Animal ecologist William L. Franklin served as a professor at Iowa State University for over two decades. He was an expert in mammalian behavioral ecology and conducted extensive research on guanacos (member of the llama family) in the Patagonia region of Chile. He also researched the behavioral characteristics of black-tailed prairie dogs. This collection contains biographical information on Franklin, research papers documenting his work with prairie dogs and wildlife surveys at Scotts Bluff National Monument, and project records related to Franklin's expeditions to study the South America guanaco.

William Lloyd Franklin was born on July 31, 1941, in Santa Monica, California. He attended El Camino College (1961) with a concentration in pre-veterinary studies. He went on to receive his B.S. (1964) in animal science and zoology from the University of California, Davis, his M.S. (1968) in game management from Humboldt State University, and his Ph.D. (1978) in wildlife science from Utah State University.

Franklin joined the faculty at Iowa State University as an instructor (1975-1978) in the Department of Animal Ecology. He was promoted to Assistant Professor (1978-1982), Associate Professor (1982-1990), and Professor (1990-2000). He was named Professor Emeritus in 2001.

Franklin specialized in the study of mammalian behavioral ecology. His research focused on the South American guanaco (member of the llama family), coyote ecology in relation to Iowa livestock, and behavioral characteristics of black-tailed prairie dogs. While at Iowa State, he was given leave to spend two years (1976-1977) in the Patagonia region of South America conducting research on the guanaco. Franklin led numerous other expeditions to the Patagonia region of Chile and the Peruvian Andes to study guanacos and other wildlife.

Franklin was an author, photographer, and award-winning filmmaker. He wrote and provided photographs for several articles on llamas published in National Geographic. He won numerous International Film Festival awards for films he produced or served as a consultant regarding guanacos. Franklin was invited to speak at universities, institutes, and at the Smithsonian. He is a member of the Wildlife Society, the American Society of Mammalogists, and the Animal Behavior Society, where he served on the film committee. He also served as Vice President and as a member of the board of directors for the International Llama Association.

William Franklin married Merry Helen Davidson of Los Angeles. They have four children: Shelly, Katia, Jeremy, and Cody.

The collection (1978-1996, undated) contains biographical information, research papers, and project records related to Franklin's expeditions to South America. The project records include proposals, correspondence, and reports dealing mostly with the financial, legal, and logistical arrangements for the Patagonia expeditions of the 1990s, though there are some reports related to the research results as well. The research papers include Franklin's writings on prairie dog behavioral studies and wildlife surveys of Scotts Bluff National Monument in Nebraska.

The collection is arranged alphabetically.