2018-03-28 Guide to the Dennis Anthony Wagner Jr. Operation Highjump Papers, 1946-1957 SPEC.PA.56.0216 Finding aid prepared by Karen Glenn; Ashleigh Minor Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210
2018 March; 2021 April This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2021-05-10T13:58-0400 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard Dennis Anthony Wagner Jr. Operation Highjump Papers SPEC.PA.56.0216 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 1.35 Cubic feet 1946-1957 Dennis Anthony Wagner Jr. was an assistant to Rear Admiral Richard Cruzen in Operation Highjump, a United States Navy expedition that took place from 1946-1947. The expedition was headed by Admiral Richard E. Byrd. The Dennis Anthony Wagner Jr. Operation Highjump Papers contain correspondence with Richard E. Byrd, ephemera, scrapbook pages, and approximately 200 loose photographs taken while Wagner was serving in Operation Highjump. The collection dates from 1946-1957. (2) oversize flat boxes, (1) 5" letter document box English Wagner, Dennis Anthony, Jr. Arrangement of Materials

This collection is arranged chronologically, and alphabetically by topic or given title within the same date.

 Acquisitions Information

Accession No. PA.2017.0013: Dennis Wagner, 2017 October; Accession No. PA.2021.0005: Dennis A. Wagner, III, 2021 April

 Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Dennis Anthony Wagner Jr. Operation Highjump Papers, SPEC.PA.56.0216, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University

 Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for patron research, but may be used only in the University Archives Reading Room. 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: Karen Glenn, 2018 March; Ashleigh Minor, 2021 April; Finding aid written by: Karen Glenn, 2018 March

 Biographical Note

Dennis Anthony Wagner Jr. graduated from the Naval Academy in 1943. He was an assistant to Rear Admiral Richard Cruzen in Operation Highjump, a United States Navy expedition that took place from 1946-1947. Officially titled the United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, Operation Highjump included 4,700 men as well as ships and aircraft. It was headed by Admiral Richard E. Byrd. As part of their mission, the group established the Antarctic Research base, Little America IV, in the Bay of Whales. Operation Highjump was later considered to have helped establish a permanent presence of the United States in Antarctica.

 Scope and Contents

The Dennis Anthony Wagner Jr. Operation Highjump Papers contain correspondence, ephemera, mounted photographs on loose scrapbook pages, and approximately 200 loose photographs taken while Wagner was serving in Operation Highjump, a Navy Antarctic expedition. The scrapbooks pages, likely previous parts of a bound scrapbook, consist of mounted photographs with handwritten captions and titles for groups of photographs on the pages. Photographs in the collection depict Navy ships, sailors, transportation, camp buildings, camp life, and landscapes in Antarctica. The collection also contains a souvenir program from the expedition, clippings about Admiral Richard E. Byrd's death, and correspondence between Wagner and Richard E. Byrd after the expedition. The collection dates from 1946-1957.

 Related Materials Admiral Richard E. Byrd Papers Byrd, Richard Evelyn, 1888-1957 Operation Highjump (1946-1947) United States. Navy--Officers Wagner, Dennis Anthony, Jr. Antarctica--Discovery and exploration--American--20th century Photographs Sailors--United States--20th century Scrapbooks South Pole Area Meteorological Plotting Chart U.S. Navy 1 1 1946 October Bureau of Naval Department memo 1 2 1946 November 15 Devine-Services Antarctica Christmas program 1 3 1946 Activities on ice scrapbook pages 2 1 circa 1946-1947 Animal photographs 1 4 circa 1946-1947 Bay of Whales scrapbook pages 2 2 circa 1946-1947 Blizzards scrapbook pages 2 3 circa 1946-1947 Camp Highjump scrapbook pages 2 4 circa 1946-1947 "Christmas Under the Earth" by William J. Menster, ship's chaplain 1 5 circa 1946-1947 Crevace and pressure ice scrapbook pages 2 5 circa 1946-1947 Dennis Wagner photographs 1 6 circa 1946-1947 Dogtown scrapbook pages 2 6 circa 1946-1947 Equipment and supplies photographs 1 7 circa 1946-1947 Flight, parachute, and air strip scrapbook pages 2 7 circa 1946-1947 Landscapes and sea ice photographs 1 8 circa 1946-1947 Lectures, mail, and Antarctic clothing scrapbook pages 2 8 circa 1946-1947 Little America III scrapbook pages 2 9 circa 1946-1947 Maintenance scrapbook pages 2 10 circa 1946-1947 Meat storage cache, Quonset Huts scrapbook pages 2 11 circa 1946-1947 Mess Hall at Camp Highjump scrapbook pages 2 12 circa 1946-1947 Penguins scrapbook pages 2 13 circa 1946-1947 Personalities scrapbook pages 2 14 circa 1946-1947 Personnel photographs 1 9 circa 1946-1947 Plane and helicopter photographs 1 10 circa 1946-1947 Photography scrapbook pages 3 1 circa 1946-1947 R4D scrapbook pages 3 2 circa 1946-1947 Science scrapbook pages 3 3 circa 1946-1947 Scott Island scrapbook pages 3 4 circa 1946-1947 Seals and gulls scrapbook pages 3 5 circa 1946-1947 Shipboard activities scrapbook pages 3 6 circa 1946-1947 Ship photographs 1 11 circa 1946-1947 Tents scrapbook pages 3 7 circa 1946-1947 Transit through ice pack scrapbook pages 3 8-9 circa 1946-1947 Transportation scrapbook pages 3 10-11 circa 1946-1947 UDT scrapbook pages 3 12 circa 1946-1947 Byrd (Richard E.) correspondence 1 12 1949-1951 Byrd (Richard E.) correspondence 1 16 1952 September 30, October 9 Death of Admiral Byrd clippings 1 13 1957 March 12 "'Race' to Pole Recalls a Tragedy" clipping 1 14 circa 1957 Naval ship print 1 15 undated