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James Merrill Safford Correspondence

 Collection
Identifier: MS-3728

  • Staff Only

This collection contains one correspondence from James Safford. He writes about a distinguished botanist that came to measure the peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, which are the highest in North Carolina and Tennessee. Safford goes on to note that they are the highest mountains east of the Mississippi River. James Safford was the Tennessee State Geologist from 1854 until retirement.

Dates

  • 1822-1907

Language

This collection is in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Conditions Governing Use

The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.

Extent

0.1 Linear Feet

Abstract

This collection contains one correspondence from James Safford. He writes about a distinguished botanist that came to measure the peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains, which are the highest in North Carolina and Tennessee. Safford goes on to note that they are the highest mountains east of the Mississippi River.

Biographical/Historical Note

James Merrill Safford was born in 1822. He was a professor at Cumberland University from 1848 to 1873. From 1873 to 1900, Safford was a Professor of Chemistry in the Medical School of the University in Nashville and Vanderbilt University. He was the Tennessee State Geologist from 1854 until his retirement. Safford is most famous for his detailed work in geology. All of his books, reports, and maps included geology in some sort of way. Safford and J. B. Killebrew published a textbook on geology of Tennessee that was used in high schools for over 25 years.

Personally, Safford was a member of the Presbyterian Church. He was known for his kind nature and to include poetry in his lectures while teaching at Vanderbilt.

Acquisition Note

Purchased in 2014 from George Webb.

Repository Details

Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository

Contact:
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville TN 37996 USA
865-974-4480