Blank Personnel Record from the 1928 Admiral Byrd Antarctic Expedition

Item Information

Title:
Blank Personnel Record from the 1928 Admiral Byrd Antarctic Expedition
Description:
This extremely detailed blank personnel record, designed by Charles Ward Crampton for Admiral Byrd’s 1928 Antarctic Expedition, was used to assess the durability of Byrd’s voyaging companions when faced with the strenuous journey. C. Ward Crampton performed the preliminary examination of Admiral Byrd’s men in preparation for his first expedition to Antarctica in 1928. The personnel record covers your average preliminary health examination—eye, ear, nose, throat, blood, etc.—as well as personal history questions that ask about your hometown, hobbies (with suggestions like athletics and collecting birds’ eggs), work history, and schooling, as well as questions that assess personality (some interesting options were “peaceable --- fought when necessary --- rather scrappy”). The record also asks about heredity one generation back before transitioning into a series of personal questions such as aspirations for the next decade, what annoys the crewman most, their weaknesses, and their temper and addictions. The last page of the document appears to have handwritten notes from Crampton himself with regards to what questions to include in the assessment, such as various kinds of jobs, blood typing, etc. There is also the mysterious writing, “The disqualification of the captain,” indicating that, perhaps, he was wondering what his course of action would be if the captain were found unsuitable. For the preparation of this document and examination of the crew, Crampton received a personal letter of thanks from Byrd.
Creator:
Crampton, C. Ward (Charles Ward), 1877-1964
Date:
1928
Format:
Documents
Location:
Springfield College Archives and Special Collections
Collection (local):
College Archives Digital Collections
Series:
C. Ward Crampton Papers > c
Subjects:
Crampton, C. Ward (Charles Ward), 1877-1964
Byrd, Richard Evelyn, 1888-1957
Antarctica
Expeditions & surveys
Extent:
13 pages
Link to Item:
http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15370coll2/id/2312
Terms of Use:
Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Babson Library, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.
Contact host institution for more information.
Publisher:
Springfield College
Language:
English
Notes:
Charles Ward Crampton (May 26, 1877- 1964) was a physician, medical researcher, and teacher. His major contributions to the medical field include work with geriatrics and gerontology, adolescent hygiene and physical fitness, posture, and blood pressure and circulatory systems. He created what is today known as the Crampton Test for Fatal Shock, which measures the physical condition and resistance of one’s pulse and blood pressure in the resting and standing positions. From 1934 to 1937, he regularly wrote columns for the Boy Scouts of America’s magazine Boys’ Life. Crampton was a vocal advocate of preventative medicine and the maintenance of a personal medical record by individuals. Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was a naval officer, pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and recipient of the Medal of Honor. Byrd explored the Antarctic on four separate expeditions, of which the United States government official backed the last two. The 1928 trip was his first trip to Antarctica. His fourth trip in 1946 is still the largest Antarctic expedition to date.
The papers are fragile.
Identifier:
ms510-01-c-03-08-003