Gahan Family papers

The Gahan Family papers span the period from 1905 through 2003 and consists of publications in the field of entomology, employment records, correspondence, photographs, certificates and awards, and biographical information relating to the Gahan family. The bulk of the collection is a nearly complete set of 120 scientific publications and reprints of articles by Arthur B. Gahan, dating from 1906 to 1952 and indexed by the author. Also included are notes, correspondence, and documentation relating to the establishment of the Gahan Scholarship Fund in 1981. Winifred Gahan's papers deal more with her activities on a local level, specifically her involvement in Prince George's County civic organizations. Winifred E. Gahan is represented in the collection by a commemorative book of letters assembled by her co-workers upon her retirement from the university in 1953, entitled "Our Miss Gahan."

This series consists primarily of a nearly complete set of publications by Arthur B. Gahan in the field of entomology. In his early career, Gahan wrote on a wide variety of entomological topics, including mosquitoes, greenhouse pests of Maryland, and the aphidinae of North America. Gahan published in various outlets, including the Bulletin of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station, the Canadian Entomologist, and in several conference proceedings. As Gahan's work grew more specialized, he focused on Chalcidoidea, one of the largest groups of parasitoid wasps. Gahan kept a detailed, numbered inventory of his 120 publications on index cards; the following publications are missing from the series: 1-3, 5-7, 9-11, 16-18, 28, 32, 34, 52, 57, 58, 62, 67, 72, 85, 86, and 99. Also included in this series are detailed employment records for Gahan, dating from his initial 1913 appointment as an Entomological Assistant in the Bureau of Entomology, U. S. Department of Agriculture, to his retirement in 1951 from the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine.

Arrangement is alphabetical by topic and then chronological by date.

This series consists primarily of correspondence dealing with the establishment of the Gahan Scholarship Fund by James B. Gahan and Winifred Gahan in 1981. Ms. Gahan continued to play an active role in the scholarship and kept records relating to the administration of the fund and to the students who benefited. Winifred Gahan was very involved in the Berwyn Presbyterian Church, as well as local civic organizations and the University of Maryland. She received many awards and honors throughout her life for these activities, including "Prince Georgian of the Year" in 1993. Files relating to her nomination for this award are located in this series. James and Winifred's aunt, Winifred E. Gahan, was also very involved in the University of Maryland community. She worked for the Extension Service for thirty-four years, retiring in 1953. Upon her retirement, her colleagues assembled a book of letters from people with whom she had interacted during her long career, including Harry Clifton Byrd, Ronald Bamford, T. B. Symons, Charles E. White, J. Franklin Witter, and Calvin L. Skinner.

Arrangement is alphabetical by family member and then by topic.

This series contains photographs of all of the members of the Gahan family. It includes several professional portraits of Arthur B. Gahan, as well as two group pictures from the U. S. D. A. Honor Awards Ceremony on May 25, 1950. There are also two informal photographs of Gahan at work. There is one photograph, dated 1953, of Winifred E. Gahan on the occasion of her retirement from the University of Maryland, receiving a plaque from Gordon M. Cairns, Dean of the College of Agriculture. Other similar photographs include one of Winifred Gahan receiving the Presidents Club plaque from then university president John Toll, and another of a later university president, William Kirwan, presenting her with an award. The series also contains professional portraits of James B. and Margaret Gahan. At the time of Winifred Gahan's death, members of her church created a small exhibit in her honor. Photographs of items in that exhibit form part of this series. Winifred Gahan was a member of the Republican Party, an alliance represented by several formal photographs of President George Bush and his wife Barbara, President George W. Bush, and Elizabeth Dole in the collection.

This series contains seven pieces of memorabilia. A framed certificate and a bronze paperweight commemorate the 1997 naming of the Arthur B. Gahan Conference Room in the Plant Sciences building at the University of Maryland. Winifred Gahan's "Prince Georgian of the Year" certificate and bronze medal from 1993 are included, as well as the plaque presented to her by the Presidents Club for outstanding contributions to the ongoing programs at the University of Maryland. She also received a certificate of appreciation from the Alumni Association as well as another from the Republican Party's Presidential Task Force, placing her on the Presidential Honor Roll in 2000. These items are now in the Memorabilia Collection, #1551 A-G.