Carl Jerome Goebel was born on March 29, 1929, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served in the United States Navy (1947-1951). He received his B.S. (1955) from the University of Idaho and his Ph.D. (1959) from Utah State University. He became an Assistant Professor (1959-1963) of Forestry at Iowa State University before becoming a research scientist at the U.S. Forest Service experiment station in La Grande, Oregon, and then an Associate Professor of forestry at Washington State University.

While at Iowa State, Dr. Goebel taught range management classes and focused his research on granular herbicides and forest wildlife. He served on several committees at Iowa State including the Faculty Council-Traffic Committee, Teaching Seminar Committee and was an advisor to the Forestry Club.

Dr. Goebel is married to Patricia Ann Fitch. Together they have two children, Carl Jeffry and Jerry Alan.

The collection (1961-1966) contains biographical information, correspondence, and research papers relating to the work of Dr. Carl Goebel. The correspondence is mostly from the time after Dr. Goebel worked at Iowa State regarding a manuscript that was being proof-read by Dr. Gordon Gatherum. The research materials focused on herbicides and rodent repellant and include written analysis, numerical data and photographs.