Baxter, Charles H.

Placeholder Show Content

Abstract/Contents

Abstract
Charles H. “Chuck” Baxter, a biology lecturer emeritus at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station in Monterey, talks about his role both as a teacher and as a key participant in several endeavors, including the creation of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which have had a deep and lasting impact on both the area and the general public’s perception of our oceans. He begins the interview discussing his background, most notably how a chance invitation to go diving in the Pacific Ocean opened his eyes to the wonders of underwater ecosystems` and caused him to change his major at UCLA from engineering to zoology. From there he traces a path from his graduate work in Ted Bullock’s lab to teaching the undergraduate zoology lab to his recruitment as a lecturer in the Stanford University Department of Biology. Baxter explains the circumstances that resulted in the transfer of his teaching duties to the Hopkins Marine Station and his relocation to the Monterey area. He recalls fondly the community of faculty, staff, and students at the marine station in the mid 1970s that made it such a special place to work. Baxter discusses his classes and the undergraduate research projects he assisted with, including one that resulted in two undergraduates publishing one of the first papers to show the effects of greenhouse gases on the distributions of ocean communities. Beyond his academic life at Hopkins, Baxter relates the notable projects he and his colleagues put into motion. He talks about how the Monterey Bay Aquarium came to be, relating key aspects of the aquarium’s construction, including the kelp forest tank, the aviary, and preservation of the beached grey whale skeleton that now hangs in the reception hall. Peppered throughout the interview are anecdotes about David Packard, who along with his wife, Lucille, was a chief funder of the project. He explains the diving and recording technologies that were central to the formation of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and the media production company Sea Studios Foundation--organizations in which he played an active role. Finally, Baxter recounts the organization and deployment of the Sea of Cortez Expedition and Education Project, which retraced the 1940 journey of John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts, and how conversations with his fellow passengers led to his involvement in Stanford’s holistic biology course and his current interest in cognitive science research.

Description

Type of resource mixed material
Date created April 29, 2016

Creators/Contributors

Author Baxter, Charles H.
Contributing author Maher, Susan
Publisher Stanford Historical Society

Subjects

Subject Chuck Baxter
Subject Charles H. Baxter
Subject Stanford Historical Society
Subject oral histories
Subject interviews
Subject higher education
Subject climatic changes
Subject climate change
Subject marine biologists > interviews
Subject Monterey Bay (CA)
Subject Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey
Subject CA)

Bibliographic information

Related item
Title
Finding Aid
Location https://purl.stanford.edu/qv699hc8300

Access conditions

Use and reproduction
The materials are open for research use and may be used freely for non-commercial purposes with an attribution. For commercial permission requests, please contact the Stanford University Archives (universityarchives@stanford.edu).
Copyright
Copyright © The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.

Preferred citation

Baxter, Charles H. (2016).
Oral History. Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program Interviews (SC0932).
Department of Special Collections & University Archives, Stanford University Libraries,
Stanford, Calif. Available at: https://purl.stanford.edu/qv699hc8300

Collection

Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program interviews, 1999-2022

View other items in this collection in SearchWorks

Contact information

archivesref@stanford.edu

Also listed in

View in SearchWorks

Loading usage metrics...