Collection: Leonard S. Wilson Papers | Georgetown University Archival Resources

Scope and Contents

The Leonard S. Wilson Papers contain maps and other documents deriving from the work of Leonard S. Wilson, a longtime geology professor who worked in the Map Division of the Research and Analysis Branch of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) during World War II. The collection, which includes many maps, concerns geographical intelligence produced by the United States and Germany. There is some coverage of Great Britain, too. A large number of "Joint Army and Navy Intelligence Studies" (JANIS) reports are retained. The collection also includes some letters, typed memos, and typed documents. Click on "External Documents" below for a link to the inventory for the collection.

Dates

1944 - 1960

Conditions Governing Access

Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.

Biographical Note

Leonard S. Wilson earned a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Michigan in 1936. His dissertation was entitled, "The Geography of a Portion of the Northwest Cumberland Plateau." He was a professor of Geology at Carleton College from 1936 to 1951. During World War II, Wilson worked in the Map Division of the Research and Analysis Branch of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). After the war, he continued to work in the realm of geographical science.

[Sources: - Geoffrey J. Martin, "American Geography and Geographers: Toward Geographical Science" (Oxford: Oxford U. Press, 2015), p. 971. - Carleton College Geology Department online.