The Coke Wood papers contain biographical material, including diaries, scrapbooks and photographs, as well as the writings and teaching materials of Richard Coke Wood (1930-1978).

Richard Coke Wood (1905-1979), California historian, author, teacher, was born in Oklahoma and was raised in Owens Valley, California. He attended the University of Hawaii, College of the Pacific (B.A. 1932, M.A. 1934), and the University of Southern California (Ph.D., 1950). A high school teacher in the 1930's, he developed a lasting interest in Mother Lode history while recovering from tuberculosis at the Bret Harte Sanitarium in Murphys (1938-1941). During his career he held many administrative and teaching positions, including that of proprieter of the Old Timers Museum in Murphys (ca. 1949-1978); Education Director, Bret Harte Sanitarium (1941-1950); Instructor and Chairman of the Social Sciences Division at Stockton and San Joaquin Delta College (1950-1971); holder of the Rockwell D. Hunt Chair in California History at the University of the Pacific (1951-1971); and, Director of the Pacific Center for Western Historical Studies (1976).

Collection is open for research.