American Nurseryman , and The Encyclopedia Britannica . He was a principal American consultant for Neil G. Treseder's book, Magnolias and edited the 1975 "Checklist of the Cultivated Magnolias." A biographical sketch written by McDaniel can be found in the control folder.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of 2,460 items (9 Hollinger boxes, 3 linear shelf feet), 1926-1984, chiefly the correspondence, articles, talks, printed material, photographs, and research notes of Dr. Joseph C. McDaniel (1912-1982) of Urbana, Illinois . These papers pertain to his research concerning magnolias, hollies, fruits, and nuts, and his membership in the American Magnolia Society , The Holly Society of America , and the Northern Nut Growers Association .

The first series of papers pertains to the cultivation of magnolias and McDaniel's participation in the American Magnolia Society . McDaniel's interest in the breeding and cultivation of Magnolia species is well represented in his correspondence with beginners and advanced students of the species. Many of his letters are sprinkled with practical advice and news concerning quick cultivars, pollination, seed collecting, hardiness, descriptions of various species, successful breeding activities, possible articles for the American Magnolia Society newsletters and other publications, seed counter requests, and the progress and perils of the American Magnolia Society organization.

Some of his more frequent or well-known correspondents include: Fred C. Galle, David Leach, John Fogg, Jr., John Wister, Tom Dodd, Jr., Phil Savage, J. E. Dandy, Richard A. Howard, James Gossler, Lynn Lowrey, Peter Glover, Bob Egolf, Neil G. Treseder, Orlando Pride, Philip Seitner, Virginia Melnick, Peter Smithers, Harold Hopkins, C. D. Brickell, Harry Heineman, Jr., Stephen Spongberg, Gene Eisenbeiss, Dick Figlar, Carl Ferris Miller, Conrad Wrzesinski, K. Wada, K. E. Flinck, Benjamin Blackburn, and Jerry Hetzer.

Specific topics in the correspondence subseries re magnolias include: an early letter to David Leach discussing McDaniel's beginning interest in magnolias (1960 Dec 9); directions for starting magnolias from seed (1961 Aug 15; 1970 Feb 26); a discussion of apogamy and magnolias (1964 Nov 27); John Fogg's intention of resigning as President of the American Magnolia Society which mentions McDaniel as logical successor (1965 Jan 18; 1968 Feb 9); McDaniel's pollen hunting trip to Mexico and Guatemala (1964 Jan 9, Jun 16, 18, & 24, Oct 12; 1965 Apr 1, Jul 24; 1966 May 16; 1967 Dec 3); Sweet Bay Magnolias (1966 Mar 27, Apr 22, Jun 13-18; 1967 Feb 2, May 26); and "Henry Hicks" [Swarthmore evergreen clone of Magnolia virginiana ] (1967 May 4; 1968 Nov 22).

Other topics include: Magnolias suitable for growing in Brazil (1968 Jan 8); election of McDaniel as president of the Society (1968 Apr 9); Gloster Arboretum (1969 Dec 26); Cedrela shoots, use and preparation of (1972 Apr 20); directions re seeds, cuttings, and bud grafts (1972 Aug 11); suggestions re the newsletter (1973 Mar 21 & 26); Hortus III manuscript re magnolias (1973 Sep 19 & 27); self-incompatibility in magnolias (1973 Sep 24, Nov 7); and "The Magnolia Checklist" (1973 Apr 27, May 2, Sep 17, Nov 13; 1974 Jul 19; 1976 Feb 20, Jul 10).

Additional topics include: Magnolia seed distribution (1974 Jan 17); Magnolias at Vico Morcote, Switzerland (1974 Feb 5); proposal to send out round robin letters (1975 Feb 15); ranges of Magnolia species (1975 Jun 9); collection of seed from trees on Capitol Hill (1976 Feb 20, Mar 19 & 23); seed collecting in China (1976 Mar 31; 1980 Mar 6); a proposal for sustaining type membership in AMS (1976 Apr 2); "Transplanting Large Magnolia Trees" by Ken Harms (1976 Apr 8); Dr. Yu-Chen Ting's visit to the Honan Province, China , and plant collecting (1976 Apr 28, May 27, Jun 10, Sep 15, Oct 7 & 19; 1977 Sep 28; 1978 Oct 2); chip budding (1976 Jul 28; 1979 Oct 24); origins of the Magnolia Stellata "Waterlily" (1977 Sep 19-20, 25); the American Magnolia Society Newsletter (1976 Oct 13 & 20; 1977 Sep 30, Oct 20; 1978 Feb 2, Mar 21, Apr 17, May 2, Jun 26 & 28, Sep 11, Oct 16, Nov 15, Dec 18; 1980 Jan 22, Jun 27); Magnolia taxonomy chart (1978 Mar 24); origin of Magnolia Wada's Memory (1979 Jul 24, Sep 13); agenda for Director's Meeting (1980 Mar 13, Sep 24); issue devoted to the work of Ernest Wilson, plant explorer (1980 Jun 27, Jul 29, 31, Dec 9; 1981 Jan 27, Feb 18); a proposal for a new short newsletter (1980 Oct 16); and a study re the survival of magnolia seed embryos (1981 May 28, 1982 Feb 18).

The second subseries consists of articles and talks concerning magnolias by J. C. McDaniel and others, including many of McDaniel's notes concerning the species. Some of McDaniel's titles include:

Also present in the third series is a stray alphabetical correspondence file for "G" correspondents. This correspondence file is somewhat earlier than the other correspondence found in the collection.

Organization

This collection is organized in three series according to the type of plants featured in the material and following the arrangement suggested by Mrs. McDaniel: 1) Magnolias and the American Magnolia Society (Boxes 1-8); 2) Hollies (Box 9); 3) Fruits and Nuts (Box 9).