Catalogue description Catalogue of the papers and correspondence of Wilfrid Hogarth Dowdeswell (1914-1996), educationalist and lepidopterist

SECTION A BIOGRAPHICAL NCUACS 83/4/99/A.1-NCUACS 83/4/99/A.8

SECTION B RESEARCH NCUACS 83/4/99/B.1-NCUACS 83/4/99/B.73

SECTION C UNIVERSITY OF BATH SCHOOL OF EDUCATION NCUACS 83/4/99/C.1- NCUACS 83/4/99/C.10

SECTION D WILTSHIRE TRUST FOR NATURE CONSERVATION NCUACS 83/4/99/D.1-NCUACS 83/4/99/D.17

SECTION E PUBLICATIONS NCUACS 83/4/99/E.1-NCUACS 83/4/99/E.71

The material is presented in the order given in the contents list. It covers the period from 1936 to 1966.

Section A, Biographical, contains a small amount of material, mainly in photographic form, relating to various aspects of Dowdeswell's academic and teaching career.

Section B, Research, is the largest section in the catalogue and constitutes a fairly comprehensive representation of Dowdeswell's work with isolated butterfly populations in the south west of England over an extended period from 1936 up until 1967. Two series of field notebooks and a set of statistical data relating to the Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) butterfly document Dowdeswell's methods and results including his collaborative work with E. B. Ford. Material relating to Dowdeswell's work on other species of butterfly and on snails also appears in this section.

Section C, University of Bath School of Education, mainly comprises material relating to the major part played by Dowdeswell in one of the School's first joint programmes with industry. The 'Decisions' series of educational resource packs were an innovative way of introducing mathematics, geography and general studies students to the policy-making processes of industry. This section also contains a small amount of photographic material.

Section D, Wiltshire Trust for Nature Conservation, contains material from between 1987 and 1994 relating to Dowdeswell's increased activity within the village of Atworth, Wiltshire, following his retirement. The series of guides to Wiltshire wildlife reserves and nature trails he wrote for the Wiltshire Trust foe Nature Conservation are illustrative of his lifelong commitment to raising awareness and enhancing knowledge of the natural environment.

Section E, Publications, is composed of off-prints of scientific and academic papers and other publications by Dowdeswell. Dating from between 1936 and 1985 these publications are indicative of Dowdeswell's wide range of interests. Subjects covered include curriculum development, butterfly research, practical observations on the teaching of science in schools and universities, genetic ecology and Nuffield Foundation educational projects.

The work of the National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists, and the production of this catalogue, are made possible by the support of the following societies and organisations:

The Biochemical Society

The Geological Society

The Higher Education Funding Council for England

The Institute of Physics

The Royal Society

Trinity College, Cambridge

The Wellcome Trust

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are very grateful to Mrs Dowdeswell for her assistance in making this material available.

Dowdeswell, Wilfrid Hogarth, 1914-1996, educationalist and lepidopterist

NOT ALL THE MATERIAL IN THIS COLLECTION MAY YET BE AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION. ENQUIRIES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE TO:

THE ARCHIVIST

THE LIBRARY

UNIVERSITY OF BATH

CLAVERTON DOWN

BATH BA2 7AY

The papers were received in April 1999 from Mrs M. Dowdeswell, the widow of Professor Dowdeswell.

• Education
• Insects

OUTLINE OF THE CAREER OF WILFRID HOGARTH DOWDESWELL

Wilfrid Hogarth ('Bunny') Dowdeswell was born on 16 June 1914 in Northam, Devon. He was educated at Sherborne School, Dorset and Merton College, Oxford. After a short spell of teaching at Canford School, Wimborne, Dorset, from 1937 to 1939 he planned to return to Oxford to continue his studies in zoology but was prevented from doing so by the outbreak of World War II. His military service included work with the Army Operational Research Unit in the Far East and with the Scientific Advisory Department of the War Office.

After the war Dowdeswell returned to teaching. Between 1946 and 1951 he was an assistant master at Blundell's School, Tiverton, Devon. In September 1951 he took up a post at Winchester College where he eventually became head of the science department. During the school vacations he travelled extensively. He made visits to the USA, Ceylon and Rhodesia as part of academic programmes overseas and was a member of a UNESCO project on biology teaching in Ghana. Between 1963 and 1965 Dowdeswell acted as organiser of the Nuffield Foundation O-level project. He was joint co-ordinator with P. J. Kelly of the Nuffield Foundation A-level project from 1966 to 1969.

Dowdeswell joined the recently instituted University of Bath School of Education, which placed particular emphasis on the development of science and mathematics teaching, as a senior lecturer in January 1969 and was promoted to a personal chair in 1972. He served as head of the school from 1974 to 1977 before retiring in 1979. During his time at the University of Bath Dowdeswell maintained his association with the Nuffield Foundation and led an inter-university biology teaching venture with the universities of Birmingham, Glasgow, London and Sussex.

As well as being Britain's first professor of biological education, Dowdeswell was also a respected academic biologist, specialising in ecology and lepidoptery. He taught a course in ecological genetics to undergraduate students in the University of Bath School of Biological Sciences and worked closely with, amongst others, the Oxford geneticist E. B. Ford, on various aspects of national butterfly populations. Many of Dowdeswell's pupils throughout his long teaching career joined him on his regular field trips and specimen gathering excursions.

Dowdeswell's interest in and contribution to education continued after his retirement with the aid of a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship. He also became more actively involved in the life of his home village of Atworth, Wiltshire, encouraging an enthusiasm for wildlife amongst local primary school children and promoting the work of the Wiltshire Trust for Nature Conservation.

• View Record