North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Office of the Dean Records 1911-2023

Summary
Contents
Names/subjects
Using these materials
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Creator
North Carolina State University. College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Size
261.91 linear feet (82 archival boxes, 145 cartons, 1 cardbox, 1 legalbox, 1 oversize box, 1 object, 1 cd box); 944.62 megabytes; 2 websites
Call number
UA 100.001
Access to materials

This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Copies of videocassettes must be made prior to patron use.

The records of the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Office of the Dean contain annual plans, budget information, correspondence, department heads' meetings information, departmental reviews, enrollment data, faculty meetings information, handbooks, publications, and organizational charts. Also included are correspondence and oral history interviews relating to the book Knowledge Is Power, a history of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences published in 1987. Materials range in date from 1911 to 2019.

In 1905, the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (later North Carolina State University) first took up the suggestion of creating a dean for agriculture, but only under President Wallace Riddick (in 1917) was the position of dean created. In 1923, following the reorganization of North Carolina State College (later, University), the School (later, College) of Agriculture was created. In 1964, the School of Agriculture became the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In 1996, the School became the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, reflecting campus-wide changes in designation from School to College.

Biographical/historical note

In 1905 the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (later North Carolina State University) first took up the suggestion of creating a dean for agriculture, in order to relieve President George T. Winston of some of the burdens of his office. Charles W. Burkett, a professor of agriculture, was put forward as the candidate for this position, but was voted down by a vote of the entire faculty. Partially in light of this result, the decision to create the office was put off for over a decade.

Only under President Wallace Riddick in 1917 was the position of dean created. In his discussions with the Trustees, Riddick stated that the various college departments performing agricultural work could only be properly administered via a single office. The Board agreed, and Charles B. Williams, vice director of the experiment station and chief of the agronomy division, was elected to the new post of Dean of Agriculture. According to President Riddick, the new Dean would "have general supervision of all the departments of the College devoted to agricultural instruction" but would also "do extension and experiment station work, devoting one-third of his time to educational work with the College, and the remainder to the Experiment Station and Extension work." Williams served as Dean until the College's general reorganization in 1923--which created the new School of Agriculture--when he stepped down to resume his previous duties in agronomy and at the experiment station. On July 1, 1923, Benjamin W. Kilgore was named as North Carolina State's second Dean of Agriculture.

Kilgore's term as Dean was brief and tumultuous. The Dean and President Eugene C. Brooks disagreed on many subjects relating to administering the School, and Kilgore also complained that the director of instruction in the School often bypassed him to deal directly with the President. After just two years as Dean, Kilgore resigned and ended a four decade association with State College. In April, 1926, Ira O. Schaub was named acting dean of the School, and made official dean a few months later.

Schaub oversaw not only an expansion in programs and size within the School, but also helped guide North Carolina agriculture through the Depression and the years of World War II, as both dean of the School of Agriculture and director of the Agricultural Experiment Station. Schaub also led during the UNC system consolidation and a shake-up in graduate education administration. By 1945, Schaub decided to relinquish one of his long-held positions, and resigned the post of Dean of Agriculture, continuing as director of the Experiment Station.

Schaub's replacement was Leonard D. Baver, previously the School of Agriculture's associate dean and director of undergraduate instruction. Baver's term began on March 25, 1945, but lasted only a few years, ending with his resignation on January 1, 1948. During his brief tenure as dean, Baver was quite active, changing and shifting numerous department heads, revamping the research program, and hiring many new staff who would serve the School well in the coming decades. His dynamic leadership did not endear him to everyone, however, and his sudden departure in 1948 was not a shock to many in North Carolina agriculture. His replacement, James H. Hilton, brought a different--but no less effective--style of leadership to the position.

During Hilton's tenure the School administration was revised further. The 1923 Zook Report had recommended that work of the Experiment Station and the Extension Service "be administered through the college in complete cooperation with the work of resident teaching," the main focus of the Dean's work. This type of administrative set-up was only sporadically adhered to in the ensuing years. In 1950, however, an administrative reorganization consolidated the dean's authority: no longer would the dean serve in dual capacity as director of either the Station or Extension. Instead, a director would be in charge of both services, and another person would be named director of instruction. This change allowed the dean more freedom to act as a true head of the entire school, and not to focus too much energy on one arm or another. In addition, the 1950-51 school year saw the first annual report published by the School of Agriculture, and in 1951 the funding project "Nickels for Know-How" was instituted.

Hilton served as dean until 1953, when he resigned to accept a position at Iowa State University. His place was taken by Dean W. Colvard, former head of the Animal Industry Department. Colvard oversaw large increases in the research activities of the School, and during his tenure came the development of the Peru Project and the creation of the Agricultural Policy Institute. In 1960 Colvard resigned and was replaced by the director of instruction, H. Brooks James. Under James, enrollment and research increased significantly, the Peru Project reached the height of its activities, and extension work was further integrated into departmental programs, with many specialists given faculty rank. Most noticeable, however, was a name change, when in 1964 the School of Agriculture became the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

James served until his resignation in 1970. Edward W. Glazener was named acting dean until 1971, when James E. Legates took over as the new dean. Legates oversaw continued growth in research and academic activity, and an increased involvement in international programs worldwide. He retired as dean in 1986, and was succeeded by Durward F. Bateman. During Bateman's tenure the School continued its pattern of growth across a number of areas, in student enrollment, in research facilities and funding, through extension services, and with the creation of two new departments. In addition, Bateman worked to further integrate departmental faculty and extension work throughout the state. Bateman retired in 1997, but not after the School went through another name change: in 1996 the School became the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, reflecting campus-wide changes in designation from School to College. He was succeeded by James L. Oblinger, who served as Dean until becoming the University's Provost in 2003.

List of Deans
1917-1923
Charles Burgess Williams, Dean
1923-1925
Benjamin Wesley Kilgore, Dean
1926-1945
Ira Obed Schaub, Dean
1945-1948
Leonard David Baver, Dean
1948-1953
James Harold Hilton, Dean
1953-1960
Dean Wallace Colvard, Dean
1960-1970
Herman Brooks James, Dean
1970-1971
Edward Walker Glazener, Acting Dean
1971-1986
James Edward Legates, Dean
1986-1997
Durward Franklin Bateman, Dean
1997-2003
James L. Oblinger, Dean
2003-2012
Johnny C. Wynne, Dean
2012-2021
Richard H. Linton, Dean

Scope/content

The records of the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Office of the Dean contain annual plans, budget information, correspondence, department heads' meetings information, departmental reviews, enrollment data, faculty meetings information, handbooks, publications, and organizational charts. Also included are correspondence and oral history interviews relating to the book Knowledge Is Power, a history of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences published in 1987. Materials range in date from 1911 to 2019.

Arrangement

The records of the Office of the Dean for the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are arranged in 11 series: Series 1. Administrative Records; Series 2. Educational Programs and Departments; Series 3. Publications; Series 4. Videos; Series 5. Reports; Series 6. General Records; Series 7. Unprocessed Records Added in February 2018; Series 8. Unprocessed Records Added in March 2022; Series 9. Unprocessed Records Added in May 2022; Series 10. Digital Media; Series 11. Web Content.

Use of these materials

The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.

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.

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.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Office of the Dean Records, UA 100.001, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Related material

Source of acquisition

Transferred from North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Processing information

Processed by: Ben P. Kraudel; Laura Abraham, Beverly King, Flora Blackley, and Barbara Weinberg, 2009 July; machine-readable finding aid created by: Russell S. Koonts; Pat Webber; Finding aid updated by Karen Paar, Laura Abraham, Beverly King, Flora Blackley, and Barbara Weinberg, 2009 July; Cate Putirskis, 2009 July, August; 2010 March, August-September; 2011 January; Digital materials processed by Cathy Dorin-Black, 2016 May; Digital materials processed by Jessica Rayman, 2016 May; finding aid updated by Gevorg Vardanyan, 2023 June; findig aid updated by Katelyn Cuomo August 2023

Please note that some historical materials may contain harmful content and/or descriptions. Learn how we’re addressing it.

Access to the collection

This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Copies of videocassettes must be made prior to patron use.

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

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Office of the Dean Records, UA 100.001, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Use of these materials

The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.

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.

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.