Guide to the Allan P. Bennison papers
1966-1971
Collection number: HMC-1474.
Creator: Bennison, Allan P.
Title: Allan P. Bennison papers.
Dates: 1966-1971.
Volume of collection: 0.01 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Materials in the collection are in English.
Collection summary: Letters and a speech written by a geologist, who explored for oil and gas in Alaska.
Biographical note:
Allan P. Bennison was a geologist for Sinclair Oil and Gas Company and lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma with his wife, DeLeo. His work in oil and gas exploration took him to places including Alaska and Nunavut, Canada.
Collection description:
The collection consists primarily of photocopies of letters written by Bennison to his wife while doing field work in Alaska and Canada. The the letters document his time at Sinclair’s Katmai Camp and on Kodiak Island during the summer of 1966; Chisik Island and Chignik in June 1967; and Axel Heiberg and Ellesmere Islands in Nunavut, Canada (then part of the Northwest Territories) during the summer of 1971. Subjects of the letters include life in a remote camp, interactions with other geologists and crew members, geological features, the weather, wildlife, and travel plans. There are also two letters from a trip to Czechoslovakia in 1968 and a speech he made on the issues facing the country at a Tulsa Geological Society meeting after the trip.
Arrangement: The collection is arranged chronologically.
Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.
Rights note: Archives and Special Collections does not own copyright to the collection.
Preferred citation: Allan P. Bennison papers, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.
Custodial history: The speech and photocopies of the letters were given to the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming by Allan Bennison in 1985.
Acquisition note: Archives and Special Collections received the collection from the American Heritage Center in 2007.
Processing information: This collection was described by Gwen Higgins in 2024.
Location of originals: The original letters are presumed to have remained with the donor’s family.