Anthony Netboy papers

Although Anthony Netboy's academic field was English—he received a Master of Arts in English from Columbia University in 1968, and studied comparative literature at Harvard from 1928-1931—Netboy is most known for his books and articles on salmon, fisheries and other natural resources. He began working on writing projects during the Depression, starting with a Works Progress Administration readability project.

He held various positions with federal agencies during the 1940s, including that of a technical writer for the Forest Service, where he developed a lifelong interest in resources conservation. In 1952, Bonneville Power Administration hired Netboy to study the problems of Columbia River resource development. The conflict between power generation and fish passage on the river, and Netboy’s evolving views on the subject led him to leave federal employment, and in 1956, he joined the English department of Portland State College.

During his tenure as an English professor, he continued to publish books and numerous articles on natural resource issues and many other topics as well. His interests included travel and social problems. Netboy also published part of a book he was writing on the French author Voltaire in the Virginia Quarterly Review in 1978.

Netboy was born in 1906 in Poland and emigrated with his family to Chicago when he was two years old. He died in Oregon in 1993.