2024-01-09 Guide to the Stephen L. DenHartog Oral History, 1981-2009 SPEC.PA.56.0123 Finding aid prepared by David Mezick Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210
2023 December This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2024-01-09T10:31-0500 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard Stephen L. DenHartog Oral History SPEC.PA.56.0123 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 0.08 Cubic feet 1981-2009 Stephen Ludwig (Denny) DenHartog (1933-2018) was a geologist and glaciologist who conducted research in the Polar regions. The Stephen L. DenHartog Oral History, dated 1981-2009, contains audio recordings, administrative information, and transcripts of the interview between DenHartog and Brian Shoemaker of the American Polar Society conducted on October 22, 2002. Major topics that DenHartog discussed include going to Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958), including his experiences during the Ross Ice Shelf Traverse, the Victoria Land Traverse and his winter spent at Little America V, and working at the second Arctic Research Laboratory Ice Station (ARLIS II), which was a station installed on a floating ice island off the coast of Point Barrow, Alaska. (4) audiocassettes; (3) letter file folders English DenHartog, Stephen L. Arrangement of Materials

Materials are arranged in the order created during the interview process with the first file containing administrative materials created before, during, and after the interview.

 Acquisitions Information

Accession No. PA.2002.0021: Stephen L. DenHartog, 2002 October

 Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Stephen L. DenHartog Oral History, SPEC.PA.56.0123, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University

 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Contains audiocassettes.

 Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the University Archives reading room only. Audiovisual materials may need a use copy produced before access is allowed. Contact the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program at polararchives@osu.edu for more information.

 Use of Materials

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.

 Processing Information

Processed by: Audrey Wimbiscus, 2023 November; Finding aid written by: David Mezick, 2023 December

 Biographical Note

Stephen Ludwig (Denny) DenHartog (1933-2018) was a geologist and glaciologist who conducted research in the Polar regions. He was born in Massachusetts. DenHartog attended high school at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he became interested in mountain climbing. He then enrolled at Harvard University in 1951. While at Harvard, his interest in mountain climbing led him to become involved with the American Geographical Society, assisting with the study of glaciers. DenHartog left Harvard in 1954 and joined the United States Army. He was stationed at Fort Churchill in Manitoba, Canada where he tested military ordinance. After leaving the Army, DenHartog returned to Harvard, and graduated in 1957 with a degree in geology.

During the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958), DenHartog went to Antarctica to assist with the Ross Ice Shelf Traverse and the Victoria Land Traverse as a glaciologist. After returning to the U.S., he attended the Montana State School of Mines and received a Master’s degree in geology in 1961. That summer, DenHartog worked at the second Arctic Research Laboratory Ice Station (ARLIS II), a station installed on a floating ice island off the coast of Point Barrow, Alaska. He then worked for the University of Wisconsin Geophysical and Polar Research Center from 1961 to 1965, conducting magnetic and gravity surveys in Alaska and Antarctica. In 1967, DenHartog was hired at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), and in 1969 and 1970, he sailed aboard the SS (Steamship) Manhattan through the Northwest Passage to assist with ice data collection and the testing of icebreaking capability. DenHertog then studied ice in lakes and rivers until 1989 when he returned to Antarctica to work on a project finding locations for blue ice runways, where airplanes could land on wheels instead of skis. He retired from CRREL in 1993. Den Hartog [sic] Peak, located in Antarctica, was named for Stephen L. DenHartog.

 Scope and Contents

The Stephen L. DenHartog Oral History, dated 1981-2009, contains audio recordings, administrative information, and transcripts of the interview between DenHartog and Brian Shoemaker of the American Polar Society conducted on October 22, 2002. The collection also contains personal notes by DenHartog about his life, which were created starting in 1981, and correspondence from 2009 about the transcripts of the interview. This interview was a part of a series of polar oral histories sponsored by American Polar Society and Ohio State University's Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program, with funding from the National Science Foundation. Major topics that DenHartog discussed include going to Antarctica during the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958), his experiences during the Ross Ice Shelf Traverse and the Victoria Land Traverse, the story of how Albert (Bert) Crary needed to be rescued after the piece of ice that he was working on split off into the water, spending the winter at Little America V, working at the second Arctic Research Laboratory Ice Station (ARLIS II), which was a station installed on a floating ice island off the coast of Point Barrow, Alaska, working for the University of Wisconsin Geophysical and Polar Research Center in Alaska and Antarctica, and working aboard the SS Manhattan in the Northwest Passage.

 Existence and Location of Copies

Also available online.

 Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.) DenHartog, Stephen L. Little America V (Antarctica: Research station) University of Wisconsin--Madison. Geophysical and Polar Research Center Antarctica--Research--20th century Arlis II (Drifting ice station) Audiocassettes Drifting ice stations--Arctic Ocean--20th century Geologists--Polar regions--20th century Geology--Research--Polar regions--20th century Geophysical surveys--Polar regions--20th century Glaciologists--Polar regions--20th century Glaciology--Research--Polar regions--20th century International Geophysical Year, 1957-1958--Personal narratives Military bases, American--Antarctica--20th century Oral histories (literary works) Snow surveys--Antarctica--20th century Notes and correspondence Polar Oral History 5 1 1981-2009 Interview recording Polar Oral History 8 1-2 2002 October 22 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Audiocassette; approximate run time: unknown Audiocassette; approximate run time: unknown Interview recording copy Polar Oral History 7 1-2 2002 October 22 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Audiocassette; approximate run time: unknown Audiocassette; approximate run time: unknown Transcript Polar Oral History 5 2 2009 Final edited transcript Polar Oral History 5 3 2009 Existence and Location of Copies

Also available online.