Series I: Inventory, 1881-1944

Manuscripts, legal records, correspondence, and clippings focus on the work of Herbert W. Conn, a professor of Biology at Wesleyan University in the late 1800s. Conn gained fame at the time for his research in dairy microbiology and his public health efforts in dairy hygiene and milk pasteurization, a controversial issue at the turn of the century. A prolific writer of science for the public, Conn’s books were read by Mark Twain and his influence on Twain’s work is not well-documented. Although he was not a member of the faculty at what was then the Connecticut Agricultural College (University of Connecticut), he was the driving force in establishing the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station. The collection includes information on family members Julia Conn and Harold J. Conn.