Terrence M. Curtin Papers 1951-2012 (bulk 1968-2004)

Dr. Terrence M. Curtin, 1926-2020, came to North Carolina State University in 1973 to start a veterinary science department in the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He was appointed the first dean of the new School (later College) of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University on Feb. 1, 1979.

Dr. Terrence "Terry" Michael Curtin was born on June 9, 1926 in Spencer, South Dakota. Growing up on a farm exposed him to the challenges of raising farm animals and the importance of veterinary medicine in agriculture. He served in the United States Army from 1943-1946. Following his army service, he received a bachelor's degree and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Curtin returned to South Dakota and opened a veterinary practice in 1954. He later earned a master's degree and then a Ph.D. from Purdue University in 1963 and 1964 respectively, and went on to join the Purdue faculty. Before coming to North Carolina State University he was professor and chairman of veterinary physiology and pharmacology at the University of Missouri.

Dr. Curtin served as the first dean of the School (later College) of Veterinary Medicine from 1979 until his retirement in 1992. He remained active as professor emeritus in the Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Curtin published The College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University : a personal perspective of its founding in 2010 and a memoir, included in this collection, in 2011.

Curtin was named Veterinarian of the Year in 1983 by the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association (NCVMA). He served as president of the American Association of Veterinary Colleges in 1989 and was given the Distinguished Veterinarian of the Year Award by the NCVMA in 1990, the organization’s highest honor. Dr. Curtin received an honorary doctorate from the Purdue University College of Science for education beyond the classroom in 1992.

Dr. Curtin died on December 15, 2020.

This collection contains journals, photographs, newspaper clippings, a videotape, and slides, as well as manuscripts of Terrence M. Curtin's memoirs and the history of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Materials range in dates from 1951 to 2012 with the bulk of the materials falling between 1968 and 2004.

Arranged in three series: Journals and Other Papers, Writings, Photograph and Audiovisual Materials. Each series is arranged chronologically.

This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.

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The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

[Identification of item], Terrence M. Curtin Papers, MC 00420, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Sharon Curtin Papers (MC 00660)

Gift of Dr. Terrence M. Curtin, 2011 (Accession 2011.0137) and 2012 (Accession 2012.0060)

Finding aid created: by Judy Allen Dodson, 2011 July; finding aid updated by: Todd Kosmerick, 2012 March; by: Vivian Phinizy, 2012 April; Additional materials processed by Abigail Leinfelder, Bec Douthart, Caetlyn Elder, and Ellie Beal, 2022 August; Finding aid updated by Clara Wilson, 2022 August