#40072 RECORDS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA BOTANICAL GARDEN in the University Archives and Records Service Wilson Library, CB 3926 University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514-8890 08/92 05/93 02/98 The North Carolina Botanical Garden (NCBG), an administrative unit of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a regional center for the conservation, study, and interpretation of plants native to the southeastern United States. The Garden also features exotic plants suitable for horticultural use in the North Carolina Piedmont. In 1988 the NCBG administered approximately 598 acres in three major units: the North Carolina Botanical Garden proper (including Coker Pinetum, the Hubbard Herb Garden, the William L. Hunt Aboretum, and Gray Bluff Garden), the Mason Farm Biological Reserve, and the Coker Arboretum. The Garden also manages several preserves, or natural areas, owned by the Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc. The NCBG was officially established in 1952, but its heritage traces back to the early 1900s. In 1903 Dr. William C. Coker, the University's first professor of Botany, began planting a teaching collection adjacent to New East, which then housed the Department of Biology. This collection was to become the Coker Arboretum. Dr. Coker also participated in planning for the entire Chapel Hill campus, seeking to create an attractive setting for scholarship through horticulture and landscape design. In part because of the interests of Dr. Henry Roland Totten, a student of Dr. Coker, new collections were added to the Arboretum, including a diverse array of gymnosperms and a drug garden. In the late 1920s, Coker and Totten, realizing that the Arboretum site was limited, proposed to build a more complete botanical garden with extensive plantings of southeastern trees and shrubs on University lands south of the main campus. Some research materials were planted in the 1930s and 1940s, but it was not until 1952 that the University Trustees officially allocated approximately 72 acres of the University's Mason Farm property, located along Morgan Creek, for botanical garden development. In 1961 William L. Hunt, a local horticulturist and former student of Coker and Totten, donated the first of several parcels, also along Morgan Creek and comprising an area of dramatic creek gorge and rhododendron bluffs. And in 1965 the Trustees set aside an additional 96 acres of Mason Farm for inclusion in the Garden. William L. Hunt also helped found the Garden's membership support organization, the Botanical Garden Foundation, in 1966. The Foundation receives funds and acquires and holds lands for the Garden, thus assisting its conservation and research objectives. Dr. C. Ritchie Bell was named Acting Director of the NCBG in 1961. In January of 1966, Bell was officially appointed Director of the Garden. Also in 1966, the Garden's first nature trails were opened to the public. In 1971 Ken Moore, the superintendent of the Garden, became its first full-time, permanent state employee. In 1976, the Garden's administrative and interpretive facility, the Totten Center, opened. This building was made possible by a bequest to the Foundation from the estate of Henry and Addie Totten. After the merger of the Departments of Botany and Zoology in 1982 to form the Department of Biology, the administration of the Garden, which had been located in the Department of Botany, was transferred to the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and subsequently to the Office of Provost. In addition, the Garden has an Administrative Board with authority to establish policy and approve procedures. Also in 1982, Coker Arboretum, which had been administered by the Department of Botany, was made a unit of the Garden. In 1984, the Trustees committed additional lands to the Garden to form a unified Mason Farm Biological Reserve, bringing the total number of acres allocated from Mason Farm to 367. Dr. Bell retired as Director in 1986 and was succeeded by Peter S. White. At that time the Garden had a permanent staff of twelve, Foundation membership had reached nearly 2,000, and a diverse array of programs was going on in the Garden. For further information on the NCBG, see the Records of the Department of Botany and the Records of the Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc. in the University Archives and Records Service. Also of interest are the Papers of William C. Coker and the Papers of Henry Roland Totten in the Southern Historical Collection. An inventory of the NCBG's archival records is provided on the following pages. The archival records of the NCBG are divided into five series. Series 1 contains the administrative records of the Garden and its directors, including a number of files related to the Botanical Garden Foundation. Series 2-4 are organized in keeping with the Garden's stated mission of Research, Education (including public programs), and Conservation. Series 5 consists of files on organizations outside the University, including the Town of Chapel Hill and the Garden Club of N.C., Inc. SERIES # BOX # SERIES TITLE PAGE # 1 1-3 Administrative Files 5 2 3 Conservation 8 3 4-5 Education & Public 10 Programs 4 5 Research 12 5 5 Outside Organizations 13 SERIES 1: ADMINISTRATIVE FILES Box 1: Correspondence and General, 1952-1986 and undated Administrative Board: Correspondence and Minutes, 1978-1986; 1988 Committees: Business, 1978 Conservation, 1978 Development, 1978 Planning, 1978; 1980; 1982 Public Programs, 1978-1984 Research, 1978-1980 Advisory Board, 1965 Annual Reports, 1965-1989 Botanical Garden Foundation, Inc.: Correspondence, 1967-1986 Annual Meetings: Minutes and Agendas (including Director's Report), 1965-1985 Annual Report, 1981 Board of Directors: Minutes and Agendas, 1967-1986 Committees: Development, 1977 Executive, 1976-1986 Finance, 1978-1984 Investment, 1979 Membership, 1967-1984 Treasurer's Reports and Accountant's Reports, 1970-1987 Box 2: Botany, Dept. of: Botanical Garden Committee, 1965-1977 Budget and Financial, 1965-1987 Buildings and Grounds (see also Correspondence and General and Long Range Planning in Series 1; see also Garden Clubs of NC, Inc., Joint Building Proposal in Series 5): General (includes Faculty Buildings and Grounds Committee), 1967-1984 Coker Arboretum, 1974-1975; 1979-1980 Electrical Substation, 1981 Flood Control, 1975-1977 Herb Garden: Dedication, 1988 (audio cassette tape of proceedings shelved separately [UA-A58]; see staff) Herb House, 1983 Herb Volunteers: Correspondence and General (including research notes and lists of plants), 1975-1986 "First Drug Garden at the University of North Carolina" (research notes and drafts of a paper by Anders S. Lunde about the 1920s drug garden), 1983 Herb Garden Advisory Committee, 1984-1989 Indian Garden, 1982-1988 Irrigation System, 1980-1982 Laurel Hill Road: Paving of, 1978 Request to Rededicate, 1987-1988 Mason Farm Biological Reserve, 1983-1986 Plant Families Garden, 1978-1979 Ponds, 1962; 1965-1967 Totten Memorial Garden Center: Dedication, 1975-1976 Planning and Construction, 1967-1976 Totten Estate, Settlement of, 1974-1976 U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation Grant Request: Correspondence and General (including appraisal of William L. Hunt property), 1972-1978 Grant Application, 1975 Catalog of Permanent Plant Accessions, 1989 Long Range Planning: General, 1978-1984 Master Plans, 1988-1992 Museum Assessment Program Grant, 1983 (see American Association of Museums in Series 5) "North Carolina Botanical Garden: Achievements and Prospects," April 22, 1983 (Report of the Study Committee for the NCBG) Box 3: Proposal to Establish a Botanical Garden, 1952, and Documents Relating to the History of the Garden, 1952-1986 Publicity: Correspondence and General, 1968-1985 Clippings (microfilm only, shelved separately; see staff) News Releases, 1961; 1969-1970; 1973-1988 Publications: Articles, Brochures, etc., 1961-1985 and undated (see also Educational Materials in Series 3, Education and Public Programs) Newsletter, 1974-1988 Quail Roost Conference Center, Garden and Nature Trail, 1968-1969 Retirements: Bell, C. Ritchie, 1986 Study Committee for the North Carolina Botanical Garden (see "North Carolina Botanical Garden: Achievements and Prospects" above) Totten Lecture Series, 1981-1983 SERIES 2: CONSERVATION Conservation, as outlined in the Garden's 1984 Long Range Plan is an effort, "to preserve and protect the native flora and natural diversity of North Carolina and the southeastern U.S. by managing plant communities in their natural state." Rare, threatened and endangered plant species are of special interest to the NCBG. It works to preserve and protect these species by managing habitats, developing propagation techniques, stimulating public awareness of the need for species protection and collaborating with other preservation agencies and organizations. (N.B. There is no indication in most of the files listed below under Habitat Tracts whether the NCBG ever actually managed the particular area. The 1988 "Mission, Goals and Objectives" of the Garden lists only the following as Botanical Garden Foundation Preserves: Gordon Butler Nature Preserve, Olive Tract, Penny's Bend, Pinky Falls, and Stillhouse Bottom Tract.) Box 3 (continued): General, 1966-1980 (see also Correspondence and General in Series 1, Administrative Files) Conservation Council of North Carolina, Inc., 1968-1969 Conservation Easements, 1976 Habitat Tracts: General, 1965-1983 Ashe County--Ballou Estate, 1968-1971 Buncombe County--Shinn Propery, 1973-1975 Charlton County, Georgia--Chesser Island, 1968-1973 Durham County--Falls Lake, 1981-1986 Macon County--Highlands Preserves (Pinky Falls and Olive Tract), 1972-1983 McCormick County, South Carolina--Stevens Creek, 1970 Polk County--Matthews Property, 1970-1972 Stanly County--Morgan's Bluff, 1976 Wake County--Browne Property (Wade Ave. & Dixie Trail), 1968-1969 Wilmington Area: Battery Island and Bald Head (Smith) Island complex, 1973-1978 "Green Swamp," 1967-1970 Masonboro State Park, 1969 Native Plant Conservation: General, 1978-1980; 1986 Venus Fly Trap, 1960-1982 Natural Areas Advisory Committee (N.C. Division of State Parks), 1972-1976 New Hope Lake and Dam, 1970-1971 North Carolina Natural Areas Inventory, 1970-1972 SERIES 3: EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS The NCBG is committed to public education and interpretation. Through first-hand contact with plants, students and visitors learn to identify plants native to the southeastern U.S. and exotic plants in their natural habitats. NCBG classes, tours, trips, and publications provide lessons in plant biology, the ecological importance of plants, the commercial, traditional and aesthetic uses of plants and the influence of plants on the physical and mental well-being of people. Plant collections and displays throughout the garden demonstrate how to apply horticultural and conservation practices to a home or business garden. Most of the files in this series were created by the Garden's Program Coordinator. For more information on the educational activities of the Garden, see the following in Series 1: Correspondence and General; Public Programs (under Committees); and Publicity. Box 4: General, 1976-1987 America's Four Hundredth Anniversary Commemoration, 1983-1984 Daffodil Show, 1980-1988 Educational Materials (see also Publicity in Series 1): General, 1967-1986 and undated Extension Courses (schedules and course materials), 1971-1972 Elderhostel Program, 1977; 1980-1981 Environmental Education (Inservice Training for Public School Teachers), 1972-1973 Environmental Education Legislation, 1969-1973 Field Study Centers, Proposal for, 1969 "Flowers and Gardens of North Carolina" (brochure published by N.C. Dept. of Natural and Economic Resources), 1972-1974 Herb Programs, 1977-1984 Horticultural Therapy Program, 1979-1985; 1988 Middle School Science Teachers Workshop, 1986 Mountain Trips and Programs: High Hampton Inn, Programs at (including Mountain Plants in Our Heritage; Fall Colors and Woodland Harvests), 1981-1988 Miscellaneous Mountain Trips (including Bluff Mtn., Roan Mtn. and others), 1977-1982 Mountain Ecology Workshops (at the Audubon Colony, Brevard, N.C.), 1976-1982 Smoky Mountain Wildflower Hikes/Camps (includes Mountain Ecology Leadership Training Program), 1974-1984 Box 5: North Carolina Botanical Garden Open House, 1973-1988 North Carolina Memorial Hospital Employee Recreation Services, 1985-1988 Seed Distribution Program, 1978-1986 Summer Nature Camp, 1977 Tour Guides, 1979-1981 SERIES 4: RESEARCH NCBG provides assistance, facilities, protected locations, information and materials for the scientific study of native plants and ecosystems. The scientific preserves, managed natural areas and other facilities of the Garden are available to all UNC faculty, staff, students and other qualified researchers. Of special interest to the Garden are the development and evaluation of methods of propagation and cultivation, since research of this kind not only provides plants for horticultural use but contributes to the preservation of rare and endangered species. See also Correspondence and General in Series 1, Administrative Files. Box 5 (continued): General, 1979; 1986; undated Asclepias & Corn Project (sponsored by Standard Oil Co.), 1981-1983; 1986 Atlas of the Vascular Flora of North America, 1977-1980; 1985 Baseline Plant Inventory Checklist, by County, for the U.S., 1979 Behavioral Research Station (Dept. of Zoology), 1977-1978 Biogenesis (Tissue Culture Project), 1985 Camellia Research, 1969-1971 Flood Effects on Flood Plain Trees and Shrubs, 1977-1979 National Cancer Institute (Aqueous Extractions and Hydoponics), 1979-1980 Native Plant Propagation Research Center, Proposal to Establish, 1980-1982 Natural Landmark Site Evaluation, North Carolina, 1973 Piedmont Beech Natural Area and Crabtree Creek Watershed Project, 1975-1976 Vegetative Study at Duck Field Research Facility, 1973 Witchweed Control, 1973 SERIES 5: OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS Outreach to community organizations, schools and special populations provides opportunities for plant education, fund-raising and statewide organization for plant preservation and protection. For many years, the Garden has maintained a mutually beneficial relationship with the Town of Chapel Hill and garden clubs across the state. See also Correspondence and General in Series 1, Administrative Files. Box 5 (continued): American Association of Museums, 1983 Chapel Hill, Town of, 1970-1981; 1986 Chapel Hill Bird Club (including NCBG bird census), 1966-1976 Garden Clubs: Garden Club of North Carolina, Inc.: Correspondence and General, 1964-1986 Joint Building Proposal with NCBG, 1966-1967; 1973-1974 Men's Garden Clubs, 1969-1973; 1981-1982 Women's Garden Clubs, 1965-1985 Keep North Carolina Beautiful, Inc., 1972-1975 Standard Oil Company (see Asclepias and Corn Project in Series 4) UNC Water Resources Research Institute, 1964-1966