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Earl R. Oatman papers

 Collection
Identifier: MS-224

Collection Scope and Contents

This collection contains photographs, correspondence, military records, and other material pertaining to Earl R. Oatman. Includes correspondence and documents related to Oatman’s experience as a Prisoner of War in World War II, photographs of Oatman and family from childhood to adulthood, and manuscripts of Oatman's book titled Bataan: Only the Beginning. Material documenting Oatman’s personal life and professional accomplishments before and after World War II are also included.

Dates

  • Creation: circa 1897-2015, undated
  • Creation: Majority of material found within 1941-1991

Creator

Languages

The collection is in English.

Access

This collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user

Biographical Note

Earl R. Oatman, 1920-2015, was a Prisoner of War during World War II and Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside. Oatman was born in Texas and grew up in Oklahoma with his two brothers, Delmar and Olen, and sister Elsia. At the age of 20 he enlisted in the United States military and was stationed at Clark Field in the Philippines when it was attacked by enemy forces on December 8, 1941. Oatman was a Prisoner of War under the Imperial Japanese Army and was part of the Bataan Death March. He was held captive for three years before his rescue and subsequent honorable discharge from the United States Army. After returning home, Oatman earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the University of Missouri and then attended UC Berkeley where he earned his Ph.D. in Entomology. He began working at UC Riverside in 1962 and retired in 1988. Oatman published over 200 research papers during his tenure at UC Riverside and in retirement he wrote the book, Bataan: Only the Beginning, documenting his experiences as a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Extent

4.08 Linear Feet (4 boxes)

Abstract

This collection contains photographs, correspondence, military records, and other material pertaining to Earl R. Oatman, a Prisoner of War (POW) during World War II and Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside. Includes correspondence and documents related to Oatman’s experience as a POW in World War II, photographs of Oatman and family from childhood to adulthood, and manuscripts of Oatman's book titled Bataan: Only the Beginning. Material documenting Oatman’s personal life and professional accomplishments before and after World War II are also included.

Collection Arrangement

This collection is arranged into three series as follows:

  1. Series 1. World War II experience, circa 1939-2004, undated
  2. Series 2. Professional life, 1951-2001, undated
  3. Series 3. Personal life, circa 1897-2015, undated

Acquisition Information

Gifts of Dr. Earl R. Oatman, 2007, 2008, 2009.

Processing History

Processed by Jamie Madrigal, Student Processing Assistant, 2016.

Processing of the Earl R. Oatman papers was completed by undergraduate students from the University of California, Riverside as part of the Special Collections & University Archives Backlog Processing Project started in 2015. This project was funded by the UCR Library and administered by Bergis Jules, University and Political Papers Archivist, and Eric Milenkiewicz, Manuscripts Curator.

Title
Earl R. Oatman papers
Status
Processed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Jamie Madrigal, Student Processing Assistant.
Date
2016
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Description is in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Manuscript Collections Repository

Contact:
University of California
Rivera Library
P.O. Box 5900
Riverside 92517-5900 USA