The William H. Johnson papers document Johnson's career at North Carolina State University with materials from 1941 to 2005, the bulk of which are from 1956 to 1983. Johnson conducted extensive research in tobacco curing in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at N.C. State, and the papers are primarily comprised of his research notes and their associated sketches, drawings, and photographs. Also documented are Johnson's professional activities, including published papers and presentations at tobacco, agriculture, and engineering conferences around the country and across the world. Other material documents Johnson's involvement in numerous committees and groups, including chairing the Energy Advisory Task Force, a joint venture of N.C. State's School of Agriculture and Life Sciences and School of Forest Resources. The papers also document Johnson's correspondence with companies such as Philip Morris, Monsanto, Liggett & Myers, R.J. Reynolds, and others.
North Carolina State University Professor Emeritus William H. Johnson held various teaching positions in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, starting as Research Instructor in 1956 and reaching the rank of Professor in 1969. He served as Assistant Director of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service of N.C. State from 1983 to 1994, and received the rank of Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in 1994. Johnson's major research interest was tobacco processing, and he was part of the research team that developed the bulk curing process for tobacco.
North Carolina State University Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, William H. Johnson was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on September 14, 1932. He received his A.S. in Engineering in 1952 from Presbyterian Junior College in Maxton, North Carolina, and went on to receive his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (later North Carolina State University) in 1954, 1956, and 1961, respectively. Johnson held various teaching positions in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at N.C. State, starting as Research Instructor from 1956 to 1961, then Assistant Professor from 1961 to 1965, Associate Professor from 1965 to 1969, and reaching the rank of Professor in 1969. He served as Assistant Director of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service of N.C. State from 1983 to 1994, and received the rank of Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering in 1994. Johnson's major research interest was tobacco processing, and he was part of the research team that developed the bulk curing process for tobacco. He wrote and published more than seventy papers, holds twelve patents, and was active in numerous learned and professional societies, including the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Phi Theta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Pi Sigma, and Alpha Epsilon. At N.C. State, he chaired the Energy Advisory Task Force, a joint venture of the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences and School of Forest Resources. Johnson passed away on October 3, 2016, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The William H. Johnson papers document Johnson's career at North Carolina State University with materials from 1941 to 2005, the bulk of which are from 1956 to 1983. Johnson conducted extensive research in tobacco curing in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at N.C. State, and the papers are primarily comprised of his research notes and their associated sketches, drawings, and photographs. Also documented are Johnson's numerous writings, publications, and presentations. He wrote and published over seventy papers and gave numerous presentations at tobacco, agriculture, and engineering conferences around the country and across the world. Active professionally on and off-campus, Johnson was involved in numerous committees and groups. He chaired the Energy Advisory Task Force, a joint venture of N.C. State's School of Agriculture and Life Sciences and School of Forest Resources, and was active in professional organizations such as the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Alpha Epsilon, Gamma Sigma Delta. The papers also document Johnson's correspondence with companies such as Philip Morris, Monsanto, Liggett & Myers, R.J. Reynolds, and others.
To view digitized materials from this collection, please visit the NC State University Libraries' Digital Collections: Rare and Unique Materials.
This collection is arranged in eight series: Research Notebooks; Departmental, University, and Other Professional Papers; Papers, Publications, and Presentations; Tobacco Bulk Curing Files; Energy Advisory Task Force Files; Tobacco Committees, Consulting, Reports, and Related Files; Tobacco Freeze-Drying Research Correspondence; and Sketches and Drawings.
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" 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], William H. Johnson Papers, MC 00062, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Gift of William H. Johnson, 2006 August 28 and 2006 October 19 (accession no. 2006-0094)
Processed by Anna R. Craft, 2007 January
Encoded by Anna R. Craft, 2007 January
The collection is organized into eight principal series:
The William H. Johnson research notebooks series documents Johnson's tobacco research between the years of 1956 and 1983. Johnson kept meticulous, well-ordered notes on his research and experiments. The files are organized in the order in which they were received.
24 archival boxes
3 drawings
The William H. Johnson Departmental, University, and Other Professional Papers series is made up of papers associated with Johnson's tenure at North Carolina State University, including committee information, personnel forms, and university correspondence.
3 archival boxes, 1 archival card box
William H. Johnson wrote and published over seventy papers and gave numerous presentations at tobacco, agriculture, and engineering conferences around the country and across the world. The Papers, Publications, and Presentations series contains copies of Johnson's many articles and other publications, as well as notes on many of his presentations.
9 archival boxes, 1 archival card box
18 photos
approx. 8 photos
6 photos
4 photos
12 photos
6 photos
approx. 20 photos
9 photos
approx. 16 photos
8 slides, 16 photos
10 photos
William H. Johnson was part of the research team that developed the tobacco bulk curing process, and the Tobacco Bulk Curing Files series contains notes, reports, and photographs documenting this research.
4 archival boxes
15 photos
162 photos
3 photos
approx. 25 photos
41 photos
13 slides, 64 photos
approx. 70 photos
approx. 57 photos
approx. 146 photos
approx. 12 photos
From 1979 to 1980 William H. Johnson chaired the Energy Advisory Task Force, a joint venture of N.C. State's School of Agriculture and Life Sciences and School of Forest Resources. The Energy Advisory Task Force Files series documents Johnson's research and activities related to energy use and conservation and explorations of new energy sources.
4 archival boxes
William H. Johnson Tobacco Committees, Consulting, Reports, and Related Files series documents Johnson's involvement in tobacco-related committees and his work as a consultant.
7 archival boxes
The William H. Johnson Tobacco Freeze-Drying Research Correspondence series documents Johnson's correspondence with companies such as Philip Morris, Monsanto, E.I. Dupont, Liggett & Myers, and R.J. Reynolds.
5 archival boxes
29 color photos
4 photos
29 color photos
The William H. Johnson Sketches and Drawings series contains sketches, drawings, and notes documenting Johnson's models for curing units and other tobacco-related apparatuses. This series contains approximately 500 drawings, ranging in size from 8.5" x 11" to 27" x 36", with the majority being 17" x 22".
3 archival boxes and 8 archival flat folders
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:
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Box 7111
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Phone: (919) 515-2273
[Identification of item], William H. Johnson Papers, MC 00062, 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" 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.