Beyond the barrier: The story of Byrd's first expedition to Antarctica

2020-11-18 Preliminary Inventory of the Eugene Rodgers Papers for Beyond the Barrier: The Story of Byrd's First Expedition to Antarctica, 1939, 1965-2013, bulk 1987-1991 SPEC.PA.56.0227 Finding aid prepared by Ashleigh Minor Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections

1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210

2020 November, 2021 July This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2021-07-21T10:05-0400 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard Eugene Rodgers Papers for Beyond the Barrier: The Story of Byrd's First Expedition to Antarctica SPEC.PA.56.0227 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 1.825 Cubic feet Bulk, 1987-1991 1939-2013 As of 2020, Eugene Rodgers is a retired speechwriter and public relations writer and author of Beyond the Barrier: The Story of Byrd's First Expedition to Antarctica. The Eugene Rodgers Papers for Beyond the Barrier: The Story of Byrd's First Expedition to Antarctica contains materials related to Rodgers' research, the publishing process, and subsequent solicitations and use of Rodgers' research in lectures, films, and other writing by Rodgers and others. Materials in this collection are dated 1967-2005, and 2013, with the bulk of materials dated between 1987 and 1991. (4) 5" letter document boxes; (1) 2.5" letter document box; (1) legal file folder English Rodgers, Eugene Arrangement of Materials

This collection is unprocessed. Materials are arranged in the order received. Titles inside of quotation marks reflect the titles written on the folders by Eugene Rodgers.

Acquisitions Information

Accession No. PA.2020.0007: Eugene Rodgers, 2020 November; Accession No. PA.2021.0007: Eugene Rodgers, 2021 May

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Eugene Rodgers Papers for Beyond the Barrier: The Story of Byrd's First Expedition to Antarctica, SPEC.PA.56.0227, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Contains microfiche, audiotapes, compact discs, and audiocassettes.

Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the University Archives reading room only. Audio/visual materials and/or computer media 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

This collection is unprocessed. Finding aid written by: Ashleigh Minor, 2020 November, 2021 July

Biographical Note

As of 2020, Eugene Rodgers is a retired speechwriter and public relations writer who specialized in science and business writing. His interest in Admiral Richard E. Byrd and the first Byrd Antarctic Expeition (BAE I) began while he was working as the Public Information Officer for the United States Antarctic Research Program from 1963-1965, an organization of the United States government that manages research and logistics in Antarctica. Rodgers also taught business and technical writing at Virginia Commonwealth University, and was named Virginia author of the year in 1991 by the Virginia College Store's Association for Beyond the Barrier: The Story of Byrd's First Expedition to Antarctica. The book, published in 1990, aimed to provide a more thorough and objective account of Byrd's first expedition than media accounts gave at the time.

Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd (1888-1957) was a polar explorer who received international attention for his expeditions in Antarctica and the Arctic regions, and as an aviator and officer for the United States Navy. His first expedition to Antarctica (BAE I) took place from 1928-1930, when Byrd and his expedition members established the "Little America" base camp on the Ross Ice Shelf, and began scientific explorations and surveys of the area. Byrd successfully completed the first flight to the South Pole and back during this expedition in 1929.

Scope and Contents

Eugene Rodgers Papers for Beyond the Barrier: The Story of Byrd's First Expedition to Antarctica contains research materials used in the writing of the 1990 book, including clippings and photocopies of photographs, articles, and books about Byrd's first Antarctic expedition (BAE I) and members who accompanied him, aircraft and ships used on the expedition, and BAE I newsletters. Audio recordings of lectures and symposiums about Byrd, as well as interviews conducted by Rodgers are located in this collection. Also included is correspondence with institutions about their archival holdings related to Byrd, with other researchers interested in Byrd and Antarctic exploration, and with expedition members and their descendants, including responses to interview questions. Materials related to the process of publishing Rodgers' book with the Naval Institute Press are included in this collection, such as correspondence regarding edits to Rodgers' manuscript, edited and corrected drafts, an author guide, correspondence regarding the fair use of copyrighted material, publicity clippings and press releases, and reviews of the published book. Correspondence about talks and lectures Rodgers gave about Byrd after the publication of his book, biographical sketches about Byrd he wrote for other publications, and the use of content from his book for documentary films about Byrd and BAE I are also included. Materials in this collection are dated 1967-2005, and 2013, with the bulk of materials dated between 1987 and 1991.

Related Materials SPEC.PA.56.0001 Admiral Richard E. Byrd Papers Byrd Antarctic Expedition (1st: 1928-1930) Byrd, Richard Evelyn, 1888-1957 Rodgers, Eugene Antarctica--Discovery and exploration--American--20th century Authors and publishers--United States--20th century Authors, American--20th century Authors, American--21st century Beyond the barrier: The story of Byrd's first expedition to Antarctica Explorers--Antarctica--20th century Publishers and publishing--United States--20th century Research (documents) Research notes Accession No. PA.2020.0007 1.0 Cubic feet Bulk, 1987-1991 1967-2013 (2) 5" letter document boxes; (1) 2.5" letter document box Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Contains microfiche.

"Aircraft" articles and book photocopies Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 1981, 1990 "Autographs (from Kaczmarowski-Armstrong Papers)" photocopies of expedition members' handwriting Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 circa 1980s "Armstrong/Kaczmarowski Papers" correspondence and annotated newspaper photocopies Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 2002 "Award" correspondence, press release, and speaking schedule for Virginia College Store Association 13th Annual Book Award Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 1991 May-October "Bach, Julian" correspondence Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 1986-1991 "Bolling (BAI ship)" correspondence and photograph Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 2005 January 26 "TL-BBC" correspondence and outline for 1997 BBC documentary film "Richard Byrd: Alone in Antarctica" Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 1996 "Clips" photocopies and clippings about Byrd's expeditions, and publicity and reviews for Rodgers' book Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 circa 1980s-1992 "Correspondence" regarding research for the book and reactions to the book, and expedition members interview questions Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 1985-2004 "Dictionary of Virginia biography" correspondence regarding submitting a biographical sketch for Byrd, contributor guidelines, volume 2 index of subjects and authors Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 1990-2001 "Evaluations" Naval Institute Press manuscript reading report and correspondence Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 1988-1989 "Harrison Newsletter" photocopies of BAE I newsletters from 1978 and 1985 Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 circa 1987 "Legal" correspondence with attorney regarding copyright and fair use concerns Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 1989 September-November "Lenkey Projects" correspondence and clippings regarding the Admiral Richard E. Byrd Monument Restoration fund (N.Z.) and Rodgers' biographical sketch of Byrd Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 1992-1994, 2013 "Masons" First Antarctica Masonic Lodge No. 777 1935 meeting minutes Accession No. PA.2020.0007.001 2001 "Member Reunion" article in The Polar Times Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 1969 December "Movie from book" emails with Andy Shrader printouts Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 2002 September "National Archives" Center for Polar Archives informational leaflet, and a public voucher for refunds Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 1977, 1989 "New York Times" microfilm printouts of articles Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 circa 1980s "Naval Institute Press" correspondence regarding the publishing process, author guide, publishing announcements Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 1989-1990 "New York Times notes 1928-1939" Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 circa 1980s "North Pole Flite" articles about Byrd's diary and North Pole flight Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 1996 "Obituaries" clippings of BAE I expedition members Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 1967-1992, 2005 "OSU Book (aborted)" correspondence with Shenandoah University regarding Rodgers' 1994 paper presentation on Byrd and submitting it to the Byrd Polar Research Center at Ohio State University for publication Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 1995-1996 "Ohio State University" correspondence with Naval Institute Press and Ohio State University about accessing the Byrd Papers, preliminary inventory of the Byrd Papers on microfiche Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 1985-1994 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 Microfiche; black-and-white "Paramount" correspondence about accessing photographs for a film Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 1991 June 13 "Partisan attacks" correspondence about research road blocks and copyright claims Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 1989-1994 "Photos" photocopies and negatives of expedition photographs, Norman Vaughn photograph Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 circa 1980s, 1996 "Radio Communication on the First Byrd Antarctic Expedition 1928-1930" photocopy of talk by Little America radio operator Howard F. Mason Accession No. PA.2020.0007.002 1982 "Shenandoah program" correspondence regarding lecture series on Byrd, series program and schedule, lecture notes, and clippings of articles about lecture series Accession No. PA.2020.0007.003 1993-1995 "Ships" photocopies of photographs and articles about the City of New York Accession No. PA.2020.0007.003 1993 "Sequelae" correspondence regarding a book talk, and using content from the book for the PBS film series "The American Experience" Accession No. PA.2020.0007.003 1990, 1996-2001 "VT magazine paper" correspondence with Shenandoah University and the Virginia Historical Society, contracts, and drafts of "Richard E. Byrd's First Antarctic Expedition" for use in multiple publications Accession No. PA.2020.0007.003 1994, 1999-2002 "Waite, Bud BAE II" correspondence sent to Lisle Rose Accession No. PA.2020.0007.003 1977 November 30 Accession No. PA.2021.0007 0.825 Cubic feet 1939, 1965-1996 (2) 5" letter document boxes; (1) legal file folder Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Contains audiotapes, compact discs, and audiocassettes.

Correspondence Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1967-1968, 1985-1996 "The Scientific Work of the Second Antarctic Expedition" by Dr. Thos. C. Poulter Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1939 July "Aircraft" chronology notes Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1990 "Balchen papers" notes Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1987-1990 "Partisan attacks" correspondence Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1967, 1986, 1990 "PBS Byrd documentary" correspondence Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1996 November 26 Interview correspondence Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1967 March-April "Troubled Icon: Richard Byrd and Polar Exploration as Media Event" thesis by Robert Norman Matuozzi Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1994 "The Winter Night Trip to Advance Base Byrd Antarctic Expedition II 1933-35" by Thomas C. Poulter photocopy Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1973 "Smith manuscript" photocopy Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 undated "Photographs used in the book" Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1988-1990 Poulter (Tom) lecture recording Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1965 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Box Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 Audiotape; approximate runtime: unknown "Admiral Byrd Memorial Siple plaque" recordings Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 1991-1993 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Box Accession No. PA.2021.0007.001 (2) compact discs; sound; approximate runtime: unknown Byrd Symposium recording Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 1967 April 25 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Box Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 Audiotape; approximate runtime: unknown Byrd Symposium recording Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 1967 March 22 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Box Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 Audiotape; approximate runtime: unknown Byrd Symposium recordings Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 1967 March 16 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Box Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 (2) Audiotapes; approximate runtime: unknown Siple (Paul) interview recording Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 1967 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Box Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 Audiocassette; approximate runtime: unknown Matuozzi (Robert) Richard E. Byrd lecture recordings Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 1994 October 11 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Box Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 (2) Audiocassettes; approximate runtime: unknown "Richard Byrd and the Legacy of Polar Tech" recordings Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 1994 September 27 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Box Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 (2) Audiocassettes; approximate runtime: unknown Byrd (Richard E.) lecture recordings Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 1994 October 4 Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Box Accession No. PA.2021.0007.002 (2) Audiocassettes; approximate runtime: unknown Railey (H.H.) autobiography photocopy Polar Small Accessions 6 undated