The Frank C. Gates papers are dated from 1871-2010 and include biographical and personal material, such as a biographical monograph authored by his son, David M. Gates; personal and professional correspondence; journals; publications; research notebooks; postcards, photographs, photographic negatives, photograph albums, and lantern slides. In addition to documenting Gates's time spent teaching botany at the University of the Philippines and exploring the vegetation of the Philippines Islands (1912-1915), this collection also documents his personal and professional life, service in World War I, and research interests and efforts.
Frank Caleb Gates was born on September 12, 1887 in Ravenswood, Illinois. He was a lifelong student and teacher of science, primarily interested in botany, ecology, and biology. He developed his interest in science at an early age and was able to expand his knowledge through the use of libraries close to his suburban Chicago home. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Illinois in 1910, majoring in botany. He continued his graduate and doctoral studies at the University of Michigan, receiving his Ph.D. in Botany in 1912. Gates departed for a faculty position at the University of the Philippines in 1912, where he remained until 1915. During this time Gates documented, through photographs and writings, his observations of the diverse vegetation, geography, and climate of that region as well as the culture of its people and the students he taught. Gates returned home from the Philippines by way of Japan, China, Hawaii, and the Western United States.
Upon his return he married Margaret (Madge) Murray Thompson in Cleveland, Ohio on June 11, 1915. Madge and Frank were neighbors while growing up in Ravenswood, Illinois and the two corresponded frequently throughout Gates's time in the Philippines. Between the years 1915 and 1918, Gates taught botany and biology at the University of Michigan Biological Station during the summer and at Carthage College in Carthage, Illinois during the regular school term. Gates moved on to teach for many years at Kansas State College. The Gates adopted two children, David Murray and Margaret Elizabeth. Frank Gates died in 1955.
When adding the 2016 accessions to this collection, Project Archivist Steven Gentry changed the collection's title from "Frank C. Gates collection" to "Frank C. Gates papers".
Approximately 0.9 linear feet of material from the David M. Gates papers that document the activities of his father was incorporated into this collection during reprocessing.
In preparing digital material for long-term preservation and access, the Bentley Historical Library adheres to professional best practices and standards to ensure that content will retain its authenticity and integrity. For more information on procedures for the ingest and processing of digital materials, please see Bentley Historical Library Digital Processing Note. Access to digital material may be provided either as a direct link to an individual file or as a downloadable package of files bundled in a zip file.
