Restrictions to Access

This collection contains additional materials that are not processed and are currently not available to researchers. For information about access to these materials, contact Research and Instructional Services staff. Please be advised that preparing unprocessed materials for access can be a lengthy process.

Restrictions to Use

No usage restrictions.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the Department of Chemistry of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Records #40079, University Archives, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information

Received from the Department of Chemistry in 1992 and 2005 (Records transfers 19920520.2, 20050315.1, and 20050831.3).

Sensitive Materials Statement

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• Chemistry--Study and teaching (Higher)--North Carolina.
• Education, Higher--North Carolina--History.
• General education--North Carolina--History.
• Universities and colleges--North Carolina--Accounting.
• Universities and colleges--North Carolina--Departments.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Accounting.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Curricula.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--History.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962). Dept. of Chemistry.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Accounting.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Curricula.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--History.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dept. of Chemistry.

• Office of the Provost Records (#40039)
• Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Records (#40076)
• Rho Chapter of Alpha Chi Sigma Records (#40140)

The Department of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill had its beginnings in 1819, when Denison Olmsted was brought down from Yale University, probably through the influence of his friend and classmate Elisha Mitchell. The department was formally organized in the 1890s and has been consistently strong, especially after undergoing something of a renaissance under the leadership of Francis P. Venable (1856-1934). Carolina Chemists by Maurice Bursey offers an extremely detailed history of the department and its major figures. Additional information about the department can be found in the Records of Alpha Chi Sigma, Rho Chapter, the honorary chemistry fraternity at the university.

Records of the Department of Chemistry include portions of five ledger books, including records of scholarships and fellowships, salary and wage expenditures, purchases of equipment and materials, and teaching/research assistant budgets and assignments. In addition, there are a list of students granted chemistry degrees from 1881 to 1940 and a file related to the dedication of Morehead Laboratories in 1987.