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Finding Aid
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Papers of Bohumil Shimek Access and Restrictions: This collection is open for research. Digital Surrogates: Except where indicated, this document describes but does not reproduce the actual text, images and objects which make up this collection. Materials are available only in the Special Collections Department. Copyright: Please read The University of Iowa Libraries' statement on Property Rights, Copyright Law, and Permissions to Use Unpublished Materials. Use of Collections: The University of Iowa Libraries supports access to the materials, published and unpublished, in its collections. Nonetheless, access to some items may be restricted by their fragile condition or by contractual agreement with donors, and it may not be possible at all times to provide appropriate machinery for reading, viewing or accessing non-paper-based materials. Please read our Use of Manuscripts Statement. Acquisition and Processing Information: The Papers of Bohumil Shimek were transferred to the University Archives from the Dept. of Geosciences. The photographs in box 4 were donated as Accession 2005-87 by David A. Konvalinka. The field notes comprising boxes 5-7 were received as Accession 2010-62 from the Dept. of Biology. Photographs: Box 4 |
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Scope and Contents
The Papers of Bohumil Shimek include published material and field notes taken by Shimek, assessing geological and botanical features of Iowa counties and other areas of the Midwest around the turn of the twentieth century. The collection also includes a set of his articles, both published and unpublished, arranged alphabetically by title.
Biographical Note
Bohumil Shimek was born in Shueyville, Iowa, on June 25, 1861. His parents emigrated from Bohemia to the United States for political reasons in 1856. Shimek ’s mother died when he was five years old, and he grew up poor in Iowa City. In 1883, Shimek received his undergraduate degree in civil engineering at the State University of Iowa and worked in Iowa City as a surveyor after graduation. He taught at Iowa City High School from 1885 to 1888, then taught zoology at the University of Nebraska for two years.
Thomas H. Macbride, head of the SUI Botany Department in 1890, lured Shimek back to Iowa City to instruct botany classes. In 1902, he took his masters degree at SUI. Shimek helped establish the Lakeside Biological Laboratory in 1908, and served as curator of the herbarium and chairman of the department. He traveled the state of Iowa to collect botanical and geological samples for his research and for deposit at the University. Shimek made many contributions in the area of conservation, as well as botany, geology, and zoology. Bohumil Shimek died January 30, 1937.
DAnderson, December 2006
Related Materials
Folder, "Shimek, Bohumil," in Faculty and Staff Vertical Files collection, University Archives (RG 01.15.03)
"Professor Shimek to Be Honored at Commencement Luncheon." University of Iowa News Bulletin, 7 no. 5 (May 1932): 1-4, illus. Shimek's reminiscences of UI, 1870s-1880s.
Conard, Rebecca. Places of Quiet Beauty: Parks, Preserves, and Environmentalism. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1997. 382 pp., illus., map, tables, notes, bibliog.
"Bohumil Shimek." Iowa Academy of Science Proceedings 44 (1937): 31-33, illus.
Conard, Henry S. "Notes for a Biography of Bohumil Shimek." Iowa City, 1947. 76 pp.
Loehwing, Walter F. Bohumil Shimek. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1947. 36 pp., illus. In "Centennial Memoirs".
Loehwing, Walter F. Bohumil Shimek, a Golden Anniversary. Iowa City, 1932. 39 pp.
Box Contents List
Box 1
Iowa geological surveys, n.d., probably 1895-1900: Louisa, Des Moines, Lee, Henry counties
----. Ringgold, Decatur, Clarke, Union counties
----. Humboldt, Webster, Hamilton, Wright counties
----. Allamakee, Winneshiek, Fayette counties
----. Shelby, Audubon counties
----. Wayne, Appanoose, Monroe, Lucas counties
----. Lyon, Sioux counties
----. Emmet, Palo Alto, Pocahontas, Clay, O'Brien counties
----. Warren, Madison, Adair, Cass counties
----. Cherokee, Buena Vista, Ida, Sac counties
----. Plymouth, Woodbury counties
----. Dickinson, Osceola counties
----. Worth, Kossuth, Hancock, Winnebago counties
----. Fremont, Mills, Pottawattamie counties
----. Crawford, Carroll counties
----. Page, Taylor, Adams, Montgomery counties
----. Dallas, Boone, Greene, Guthrie counties
----. Dallas, Polk, Story, Hardin counties
----. Scott, Clinton, Jackson counties
Box 2
----. Buchanan, Black Hawk, Bremer counties
----. Marshall, Jasper, Poweshiek counties
----. Marion, Mahaska, Keokuk, Washington counties
----. Benton, Tama counties
----. Johnson County
----. Hardin, Franklin, Grundy, Butler counties
----. Delaware, Dubuque, Clayton counties
----. Harrison, Monona counties
----. Cerro Gordo County
----. Mitchell, Howard, Chickasaw, Floyd counties
Other surveys: Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota
----. Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas
----. Illinois
----. St. Joseph, Missouri
Correspondence, notes, departmental papers, 1900-37
Untitled typescript [flora of Iowa]
"The Plant Geography of Iowa" manuscript and typescript (3 folders)
Manuscript copy 4 bibliography
Manuscript copy 3 chapter 1-3
Box 3
Articles, A-F
----. G-L
----. M-Z
Photographs:
Family, including Bohumil Shimek, Anna Konvalinka, others, n.d.; rolled and fragile; handle with care
Portrait, Frank Shimek, n.d.
Box 5
Botanical field notes, including dates and location information, arranged by Iowa county, 1895-1930:
Adair
Adams
Allamakee (68 pp.)
Appanoose
Audubon
Benton
Black Hawk
Boone
Bremer
Buchanan
Buena Vista
Butler
Calhoun
Carroll
Cass
Cerro Gordo (including Clear Lake)
Cherokee
Chickasaw
Clarke
Clay
Clayton (including Mississippi River) (192 pp.)
Clinton
Crawford
Dallas
Davis
Decatur
Delaware
Des Moines
Dickinson (including Spirit Lake, Lake Okoboji)
Box 6
Botanical field notes, including dates and location information, arranged by Iowa county, 1895-1930 (continued):
Dubuque
Emmet
Fayette (17 pp.)
Floyd
Franklin
Fremont
Greene
Grundy
Guthrie
Hamilton
Hancock (slough)
Hardin
Harrison
Henry
Howard
Humboldt
Ida
Iowa
Jackson
Jasper
Jefferson
Johnson
Jones
Keokuk
Kossuth
Lee
Linn
Louisa
Lucas
Lyon
Madison
Mahaska
Marion
Marshall
Mills
Mitchell
Monona
Monroe
Montgomery
Muscatine
O'Brien
Box 7
Botanical field notes, including dates and location information, arranged by Iowa county, 1895-1930 (continued):
Osceola
Palo Alto
Plymouth
Pocahontas
Polk
Pottawattamie
Poweshiek
Ringgold
Sac
Scott
Shelby
Sioux
Story
Tama
Taylor
Union
Van Buren
Wapello
Warren
Washington
Wayne
Webster
Winnebago
Winneshiek (89 pp.)
Woodbury
Worth
Wright
Field notes: unidentified county(ies)
Field book: Flora of Iowa. I: Exogens
Field book: Flora of Iowa. II: Endogens. Pteridophyta - Bryophyta.
Possibly portions of manuscript, "Plant Geography of Iowa."