This collection contains Charles Wilson Suggs's notes, data, publications, papers presented, reports, photographs, and sketches, primarily on the topics of tobacco mechanization (tobacco harvesters and transplanters) and equipment ergonomics.
Born in 1928, Suggs received his B.S.A.E. in 1949 and Ph.D. in 1959 from North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University), where he then joined the faculty. His research interests were tobacco mechanization and human-factors engineering. He developed one of the first mechanical tobacco leaf harvesters.
Charles Wilson Suggs was born in 1928. He received a B.S.A.E. in 1949 from North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University). After working some years in industry, he returned for graduate studies. In 1959 he received the first Ph.D. awarded by the college's Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. He was then appointed to the faculty.
Suggs's research interests were mechanization, controls, and human factors engineering. He developed one of the first mechanical tobacco leaf harvesters, in particular the rubber leaf stripper. He and Robert W. Wilson were granted a United States patent on the leaf removal device, which eventually was used on most commercial manufactured harvesters in the United States.
Suggs's human-factors research focused on the influence of environmental factors on response, such as the influence of vibration and noise on equipment operators.
During the 1960s Suggs was involved in the university's Ford Foundation project to help strengthen post-graduate training and research at the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, India. In 1967 he played a significant role in the establishment of the North Carolina Mu Chapter of Alpha Epsilon, the honor society of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASEA). After his retirement in the 1990s he was appointed professor emeritus.
This collection contains Charles W. Suggs's research materials. Included are notes, data, publications, papers presented, reports, photographs, and sketches, primarily on the topics of tobacco mechanization (tobacco harvesters and transplanters) and equipment ergonomics. Some documentation from Dr. Bill Splinter, who was Suggs's research partner during the 1950s and 1960s, has been removed and put in the William E. Splinter Papers (MC 00091).
To view digitized materials from this collection, please visit the NC State University Libraries' Digital Collections: Rare and Unique Materials.
The collection is arranged into eight series.
Throughout the collection, items in each series are arranged alphabetically by title, and then chronologically thereafter.
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries’ “Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain,” the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy’s "Is It Protected by Copyright?," and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.
[Identification of item], Charles W. Suggs Papers, MC 00033, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Donated by Dr. Suggs and acquired in two accessions from his file cabinets in Weaver Labs on the NC State University campus, 2007 (Accession nos. 2007-007 and 2007-0125). Gift of Dr. Suggs, 2017 (Accession 2017.0227).
About 2.5 cartons of material received with the Suggs Papers have been separated and made into a separate collection:
Information on separated items can be found in half box 41, folder 4.
Processed by Cate Putirskis, October 2007
Encoded by Todd J. Kosmerick and updated by Cate Putirskis, November 2007
The collection is organized into nine principal series:
This series is composed primarily of reference material Suggs used in conjuntion with his research, but also contains data Suggs collected while in the field, and photographs from some of the studies he performed.
Some items from this series are available online.
After review, access to the digital copies may be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
The Special Collections Research Center, NC State University Libraries, has digital copies of some or all of these materials.
This series includes documentation on research concerning plant characteristics and properties in relation to development of mechanization, including transplanter equipment. Also included in this series are negatives containing data, charts, and drawings that correlate to Suggs's research. The envelope number following the title can be found referenced in various places in Suggs's papers, and indicates that those negatives usually correspond to the papers that reference them.
Some items from this series are available online.
This series contains research documentation from Suggs's work on the role and effects of fertilization on tobacco.
Some items from this series are available online.
This series contains documentation from Suggs's research on the role and effects of dusting and spraying on tobacco.
2 archival boxes
This series contains research, drafts, and publication copies of articles Suggs authored and co-authored.
Contained here are research documents, drafts, and final versions of presentations Suggs gave at various conferences.
Includes files related to Suggs's involvement as a professor in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department.
Due to confidentiality concerns, files on individual students may need to be screened before they can be accessed. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for further information.
This series contians materials that do not directly relate to those in any of the previous series.
Articles and bulletins, including a few co-authored by Suggs but mostly written by others, primarily on the topics of tobacco mechanization (tobacco harvesters and transplanters) and equipment ergonomics.
This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to digital files may require additional advanced notice.
For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.
Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111
Phone: (919) 515-2273
[Identification of item], Charles W. Suggs Papers, MC 00033, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The NC State University Libraries generally claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials. These materials are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. Libraries staff are unable to advise on copyright and other legal matters; the user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Helpful resources for assessing copyright include Cornell Libraries’ “Copyright Services: Copyright Term and the Public Domain,” the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy’s "Is It Protected by Copyright?," and copyright.gov. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information about identifiable living individuals, which may be protected under federal or state laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that there may be legal ramifications for disclosing this information.
The University Archives operates in accordance with the State Public Records Act, with unrestricted access to records not covered by state and federal statutes and regulations.