Edward Tuckerman, eldest son of Edward Tuckerman, a Boston merchant, and Sophia (May) Tuckerman, was born in Boston in 1817. After attending Ingraham's school, Boston Latin, he received his B.A. and M.A. from Union College in 1837 and 1844 respectively and his L.L.B. and A.B. from Harvard University in 1839 and 1847 respectively. Tuckerman married Sarah Eliza Sigourney Cushing in 1854 and in 1855 began a professorship at Amherst College. Tuckerman began his career at Amherst College as a professor of history; three years later he became a professor of botany. Severe hearing loss forced Tuckerman to abandon his classroom work for botanical research. Although no longer a professor, Tuckerman was included in the Amherst College course catalogue until his death in 1886. During the course of his research, Tuckerman became an authority on lichens, discovering the famous ravine in the White Mountains now bearing his name. Tuckerman's scientific findings have been documented in many articles and books.

Correspondence, notes, pamphlets and specimens documenting Tuckerman's research as a botanist and collector of lichens. Correspondents include William G. Farlow, Charles Frost, Asa Gray, William Nylander, Henry Ravenel, and Charles J. Sprague. Lichenological manuscripts include botanical journals kept by Tuckerman on various expeditions in New England, the Bering Strait, and on the Missouri and Yellowstone exploring expedition.

This collection is organized into four series:

• 1. Lichenological Manuscripts
• 2. Correspondence
• 3. Pamphlets
• 4. Lichenological Specimens