Howard, Richard A. (Richard Alden)

Richard A. Howard (1917-2003) was appointed Director of the Arnold Arboretum in 1954 and would lead the institution until 1978. A prolific researcher, photographer and writer, Howard published more than 325 scientific papers and was the author of 13 books in addition to compiling the definitive Flora of the Lesser Antilles. Howard’s papers reflect over 25 years of leadership and scholarly contributions to the sciences of botany and horticulture.

The collection contains records of the legal dispute between The Association for the Arnold Arboretum, Inc. and the President and Fellows of Harvard College that became widely known as “The Arnold Arboretum Controversy.” After a protracted legal battle the outcome was finally adjudicated by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 1966.