Chemistry Department Records, 1890-present: Scope & Contents of the Collection

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Mount Holyoke College Chemistry Department Records date from 1890 to the present and document the history of the Department, the work of students in undergraduate and graduate chemistry classes, and the activities of chemistry faculty. Records are arranged in the following three series primarily reflecting the order in which these materials were received and processed by Archives and Special Collections: Historical Sketches, Articles, Announcements, Brochures, and Lists, Reports, Correspondence, Research Records, Course Records, Special Events Materials, and Photographs; Reports, Subject Files, Department Meeting Records, Research Records, Course Records, Women in Science Program Records, Seminars and Lectures Materials, Faculty Publications, Student Work Materials, Graduate Studies Materials, Majors Materials, Films, and Photographs; and Course Records and Materials Concerning Seminars, Lectures, and Summer Research Programs.

Historical Sketches, Articles, Announcements, Brochures, and Lists, Reports, Correspondence, Research Records, Course Records, Special Events Materials, and Photographs date from 1890 to the present. These materials include annual reports documenting the activities and accomplishments of the Department from 1927-2005 and letters (1920-1980) by and to Emma Perry Carr and other distinguished chemistry faculty. There is an extensive collection of laboratory notebooks (1926-1961) concerning vacuum spectroscopy research by Department members. Other records include articles about the history of the teaching of chemistry at Mount Holyoke, examinations and problem sets from the 1920s, published abstracts (1974-2005) of student papers and projects presented at the College's annual Senior Science Symposium, and formal or informal photographs (1900-present) of students and faculty in the chemistry laboratories and class rooms.

Reports, Subject Files, Department Meeting Records, Research Records, Course Records, Women in Science Program Records, Seminars and Lectures Materials, Faculty Publications, Student Work Materials, Graduate Studies Materials, Majors Materials, Films, and Photographs date from 1900-2001 and comprise the most extensive series in the collection. Of note are Subject Files (circa 1920s-2001, n.d.) containing correspondence, reports, publications, and building plans that chiefly concern the activities and administration of the Department and its relationship to the rest of the College. These materials include information about awards and prizes awarded to students by the Department from 1955-2001, the summer research activities of students from 1961-1995, and the design, construction and furnishing of Carr Laboratory and Newcomb Cleveland Hall (completed in 1955). Course Records (1930-1999, n.d.), Student Work Materials (1950-circa 1980s), Graduate Studies Materials (1940-1998), Majors Materials (1900-1979), and Films (circa 1960) concern the Department's curriculum. These materials include laboratory notebooks and research reports, documents reflecting support of Mount Holyoke's chemistry curriculum by the National Science Foundation, syllabi, experiments, handouts, examinations, laboratory notebooks, reports, recommendations, correspondence, applications, and lists. Faculty members represented by these materials include Sheila E. Browne, William Donald Cotter, Sean Decatur, Mary K. Campbell, Edwin S. Weaver, and Kenneth Williamson. The administration and activities of the Department are further documented by agenda, minutes, reports, proposals, correspondence, memoranda, and lists for Department meetings (1978-1998) and reports (1979-1993) prepared for submission to the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training. Special chemistry-related programs at the College are documented by Seminar and Lectures Materials (1964-1998) and records (1973-1993) relating to Mount Holyoke’s Women in Science Program (1973-1993) that provided chemistry apparatus training to women who had earned their undergraduate degree in chemistry but were not currently working in the field. Documents relating to these programs include correspondence, reports, proposals, programs, questionnaires, and evaluations. Research Records (circa 1920s-1970s) and Faculty Publications (1925-1954, 1973, n.d.) contain drafts, articles, graphs, notebooks, notes, lantern slides, glass slides, and other materials reflecting the research interests of Emma P.Carr, Mary L. Sherrill, Lucy W. Pickett, and other chemistry faculty. Rounding out this series are Photographs (circa 1920s-1994) that include images of students, professors Emma Carr, Mary L. Sherrill, Lucy W. Pickett, and Anna J. Harrison, and participants (1978-1985) in the Women in Science Program at Mount Holyoke.

Course Records and Materials Concerning Seminars, Lectures, and Summer Research Programs (1995-2002) primarily consist of examinations, quizzes, experiments, and handouts for chemistry courses (2000-2002). Faculty members represented by these records include Sheila E. Browne and William Donald Cotter. There are also materials concerning the Department's Lucy Pickett lectures and Summer Research Program.