ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

DURING the long process of researching and writing this book, I have incurred countless debts. I am grateful to the staffs at each of the many archives I consulted (a full list is in the bibliography) for permission to use, quote manuscripts, and reproduce images from the material under their care. Several staff members repeatedly went far beyond the call of duty and deserve special mention: Mary LeCroy, at the American Museum of Natural History; Libby Glenn, Bill Cox, Bill Deiss, and Pamela Henson, at the Smithsonian Institution Archives; and Janet Hinshaw, at the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. Special thanks also to Barbara Stein of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at Berkeley, Clark Elliott of the Harvard University Archives, Dana Fisher of the Museum of Comparative Zoology Archives, Llyn Sharp of the Virginia Museum of Natural History, and Holly Prees of the Massachusetts Audubon Society. I was able to visit many of these and other repositories with generous financial support in the form of a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, a Smithsonian Institution Ten-Week Graduate Fellowship, a Travel Grant from the College of Arts and Science at Virginia Tech, and two Research Grants from the Department of History at Virginia Tech.

Mentors, colleagues, friends, and even several complete strangers provided invaluable aid at various stages along the way. Keir Sterling and Marianne Ainley not only answered several queries during the formative stages of the project, but also generously granted me access to their unpublished history of the American Ornithologists’ Union. Everett Mendelsohn and Barbara G. Rosenkrantz provided me with continuous encouragement and sage counsel throughout my six years at Harvard. Alexi Assmus, Bob and Emily Morrison, and Liz Watkins offered warm hospitality during my travels to archives and meetings. Others who provided favors large and small include Ken Alder, Gar Allen, Dean Amadon, Tobey Appel, Allan Brandt, Rick Bonney, Hughes Evans, Deborah Fitzgerald, Donald Fleming, Pat Gossel, Kathleen Jones, Liz Keeney, Amy Nelson, Lynn K. Nyhart, Raymond A. Paynter, Jr., Barbara Reeves, John Reiger, Sam Schweber, David Spanagel, and Polly Winsor. Thank you all for everything and apologies to anyone I may have inadvertently left out.

Many people have taken time from their own busy schedules to read parts of the manuscript and provide helpful comments. Among those who did so during the later stages of the project are Marcia Barrow, Walter J. Bock, Richard W. Burkhardt, Jr., Joseph Cain (who also shared his helpful notes on the Ernst Mayr Papers), William E. Davis, Jr., Mike Fortun, Jürgen Haffer, Liz Keeney, Sally G. Kohlstedt, Ralph H. Lutts, Ernst Mayr, Gregg Mitman, Bob Morrison, Philip Pauly, Ron Rainger, Marc Rothenberg, Keir Sterling, Peter Stevens, and two anonymous referees. They provided badly needed encouragement, pointed the way to new sources and interpretations, forced me to clarify ideas, and rescued me from many infelicities. However, I have not always followed their advice, so I must accept responsibility for any errors that remain.

The folks at Princeton University Press have been a real delight to work with on this project. My editor, Emily Wilkinson, and her assistants, Kevin Downing and Sam Elworthy, were incredibly supportive of, and patient with, this anxious first-time author. Anita O’Brien skillfully copyedited the manuscript, while Jan Lilly did a wonderful job with the book design. And Jane Low guided the whole thing through the production process with a rare combination of efficiency, expertise, and compassion. The concern, professionalism, and humanity of everyone at the press set a very high standard for others to follow.

Most importantly, I want to thank my family. For too many years now they have been forced to live with this project, and they have always believed in me even when my own faith faltered. Mom and Dad have provided unstinting love, encouragement, and support that I have come to appreciate even more as my own children have begun to grow up. I will be forever grateful for all they have done. Aunt Marge hand-colored the original engraving used for the book jacket. My younger siblings—Will, John, Angela, and Amy Barrow—put up with me as a child and put me up as an adult during several research trips to New York. My four children—Mark, Alexander, Hannah, and Lizzie—have been an unceasing source of pride, joy, and inspiration without a word of complaint about my many hours of enforced absence. And especially I want to thank my wife, Marcia, who has been there for longer than I can remember. She has nurtured me in body and spirit, borne the brunt of raising our four wonderful children, and quietly endured the many hardships of graduate school and a beginning career in academia. Mere words fail to express the depth of my gratitude and love. As a small token of appreciation, I dedicate this book to her.