Arranged in 7 sub-series.

Unrestricted except for Reports in sub-series 2, which are restricted to use by the office/department of origin for 25 years from the date of record creation.

Materials in this series document the history and activities of the Mount Holyoke College Chemistry Department from 1890 to the present.

Historical Sketches, Articles, Announcements, Brochures and Lists (1900-present) concern the history of the teaching of chemistry at Mount Holyoke and the administration, curriculum, and activities of the Department. These materials include lists of the Department's faculty members, Mount Holyoke chemistry majors, and alumnae who received doctorates in that field; a newspaper article from 1926 about the growing number of women chemists; and notes and articles about the research of chemistry faculty, particularly Emma P. Carr, Lucy W. Pickett, and Mary L. Sherrill. Announcements are for events sponsored by the Department such as a "Kids in the Chem Lab" program (1987) and an annual science symposium at Mount Holyoke.

Reports (1927/1928-1990/1991, 1992/1993-2004/2005; no report on file for 1991/1992) were prepared annually by the acting Chair of the Department for submission to the Office of the President. The reports summarize the activities and accomplishments of faculty and students and discuss topics such as teaching schedules, course enrollments, revisions to the curriculum, grants-funded projects, lectures and other special events, Department awards and prizes, equipment and facilities for the teaching of chemistry, and the needs of the Department.

Correspondence (1890, 1897, 1920-1948, 1951-1959, 1965-1980) consists of letters and telegrams. A June 13, 1890 letter concerns a legacy of five hundred dollars to the Department from the estate of former faculty member Lydia W. Shattuck. A June 5, 1897 letter by chemistry professor Mary F. Leach is addressed to the newly-hired Nellie E. Goldthwaite and responds to some of her questions about course offerings and her teaching schedule. Most of the other letters date from 1920-1948 and were written by or addressed to Department Chair Emma P. Carr. Other correspondents include College President Mary Emma Woolley, Academic Dean and Acting President Harriet M. Allyn, Mount Holyoke chemistry professor Mary L. Sherrill and physics professor Elizabeth R. Laird, and Rockford College President Mary Ashby Cheek (Mount Holyoke Class of 1913). Letters for 1951-1959 and 1965-1980 were usually written by or addressed to subsequent chairs of the Department, including George E. Hall, Anna J. Harrison, and Edwin S. Weaver. Correspondence includes letters from 1926 concerning Sherrill's possible acceptance of a job with a paper company. Other letters discuss Department activities and finances, staffing needs, searches for new faculty, faculty research and sabbaticals, the career plans of chemistry majors, and facilities (particularly Shattuck Hall) for the teaching of science at the College. There are also letters discussing efforts to raise funds for a scholarship or endowed chair in honor of Anna J. Harrison upon her retirement in 1979 and Harrison's request for part-time office assistance after her retirement.

Research Records (1926-1961) consist of thirty-one laboratory notebooks documenting experiments in vacuum spectroscopy. This work was primarily conducted by Emma P. Carr, Mary L. Sherrill, and Lucy W. Pickett with assistance from other chemistry faculty, research assistants, and graduate students. These materials include a copy of the Final Report, Absorption Spectra and Chemical Reactivity of Selected Unsaturated Hydrocarbons Amines and Ethers concerning research conducted by the Department for the United States Office of Naval Research, October 1, 1949-June 30, 1951.

Course Records (1909, circa 1922-1927, circa 1950s, 1972) consist of examinations and problem sets, primarily for courses in physical chemistry. These materials also include a Mount Holyoke College entrance examination in chemistry (September, 1909) and a syllabus for Chemistry 303 (1972).

Special Events Materials (1900, 1951-present) chiefly consists of published abstracts (1974-2005) of student papers and projects presented at the College's annual Senior Science Symposium. These documents describe research by students in chemistry, astronomy, biochemistry, biology, computer science, environmental studies, geology, mathematics and statistics, neuroscience and behavior, physics, or psychology. There are also announcements, press releases, articles, and programs (1900, 1951-present) for lectures by visiting scholars and other events.

Photographs (1900-present) consist of formal or informal photographs of students and faculty in chemistry laboratories and class rooms. These images include photographs of Emma P. Carr, Mary L. Sherrill, Anna J. Harrison, and other chemistry faculty with students. There is also a photograph album (1914-1946) containing snapshots of science buildings as well as Department members and students, often on outings of the College's Chemistry Club.

Arranged in 13 sub-series.

Restricted to use by the office/department of origin for 25 years from the date of record creation.

Materials in this series document the history and activities of the Mount Holyoke College Chemistry Department from 1900-2001.

Reports (1979-1993) were prepared by the Department for submission to the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training, which "promotes excellence in chemistry education for undergraduate students through approval of baccalaureate chemistry programs." These annual (1979-1992) or five-year (1983, 1988, 1993) reports provide information about the Department's enrollment, graduates, faculty, curriculum, and budget. The 1983 report includes information concerning computer use by students. The 1988 and 1993 reports contain descriptions of College library resources that support of the work of the Department and safety measures employed in chemistry classrooms and laboratories.

Subject Files (circa 1920s-2001, n.d.) contain correspondence, reports, publications, and building blueprints. Many of the files concern the activities and administration of the Department and its relationship to the rest of the College. A number of files concern awards and prizes awarded to students by the Department (1955-2001) and the summer research activities of students (1961-1995). Other records concern the use of computer technology at the College and the design, construction, and furnishing of science buildings on campus, particularly Carr Laboratory and Newcomb Cleveland Hall. The files also contain a history of the Department (1980) written by Mount Holyoke students Kimberly Colson, Laurie Stricks, Lauren Hill, Joyce Tealer, and Bonnie Sanders and letters to and information about several well-known chemistry professors and alumnae, including Virginia Apgar (Class of 1929), Emma P. Carr and Mary L. Sherrill. Other materials reflect the Department's association with other colleges and universities, companies such as the Catalytic Development Company, and the American Chemical Society and other organizations.

Department Meeting Records (1978-1998) consist of agendas, minutes, reports, proposals, correspondence, memoranda, and lists documenting topics and issues discussed at meetings of chemistry faculty and staff. Records for 1978-1979 contain minutes of meetings. These documents reflect discussion and decisions of Department members about a wide range of subjects, including safety equipment and the use of computers in chemistry classrooms and laboratories, changes to the curriculum, enrollment in chemistry courses, faculty research and grants received by Department members, the Department's budget, recruiting visits by potential employers of chemistry majors, and parties and receptions for chemistry students, faculty, and staff. Records for 1984-1985 consist of memoranda by Department Chair Edwin S. Weaver that were distributed at Department meetings. These documents discuss issues relating to students, staff, and the administration of the Department. Records for 1990-1998 primarily consist of agendas outlining topics to be discussed at Department meetings. These documents often contain announcements and other information for chemistry faculty and staff and are sometimes accompanied by reports, proposals, correspondence, memoranda, and lists relating to matters to be discussed at meetings.

Research Records (circa 1920s-1970s) consist of graphs, notebooks, notes, lantern slides, glass slides, photographic prints, and computer punch cards. These records document research projects undertaken by several Mount Holyoke chemistry professors. Some of the materials relate to research by Mary L. Sherrill and Lucy W. Pickett concerning vacuum spectroscopy and light absorption. There are also materials (1988-1994) concerning Mount Holyoke's association with the Council on Undergraduate Research which promoted students' research in chemistry.

Course Records (1930-1999, n.d.) consists of syllabi, experiments, handouts, and examinations. These records are for introductory courses as well as courses in organic, inorganic, analytic chemistry and biochemistry. They include general examinations for majors and graduate students as well as records about the Spacemet program in which the Department teamed up with other colleges and local public schools to provide teachers and students with continuing education in chemistry. Professors represented by these records include Sheila E. Browne, Mary K. Campbell, William Donald Cotter, Sean Decatur, Edwin S. Weaver, and Kenneth L. Williamson.

Women in Science Program Records (1973-1993) document Mount Holyoke's participation in program funded by the National Science Foundation and the General Electric Foundation that provided chemistry apparatus training to women who had earned their undergraduate degree in chemistry but were not currently working in the field. The aim of the program was to give women the technical skills they needed to re-enter the chemistry job market as competitive applicants. Records consists of correspondence, reports, magazine and newspaper articles, applications, questionnaires, brochures, and address lists of participants. The materials include Edwin S. Weaver's correspondence with the National Science Foundation and Mount Holyoke College President David Bicknell Truman regarding the program.

Seminar and Lectures Materials (1964-1998) consists of correspondence, announcements, abstracts, and programs regarding chemistry-related lectures and seminars at Mount Holyoke. The materials concern programs presented by visiting lecturers, Mount Holyoke graduate students, and Mount Holyoke chemistry faculty. Some materials relate to the annual lectures sponsored by the Five College Chemistry Consortium and the Lucy W. Pickett (Mount Holyoke Class of 1925) Lectures.

Faculty Publications (1925-1954, 1973, n.d.) consists of drafts, reprints and articles documenting research undertaken by Mount Holyoke chemistry faculty. These materials include articles by Emma P. Carr on ultraviolet absorption spectra and Lucy W. Pickett on irradiation of cotton. There are also drafts by Mary L. Sherrill concerning her research about vacuum spectroscopy and light absorption.

Student Work Materials (1950-circa 1980s) consists of laboratory notebooks and reports detailing the work of students studying chemistry. Some of the reports reflect independent research undertaken by students under the supervision of Anna J. Harrison.

Graduate Studies Materials (1940-1998) consist of announcements, correspondence, applications, and guidelines relating to Mount Holyoke's graduate program in chemistry.

Majors Materials (1900-1979) consists of newspaper clippings, list of majors, correspondence, annual summaries of Department events, lists of majors, letters of recommendation, and cards relating to chemistry experiments.

Films (circa 1960) consist of two 16mm animated color sound films. They are entitled "An Introduction to Reaction Kinetics" and "Vibration of Molecules." The films were produced by Sutherland Educational Films, Inc. as part of an American Chemical Society program funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Each film includes a description of the work's purpose, special features, and content.

Photographs (circa 1920s-1994) include portraits of Emma P. Carr, Mary L. Sherrill, Lucy W. Pickett, and Anna J. Harrison and photographs of students in laboratories. There are also photographs (1978-1985) of participants in the Women in Science Program.

Arranged in 2 sub-series.

Restricted to use by the office/department of origin for 25 years from the date of record creation.

Course Records (2000-2002) consist of examinations and quizzes, experiments, and handouts for chemistry courses from the 100 level through the 300 level. These materials also include notes and materials (2002) for seminar lectures for Chemistry 399, a "Comprehensive Seminar". Professors represented by records in this series include Sheila E. Browne, Mary K. Campbell, William Donald Cotter, and Sean Decatur. Seminars, Lectures, and Summer Research Program Materials (1995-2000) consists of correspondence, memoranda, announcements, schedules, applications, and abstracts of research relating to the Lucy W. Pickett lectures, Department seminars, and summer research projects by students.