The University of Cincinnati Libraries Archives and Rare Books Library has completed processing the papers of University of Cincinnati professor emeritus Dr. Kenneth E. Caster.
Kenneth Edward Caster (1908-1992)
Dr. Caster began his career at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio, as a museum curator and assistant professor within the Geology Department in 1936. Dr. Caster became a full professor in 1952 and taught until his retirement in 1978.
Throughout his career he taught courses in paleontology, geology, and stratigraphy. He supervised over 30 doctoral dissertations and published numerous articles and books throughout his career. Topics covered in his publications included, but are not limited to, cephalopods, eurypterids, sponges, jellyfish, brachiopods, ichnology, and plate tectonics. Dr. Caster co-authored many works with paleontologists O.D. von Engeln, Rousseau H. Flower, and Erik N. Kjellesvig-Waering.
He is credited with discovering an extinct sponge species, Titusvillia drakei, in 1939. His research often led him to various countries as a visiting professor. Most notably, he served as visiting professor in Brazil from 1945-1947, Colombia in 1948, South Africa in 1954, New Zealand and Australia in 1955, and Germany in 1964.
Dr. Caster was awarded three Guggenheim Fellowships in 1943, 1954, and 1955; two Fulbright Fellowships in 1955 and 1964; the Gondwana Medal in 1956; and the Paleontological Society Medal in 1976.
Outside of academia, Dr. Caster and his wife Anneliese, established an amateur paleontology group in Cincinnati called The Dry Dredgers in 1942, aided in the development of local arts institution Playhouse in the Park, and contributed to various charities.
Glimpse into the collection
Dr. Caster’s papers are comprised of his research on jellyfish, arthropods, plate tectonics, echinoderms, sponges, and sea scorpions; and his extensive career as a professor at the University of Cincinnati for over 40 years.
The collection consists of seven series covering the years 1874-1993 with the majority of the material pertaining to 1930-1986. These series include: subject files and correspondence, academic courses, maps, personal files, publications, research materials, and oversize materials. There are numerous photographs, scientific plates, and film negatives of specific species and fossils. A large portion of his papers include the research of fellow paleontologist Dr. Erik N. Kjellesvig-Waering, who co-authored numerous publications with Dr. Caster. After Dr. Kjellesvig-Waering’s death, Dr. Caster and his wife edited and published his work on eurypterids.
Dr. Caster’s papers provide a look into the University of Cincinnati throughout the decades, the local history of Cincinnati, the geology of the Ohio River Valley, the innerworkings of numerous professional scientific organizations Dr. Caster held prominent roles in, the 1936-1937 Ohio River floods, and political conflicts within Brazil, Colombia, and the Czech Republic during his travels and visiting professorships.
To learn more about his collection and to view the online finding aid please visit Kenneth E. Caster papers finding aid