Natural science and the American government: fur seal management from gilded age to progressive era

This thesis examines the study and management of Alaskan fur seals from 1867 to 1914. Government involvement in resource conservation expanded during this period, as did the role of experts. Federal officials charged with managing fur seals often sought advice from scientists, and over the years naturalists studied the animals regularly. Despite this apparent cooperation, scientific recommendations rarely took precedence over other considerations. Fur seal history illuminates obstacles facing scientists as they tried, and failed, to control resource use. Scientists often lost credibility as a result of the changing nature of their profession, but, as this study shows, the most important barriers to expert influence were entrenched economic, political, and diplomatic agendas within the federal government.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Department dc:contributor.department

History

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

1991

Author dc:creator

• Daitch, Vicki

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Dunlap, Thomas R.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Kaufman, Burton I.
• O'Donnell, J. Dean Jr.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en

Dc Identifier Other

etd-08142009-040330

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44215