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 will require additional advanced notice. Copies of digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
The Bruce J. Zobel Papers contain diaries, correspondence, speeches, an autobiography, articles, awards, reports, course information, theses proposals, serials, conference and symposia information, research plans, photographs, slides, artifacts, and other materials related to Zobel's career in forestry. Included are materials relating to Zobel's work on the faculty of North Carolina State University as well as work with the Central America and Mexico Resources Cooperative (CAMCORE), the Cooperative Forest Genetics Research Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation for Promoting Scientific Research in the Forest Industry, the N.C. State-Industry Cooperative Forest Tree Improvement Program, the Southern Forest Tree Improvement Committee, the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI), Zobel Forestry Associates, and other organizations. Major topics include international forest improvement programs, forest genetics, wood properties, forest management, and tropical forestry.
Bruce J. Zobel (1920-2011) was an internationally respected lecturer, consultant, professor, and expert on forest genetics and forest improvement. His career at North Carolina State University as a professor, head of the North Carolina Tree Improvement Cooperative, and professor emeritus as spanned nearly fifty years, from 1957 to 2004.
Most of the collection is in English. There are materials in other languages, especially German and French. Among the reprints, there are articles in German, French, Swedish, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, Russian, and other languages, as well as in English.
Bruce J. Zobel (1920-2011) was an internationally respected lecturer, consultant, professor, and expert on forest genetics and forest improvement. His career at North Carolina State University as a professor, head of the North Carolina Tree Improvement Cooperative, and professor emeritus as spanned nearly fifty years, from 1957 to 2004. Bruce John Zobel was born on February 11, 1920 in Los Gatos, California, the youngest of August and Emma Zobel's six children. His parents owned a fruit and vegetable farm in the Pajaro Valley in California near Watsonville. The entire Zobel family helped with farm duties, but education remained a priority for all of the Zobel children. Zobel graduated from high school in 1938.
In 1938, Bruce Zobel and his future wife Barbara both attended Salinas Junior College in preparation to attend the University of California in Berkeley. In 1941, the two married, and moved to Berkeley to attend school. In 1942, their first child, Don, was born. The following year, Bruce graduated with a bachelor's degree and joined the Pacific Lumber Company as a logging engineer. He remained in this position until 1944, when he was drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1945, the Zobels' second child, Kathy, was born.
During his time with the Marines, Zobel worked at Camp Lejeune and helped develop a forestry management program. In 1946, Zobel applied for permanent separation from the Marine Corps and returned home to California to attend graduate school at Berkeley, making use of G.I. Bill benefits. During the time that Zobel pursued a masters and Ph.D. degree, he worked as a Senior Laboratory Assistant in the Forestry School
After receiving both degrees, the Zobels moved to College Station, Texas in 1951 where Bruce took a job with Texas A&M University, the Texas Forest Service, and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. He worked as on a tree improvement program for all three employers. In 1952, the Zobel's adopted Lois Jean, their second daughter. Two years later, Julia Ann, another daughter, was adopted.
Zobel's achievements attracted the attention of North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University) in 1956, and the Zobels moved to the Raleigh area to work for the Tree Improvement Cooperative. In addition to running the cooperative, Zobel taught courses and advised forestry students. He became a respected authority on forest improvement and forest genetics, and was honored with a number of awards (see chronology).
During his career with North Carolina State University, Zobel traveled extensively. These trips offered him the opportunity to meet potential clients for consulting work. In 1979, Zobel retired from NC State University, although he continued to teach part-time as a Professor Emeritus until 2002. Zobel independently consulted for international firms over the next few years, and in 1984, he founded the Zobel Forestry Associates. Zobel served as president and William Ladrach served as general manager. In 1995, Zobel sold his half of the company to Ladrach, but continued to work as an associate.
Oh February 5, 2011, Dr. Zobel passed away in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Bruce J. Zobel Papers includes daily and travel diaries, correspondence, speeches, an autobiography, articles, awards, reports, course information, theses proposals, serials, conference and symposia information, research plans, photographs, slides, artifacts, and other materials related to Zobel's forestry career. Included are materials relating to Zobel's work on the faculty of North Carolina State University as well as work with the Central America and Mexico Resources Cooperative (CAMCORE), the Cooperative Forest Genetics Research Program, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation for Promoting Scientific Research in the Forest Industry, the N.C. State-Industry Cooperative Forest Tree Improvement Program, the Southern Forest Tree Improvement Committee, the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI), Zobel Forestry Associates, and other organizations. Major topics include international forest improvement programs, forest genetics, wood properties, forest management, and tropical forestry. Photographic materials in the collection are primarily images used by Zobel in his teaching and research career and document wood varieties and qualities, forest management, pests, and related issues. The collection also contains a scrapbook of wildflower samples, as well as wood and pine cone samples.
Materials have been kept in their original order as much as possible. Please see the series notes for more information about the arrangement of each series.
The collection is organized into sixteen series:
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], Bruce J. Zobel Papers, MC 00259, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
List of reprints in Series 16, Reprints.
Related Materials
Gift of Bruce J. Zobel, 1998 - 2008, (Accession 2011.0144), June 2011; 2011, (Accession 2011. 0152).
Processed by: Juliana Boucher, Valerie Gillispie; machine-readable finding aid created by: Juliana Boucher, Valerie Gillispie; updated by: Cate Putirskis, 2007; Kelly Clark Policelli, April 2009; updated by: Judy Allen Dodson, August 2009; updated by Judy Allen Dodson, June 2011
The collection is organized into sixteen principal series:
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 will require additional advanced notice. Copies of digital files will be provided for use in the SCRC Reading Room upon request.
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], Bruce J. Zobel Papers, MC 00259, 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.