This collection contains correspondence, research notes, photographs, and other material regarding the professional career of Archibald D. Shamel, a physiologist with the United States Department of Agriculture who worked at the Citrus Experiment Station in Riverside, California during the early 20th century. The collection includes a large group of photographs and glass plate negatives documenting the citrus industry in Riverside and around the world. While the bulk of the collection is focused on citrus, there are materials pertaining to other non-citrus crops such as tobacco and corn. The collection also contains material about other areas of horticulture including shade trees, cacti, and flowers. Notable items include photographs, newspaper clippings, and correspondence regarding local history and the Riverside Parent Navel Orange Tree.

Archibald D. Shamel was born on October 15, 1877 in Taylorville, Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois, Champaign and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1902. While attending university, he worked as an instructor of farm crops. After graduation, he secured a position as a physiologist working for the United States Department of Agriculture in the Bureau of Plant Industry. In 1903, his book Manual of Corn Judging was published. In 1904 he invented a tobacco seed separating machine that improved the quality of tobacco plants by separating seeds and preventing cross pollination. Shamel married Agnes Fay Brewer in 1908 and they relocated to Riverside, California around 1910. He continued working for the Department of Agriculture at the Citrus Experiment Station (CES). Much of Shamel's work at the CES focused on the improvement of citrus crops. In 1917 he invented a citrus humidifying machine that was used in citrus packing houses to improve storage conditions for the fruit. Shamel also had an interest in shade trees and was a member of the Riverside Parks Planning Department and the Riverside Beautification Committee. In 1937 he published the book Riverside’s Outstanding Trees. Towards the end of his professional career, Shamel continued to research unique and historic trees, writing articles for newspapers and magazines. In 1950, the American Pomological Society awarded him the Wilder Medal for his work with citrus and tropical fruits. Archibald D. Shamel died on April 8, 1956 in Riverside, California.

18.0 linear feet (16 document boxes, 1 flat storage box, 17 glass plate negative boxes)

Copyright has not been assigned to the University of California, Riverside Libraries, Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections & Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.