Gale Monson papers
Patagonia Lake State Park Entry, September 11, 1987; box 5.
Collection dates: bulk 1920 to 1950 1889 to 2003
The Gale Monson papers are primarily a collection of daily recollections with naturalist observations interspersed throughout. Given that Monson began journaling at the age of nine and continued at least until the age of ninety-one, the style and contents of his journals vary greatly. Early journals connect Monson’s outdoor observations with his parents’ activities and school events. As Monson entered college, his journals often tackled issues of campus politics, his involvement with the college newspaper, and early career goals. Gale Monson’s mid-life journals tend to have briefer entries and these entries are often more scientific in scope. As Monson entered retirement, day-to-day activities again take center stage in the journals, especially once he relocates to New Mexico.
In tandem with his journals, Monson maintained annual and cross-decade logs for his future reference. These logs are supplemented by a considerable collection of photographic slides. The majority of slides are hand-labeled by Monson and include information on content, date, and location.
Gale Monson’s publications, including journals and articles for which he served as an editor, can also be found within the collection. These are generally from the middle of Monson’s career, though some date to his early years with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Gale Monson papers also include a small amount of correspondence, usually from Monson’s post-retirement life, as well as a limited range of ephemera in the form of photographs, membership cards, and memorial handouts.
Monthly financial ledgers from the Monson family comprise the final part of the collection. These ledgers document daily expenditures, yearly income/expense accounts, and balances for investment and savings accounts.
Gale Monson was born 1 August 1912 in Munich, South Dakota. Monson is best known for authoring foundational texts in Southern Arizona / Northern Mexico birding, including “Birds of Sonora” (1998, University of Arizona Press) and “Birds of Arizona” (1964, University of Arizona Press). Monson lived in the Greater Southwest, including Tucson and surrounding areas, for more than fifty years.
At the age of nine, Monson began keeping a daily log of plants and animal he saw in his rural environs. After graduating high school, Monson attended Dakota State College (now University) where he studied botany, biology, ecology, and related fields. During this period, he was also editor of the college newspaper.
In July 1934, Monson relocated to Sells, Arizona to work for the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, studying plant distribution for soil conservation purposes. Monson remained in the Southwest until he was drafted during World War II. From 14 February 1944 to 25 November 1945, Monson served the United States military and journaled about his military activity in India, China, and Pakistan. During this period, he continued his daily wildlife observations and included bird sightings in his annual counts for 1944 and 1945.
Upon returning to the United States in late 1945, Monson continued his work as a naturalist at Havasu and Imperial National Wildlife Refuges, as well as Kofa and Cabeza Prieta Game Range . Nearly twenty years later, in 1963, Monson accepted a job with the Department of the Interior’s Fish & Wildlife Service and relocated his family to Washington, D.C. During his professional career, Monson published his research in a number of journals, including the Auk, The Prairie Naturalist, and Journal of the Arizona Academy of Science. Monson also edited issues of Atlantic Naturalist during this time.
Monson returned to Arizona in 1971 to become a supervisor of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside of Tucson. Monson and his wife, Sally, lived in Oro Valley well into the 1990s. After Sally Monson died in 1995, Gale Monson moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to live near his adult children. Gale Monson continued his nature hikes and daily wildlife logging as long as his health would allow, at least until 2003. On February 19 2012, Monson died in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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