University of the Pacific

Since 1970, the University of the Pacific, in Stockton, California, has been the repository for the John Muir Papers, and much of Muir's personal library. In 1980, the University began a five-year project to gather and publish all extant Muir correspondence, manuscripts, notes, and illustrations. The project culminated in a microfilm/microfiche edition of Muir's papers. Published as The John Muir Papers, 1858-1957, located in forty repositories throughout the United States, researchers now have access to the Muir Papers by using this microform collection.

The University of the Pacific hosted the first academic conference on John Muir in 1980, and has hosted additional Muir conferences about every five years thereafter. Several books resulting from the papers presented at these conferences are annotated in our Historical and Literary Analyses section of our John Muir Bibliography, wth the most recent noted below.

Today, the University of the Pacific continues to host several programs related to John Muir:

John Muir Center for Environmental Studies
The Center facilitates scholarly research on John Muir, and sponsors symposia and publications, including the John Muir Newsletter and a monograph series about John Muir.
- 1980 The World of John Muir - An illustrated book jacket summary of the University's first John Muir confrence, (from the book's front matter), including the table of contents and author biographies.
- 1985 John Muir: Life and Legacy - reprint from The Pacific Historian , Vol, 29, Numbers 2 & 3 (Summer/Fall 1985)
- 1990 John Muir: Life and Work (1993) - publisher's press release about this book based on papers presented at the 1990 John Muir conference
- 1996 John Muir Conference Abstracts of Papers - by University of the Pacific
  - John Muir in Historical Perspective (1999) - book jacket summary and table of contents of this book based on papers presented at the 1996 John Muir Conference
- 2001 John Muir: Family, Friends, and Adventures (2005) - Book, Publisher's press release.
  - 2001 John Muir Family and Friends Conference. Abstracts, Speaker Biographies, and Program. (John Muir Global Network)
- 2006 John Muir Conference - Conference Summary.
- 2010 John Muir Conference - Conference Summary
- 2014 John Muir Symposium - Program
- 2018 John Muir Symposium - Registration and Detailed Program
- 2019 John Muir Legacy Fair and Celebration of Muir-Hanna family's gift of John Muir Papers - Program, Presentations, and Details
John Muir Newsletter - the quarterly newsletter published by the John Muir Center containing articles, book reviews and news of interest to Muir scholars.
We host online a number of articles from back issues of this outstanding publication. Subscriptions are available for only $15.00 per year.
John Muir Collections, repository for the John Muir Papers - Holt-Atherton Library, University of the Pacific (off-site link)
The John Muir Papers include correspondence, journals, notebooks, unpublished and published manuscripts, miscellaneous notes, sketches and photographs. Muir's unpublished writings were until recently the literary property of the Muir-Hanna Trust; in 2019 they were donated to the University of the Pacific and remain protected by copyright.
You can volunteer to help transcribe John Muir's journals.

Other Resources from University of the Pacific:

Limbaugh, Ronald H. and Kirsten E. Lewis, editors, The John Muir Papers, 1858-1957 MICROFORM, With accompanying Guide (Alexandria, Virginia: Chadwyk Healey, 1986).
With 40 copies in libraries throughout the United States, and available to scholars through interlibrary loan, this is the complete collection of all extant Muir correspondence, manuscripts, journals, sketchbooks, notes, and pictorial works.
Article: John Muir's legacy showcased at University of the Pacific
By Anthony Cusumano <cusumano@tracypress.com> , Lodi News-Sentinel - Lodi,CA,USA (February 1, 2005)
STOCKTON -- Just as John Muir dedicated his life to preserve Sierra Nevada treasures such as Yosemite Valley, officials at the University of the Pacific try to do the same to his legacy. The university's Holt-Atherton Special Collections department has nearly 17,000 items in its "John Muir Papers" collection.
John Muir's Personal Library - 700 books that belonged to John Muir, many with his notes and annotations, available to researchers (offsite link)
James Eastman Shone Collection of Muiriana - a collection of family papers, photos and memorabilia passed down from John Muir's sister Sarah Muir Galloway, at the Holt-Atherton Library at University of the Pacific. (offsite link)
Watch Video of John Muir Collection at the Holt-Atherton Library, including an interview of librarian Shan Sutton. This episode of "Rob on the Road" by KVIE Public Television (PBS affiliae in Sacramento) takes you inside Muir’s personal journals and some of his remarkable sketches. (off-site link).
Visit John Muir and the Sierra Club - off-site link to a website/blog created by students at the University of the Pacific, hoping to "educate young minds on who John Muir was, his importance, his legacy, and his impact. Enjoy exploring through old photographs, ways to volunteer, viewing nature landscapes, listening to beautiful narrations from John Muir's journals, and even videos of current Sierra Club members themselves."

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