mc00040 Guide to the Edgar Eugene Randolph Papers, 1884 - 1961 Processed by: Maurice Toler; Jaime Margalottie; machine-readable finding aid created by: Katherine M. Wisser North Carolina State University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center
Campus Box 7111 Raleigh, NC 27695-7111
2002

NCSU people

NCSU

Engineering

 Machine-readable finding aid derived from typescript by rekeying. Date of source: January 2001 Finding aid written in English 2005Converted to EAD 2002 Guide to the Edgar Eugene Randolph Papers, 1884 - 1961 MC 40 North Carolina State University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center Maurice Toler; Jaime Margalotti January 2002 Katherine M. Wisser Descriptive Summary North Carolina State University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center Randolph, E. E. (Edgar Eugene), b. 1878 Edgar Eugene Randolph Papers, 1884 - 1961 MC 40 6 archival boxes 3 linear feet The Edgar Eugene Randolph Papers document the Randolph's career as a professor of chemical engineering at North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (later North Carolina State University) as well as his personal life, and activities of his wife, Ora Huffman Randolph. Materials contained in these files include letters, 1937-1948, from Randolph's former students, many of which concern their careers in the field and their involvement in World War II; annual reports, statistics, budget materials, lists of graduates and other information, 1927-1945, concerning the development and growth of the Department of Chemical Engineering; newspaper clippings and scrapbooks, 1924-1947, about the department, graduates, and chemical engineering issues in Raleigh; other materials about chemical engineering, including Randolph's writing and technical research; personal materials, including correspondence, 1916-1961; information on the North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs and the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs, belonging to Randolph's wife, Ora Huffman Randolph; and photographs of Dr. and Mrs. Randolph, and their families. An alumnus of the University of North Carolina, Edgar Eugene Randolph (1878-1954) began his teaching career as a professor of English. He taught at Lenoir-Rhyne College and at Texas A&M University before teaching at the North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (later North Carolina State University). He became head of the Chemical Engineering Department in 1924 and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1946. on-site For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Special Collections Research Center Reference Staff. Information for Users Restrictions to Access

This collection is open for research; access requires at least 24 hours advance notice.

Gift of Mrs. Carl Eycke, 1970.

 Acquisitions Information

Gift of Mrs. Carl Eycke, 1970.

 Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], Edgar Eugene Randolph Papers, MC 40, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, North Carolina.

 Copyright Notice

North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

 Biographical Note

Edgar Eugene Randolph was born on July 22, 1878, in Mecklenburg County, N. C. He was educated at Sardis Academy, then at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, where he earned his Bachelors, Masters, and Ph.D. in English. He continued his graduate study as a Carnegie Research Assistant at the College of the City of New York and as a graduate level chemical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, from which he took practical school work in the Revere Sugar Refinery, Merrimac Chemical Company, and the Bethlehem Steel Company's Buffalo plant. Randolph instructed at Lenoir-Rhyne College, Elon College, and Texas A&M, where he taught English. He also spent summer terms on staff at Tulane University, Appalachian Normal College, and North Carolina State College, before joining North Carolina State permanently in 1920.

In 1924, Randolph helped to develop the chemical engineering curriculum at North Carolina State College. As department head, Randolph's skill and dedication to his work enabled the Chemical Engineering Department to grow into one of the College's largest, over the next 15 years. By his retirement in 1946, the Department had trained hundreds of graduates, many of whom won competitive positions in the nation's top chemical companies or other related fields. A significant number of these positions were attained with the direct intervention of Randolph.

Randolph's professional work was extensive, and he produced several books and numerous articles in technical and scientific journals. In addition to his career at North Carolina State, he took consulting chemical engineering work for the Carolina Power & Light Co.; the Southern Cities Public Utilities Co.; the Central Public Service Co.; the State Highway Commission; and the State Department of Conservation and Development concerning the potential industrial uses of North Carolina's surface waters. Randolph also acted as the State Inspector of City Gas Plants for the North Carolina Corporation Commission and as the Fuel Inspector for the North Carolina Budget Bureau on Coal Purchase Specifications for State Institutions. He was even invited to attend the 1936 World Congress of Chemical Engineers of the World Power Conference in London.

In addition to being licensed by the North Carolina State Board of Registration for Engineers, Randolph belonged to the American Chemical Society, the National Education Association, the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education, the North Carolina Society of Engineers, and other professional organizations. He was a member of both the Tau Beta Pi National Scholarship Engineering Society and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and was involved in their student chapters.

Edgar Eugene Randolph died in Raleigh, N.C., on November 10, 1954, leaving behind a wife, Ora Huffman Randolph, and a daughter, Edith. Ora Randolph is notable in her own right for having put the state song of North Carolina to music. She was also extensively involved in the North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs and the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs. Her work included setting up musical performances and helping to run the Music and Memory Contest. On May 6, 1961, the Chemical Engineering Department dedicated the E. E. Randolph Memorial Student Reading Room, on the first floor of the Riddick Engineering Laboratories Building, in his honor.

 Scope and Content Note

The Edgar Eugene Randolph Papers are organized into five series which document Randolph's personal and professional life. The Personal series includes materials assembled by Randolph and those by his wife Ora. Materials include his Ph.D. dissertation, and material relating to the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Raleigh, N.C., where the Randolphs were members and where Ora Randolph was organist for many years. Ora Randolph's materials are focused around her involvement with Raleigh-based affiliates of the North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs and the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs, in which she held administrative positions. These items relate either specifically to these organizations or to other Raleigh musical events.

The Chemical Engineering series contains material relating to Randolph's professional career, both in his capacity as founder and head of the North Carolina State University Chemical Engineering Department, as well as his independent chemical engineering work. Material includes annual reports, budgets, graduate lists, research, technical writing, and scrapbooks kept during Randolph's tenure at the University.

The Photographs series contains portraits of both Randolph and his wife, as well as family photographs. Most of these photographs are unlabeled. The oversized series contains one award and two membership certificates.

 Organization of Collection

This collection is divided into five series: Personal, Chemical Engineering, Photographs, Artifacts, and Oversized Materials. Wherever possible, the materials are arranged according to subseries and then chronologically.

 Online Catalog Headings Chemical engineering -- History -- 20th century Chemical engineering -- Research -- North Carolina Chemical engineering -- Societies, etc. Chemical engineering -- Study and teaching -- North Carolina Chemical engineers -- Employment Chemical engineers -- Training of Frye family Huffman family Music -- North Carolina -- Raleigh -- Societies, etc. North Carolina State University. Dept. of Chemical Engineering Randolph, E. E. (Edgar Eugene), b. 1878 Randolph, Ora Huffman Related Material MC 299 Richard M. Felder Papers MC 278 Ralph Fadum Papers MC 286 James K. Ferrell Papers MC 277 Neil Henry Johnson Papers MC 45 Alfred Alexander Dixon Papers MC 124 Henry Brower Smith Papers Detailed Description of the Collection Personal, 1907 - 1961 2 archival Boxes1 linear foot

This series consists of materials belonging to E. E. Randolph and to his wife, Ora Randolph. Most extensive in this series is Randolph's correspondence with friends, associates, and family members. It is arranged chronologically in two folders. Also included in this series are his insurance policies, jokes he pulled from magazines, poetry, and his Ph.D. dissertation from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, The -Ing Word in English. The dissertation is missing pages. Materials pertaining to Randolph's affiliation with the Monarch Club are also included.

Ora Randolph's materials center around her role in the North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs and the North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs. They contain music programs, speeches, and other club related business. Each has an associated file of correspondence. Much of the music material dates from the early 1920s, particularly the 1920 - 1921 season of music in Raleigh. Mrs. Randolph also has a file of material chronicling the genealogy of her family, the Huffmans and the Fryes. Additionally, her papers contain the hand-written marriage certificate of her parents.

 Edgar Eugene Randolph Correspondence 11 1916 - 1926 12 1928 - 1961 13 Insurance, 1921 - 1936 14 Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1922 - 1956 15 Monarch Club 16 The -Ing Words in English, Ph.D. Dissertation, 1907

Processor's note: Pages missing

 17 Poetry 18 Jokes Knight of St. Patrick Award, 1927 [See Oversized Materials] 19 Miscellaneous Ora Randolph Genealogy 21 Research 22 Huffman-Frye Marriage Certificate, April 14, 1881 North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs 23 Correspondence, 1921 24 1919 - 1933 25 Midsummer Eve North Carolina Federation of Music Clubs 26 Correspondence, 1920 - 1922 27 1919 - 1922 28 Musical Events, 1919 - 1922 29 Miscellaneous Chemical Engineering, 1924 - 1948 2.5 archival boxes1.25 linear feet

The largest group of material in this series contains the letters that E. E. Randolph received from his former students. Whether they updated Randolph on their lives or solicited employment advice, the student correspondence is a rich source of information on the careers of the Chemical Engineering program alumni. The correspondence from graduates spans 1937-1948, with much attention given to the activities of the young engineers in World War II. There are also letters from students' parents and general correspondence. Letters are arranged in subseries and then chronologically.

The Chemical Engineering Department's annual reports contain a significant amount of data on the scope and activities of the Department. They give enrollment statistics, descriptions of the Department's facilities, its staff, its research projects, the progress of its alumni, the status of the chemical engineering field, the work of the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the further funding needs of the Department, and accolades it had received. Along with the statistics, budget materials, and graduate lists, they make up the grouping which Randolph produced for the Department in his official capacity as department head. The graduate lists give the year a student graduated from the program and state what job he is currently holding or what school he is currently attending. There is also a separate folder for information pertaining to the affiliated Waterworks School. All of this information is arranged into subseries and then chronologically.

The newspaper clippings and scrapbooks compiled by Randolph contain information on the Chemical Engineering Department from 1924 to 1945. The clippings come from several different sources, primarily the Raleigh Times, the North Carolina State Technician, and the Raleigh News and Observer. There are also several full issues of publications, such as North Carolina Agriculture and Industry and the Student Chapter Bulletin of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. The articles cover a wide variety of topics related to chemical engineering, including student achievements, work being done on the chemical engineering facilities, the North Carolina chemical industry, various lectures, the successes of the Department, and the activities of the faculty, particularly E. E> Randolph.

The rest of Randolph's Chemical Engineering materials are made up of items related to his activities, professional associations, curriculum vitae, and retirement. There is research which he produced, including his work on the water analyses at Valdese, N.C.. His writing falls into two different categories: technical writing on chemical engineering matters and writing on the role and processes of education in chemical engineering. Some of these writings are typed copies, while others have been directly removed from the printed journals in which they appeared. The retirement materials consist of congratulatory letters which have been bound into a book.

 Correspondence General 31 1924 - 1937 32 1939 - 1945 Graduates 33 1937 - 1938 34 1939 35 1940 36 1941 37 January, 1942 - June, 1942 38 July, 1942 - December, 1942 39 January, 1943 - June, 1943 310 July, 1943 - December, 1943 311 January, 1944 - March, 1944 312 April, 1944 - October, 1944 313 1945 - 1948 Parents 314 1929 - 1944 Annual Reports 41 1927 - 1932 42 1933 - 1939 43 Budget Materials, 1928 - 1945 44 Statistics, 1923 - 1943 Graduate Lists Cumulative 45 1925 - 1940 46 1944 47 Yearly, 1927 - 1944 48 World War II 49 Waterworks School, 1936 - 1944 Newspaper Clippings 410 1924 - 1929 411 1930 - 1934 412 1935 - 1939 413 1940 - 1947 414 Undated Scrapbook 51 1929 - 1930 52 1933 - 1936 53 1939 - 1940

Processor's note: Loose pages

 54 North Carolina Agriculture & Industry, 1924 - 1926

Processor's note: Incomplete

 55 Curriculum Vitae, [No date] 56 Professional/Honor Associations, 1928 - 1952 Certificates 57 1927 - 1929 Certificate for membership in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1931 [See Oversized Materials] Certificate for membership in the Phi Kappa Phi [See Oversized Materials] 58 Research, 1924 - 1937 59 Water Analysis, Valdese, 1935 - 1936 510 Technical Writing, [No date] 511 Writing on Chemical Engineering Education, 1929 - 1941 512 Retirement, 1946 513 Miscellaneous, 1918 - 1940 Photographs 2 archival boxes1 linear foot

This series contains several pictures of E. E> Randolph, Ora Randolph, and their daughter Edith. There are a significant number of photographs of family members, particularly from Ora Randolph's side of the family. Very few of these photographs are labeled or dated.

61 E. E. Randolph 62 Ora Randolph 63 E. E. and Ora Randolph 64 Edith Randolph 65 Family sets 66 Miscellaneous, Small 71 Miscellaneous, Medium 1 72 Miscellaneous, Medium 2 73 Miscellaneous, Large 74 Large Group with E. E. and Ora Randolph Artifacts, ca. 1920s - 1930s 2 paige boxes3 linear feet

This series is comprised of E. E. Randolph's chemical glassware and related accessories, found in the former Randolph residence in Raleigh, N.C.. Likely dating from the 1920s or 1930s, it is unknown whether Randolph used this material in his labs on campus or in his private work. The 25 items include beakers, flasks, jars (with cork or glass stoppers), bottles, funnels, graduated cylinders, a bottle brush, a ceramic measuring board, and a ceramic mortar with spoon. Those items which are labeled most frequently give their origins as Pyrex, but Nonsol W.T. Co, Baker's Analyzed Chemicals, Stasi, and the American Medical Museum are also represented. One jar also lists its contents as Ammonium Carbonate (NH4)2CO3.

81 Bottle Brush 82 Pyrex Boiling Flask (700 ml) 83 Erlenmeyer Flask, from Nonsol W.T. Co. 84 Volumetric Flask (100 ml) 85 Glass Funnel 86 Large Rectangular Glass Jar, labeled American Medical Museum Jar #7 87 Ceramic Measuring Board 88 Mortar 89 Ceramic Spoon 91 Pyrex Beaker (400 ml) 92 Pyrex Beaker (600 ml) 93 Pyrex Beaker (1000 ml) 94 Pyrex Beaker (1000 ml) 95 Pyrex Beaker (1000 ml) 96 Pyrex Narrow Mouth Bottle with Stopper 97 Pyrex Narrow Mouth Bottle with Stopper 98 Pyrex Narrow Mouth Bottle with Stopper 99 Wide Mouth Bottle with Cork Stopper, from Baker's Analyzed Chemicals 910 Graduated Cylinder (10 ml), from Stansi 911 Graduated Cylinder (25 ml), from Germany 912 Non-Graduated Cylinder 913 Glass Jar with Stopper 914 Glass Jar with Stopper, labelled "Ammonium Carbonate (NH4)2CO3" from W.T.C. 915 Pyrex Jar with Stopper Oversized Materials 3 items

This series contains three items from E. E. Randolph's career and lifetime.

8 1 Certificate for membership in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 1931 8 2 Certificate for membership in the Phi Kappa Phi 8 3 Knight of St. Patrick Award, 1927