This collection contains research notes, publications, photographs, manuscripts, and other material regarding the scientific and professional career of Dr. Herbert J. Webber, a research scientist at the Citrus Experiment Station (CES) in Riverside, California from 1913-1946. In addition to citrus related material, this collection includes his scientific research on guava, avocado, dates, and non-edible crops like rubber. The collection includes a large volume of photographs documenting Dr. Webber’s multi-year citrus experiments in the CES orchards, research notes and handwritten manuscripts from his book The Citrus Industry, and newspaper clippings, correspondence, and photographs regarding the history and care of the Riverside Parent Navel Orange Tree.

Herbert J. Webber was born on December 27, 1865 in Lawton, Michigan. His family moved to Nebraska in 1883. Dr. Webber earned both his Bachelors degree and his Masters degree from the University of Nebraska. On September 8,1890 he married fellow University on Nebraska student Lucene Anna Hardin. Between 1890-1892 Dr. Webber worked as a botany assistant at Washington University in St. Louis Missouri. In 1892, he was offered a position with the US Department of Agriculture as an assistant pathologist and was sent to Florida to study citrus disease. This is where he met Walter T. Swingle, a fellow plant scientist. Dr. Webber and Walter Swingle would collaborate and publish research together many times throughout their scientific careers. Dr. Webber earned his Ph.D from Washington University in 1901 after discovering motile antherozoids in Zamia plants. In 1907 Cornell University asked Dr. Webber to come to New York and lead the new department of experimental plant biology. He also served as the director of the New York State College of Agriculture between 1909 and 1910. In 1912 Dr. Webber was appointed director of the new Citrus Experiment Station (CES) in Riverside, California. He was also named dean of the graduate school of subtropical agriculture. Dr. Webber would spend the next 30 years involved in the orchards at CES. Between 1923-1924, Dr. Webber traveled to South America where he studied the South American citrus industry as a special commissioner. He returned to Riverside California in 1926. Even though Dr. Webber retired in 1936 and became professor emeritus he continued his scientific research focusing on citrus, avocado and guava. The first volume of his book The Citrus Industry was published in 1943. Dr. Webber died on January 18, 1946 in Riverside, California.

14.75 linear feet (17 document boxes, 6 glass plate negative boxes, 2 lantern slide boxes, 1 index card box, 1 flat storage box)

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.