The Hans Suess Papers document the career and achievements of a renowned geochemist. The materials in the collection date from 1875 through 1989. The nineteenth century papers pertain to Suess' father, Franz Eduard Suess, professor of Geology at the University of Vienna. The majority of the papers date from 1955 through 1977, the years when Suess was professor of Geochemistry at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of California, San Diego. The papers contain extensive correspondence with international scientists and include a comprehensive collection of Suess' writings, both published and in manuscript form. The collection provides documentation of Suess' activities at UCSD and in international scientific organizations. Also present in the collection are materials pertaining to Suess' activities at the University of Hamburg during World War II.

Hans Eduard Suess was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1909. He was the son of Franz E. Suess, former professor of Geology at the University of Vienna, and Olga Frenzl Suess. His grandfather was Eduard Suess, who wrote THE FACE OF THE EARTH, an early work in geochemistry.