Dates

• Majority of material found within 1800 - 1985

Extent

1 box Linear Feet (Paul Richard Hicks (April 1, 1931-September 13, 1985) was born in Ducansville, Pennsylvania, and his parents were Paul N. and Edna Lingenfelter Hicks. He attended the Citadel and the University of South Carolina, graduating with a degree in Biology. He later earned a MLS at George Peabody. Paul Hicks served in the U.S. Air Force and was honorably discharged as a captain. He taught high school before joining the library faculty at Indiana State College (ISC, later IUP) in 1961. Paul Hicks served as the Government Documents and Reference Librarian at the IUP Libraries for 24 years. Paul Hicks was an avid reader in a number of subjects. The collections of the IUP Libraries have been enriched by his many gift books. His continuing interest as a biologist was reflected in his membership in the Sierra Club and the Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania. In studying the history of biology, Paul Hicks developed a special interest in English naturalist and geologist Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809-April 19, 1882) and his theory of natural selection. After Paul Hicks’ death in 1985, his family, friends, and colleagues established the Paul R. Hicks Memorial Fund, which has generously made it possible for the IUP Special Collections and University Archives to acquire all of the first editions/first issues of Charles Darwin’s works including On the Origin of Species (1859). All of these titles are searchable in the IUP Libraries online catalog. The Paul Hicks Memorial Collection contains biographical information, documentation of the establishment of the Paul R. Hicks Memorial Fund, the acquisition of Charles Darwin’s works by the IUP Libraries, research materials related to Darwinism, and information about exhibitions associated with Charles Darwin. More than 100 titles written by Charles Darwin have been acquired by the IUP Special Collections and University Archives since 1985. Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born on the same day, February 12, 1809; and the IUP Libraries hosted bicentennial exhibitions of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) memorabilia in 2009. For more information, visit the IUP Libraries online exhibit Paul R. Hicks Memorial featuring the Charles Darwin Collection. )

Language of Materials

English