North Carolina State University, College of Natural Resources, Office of the Dean Records 1908-2025

The unofficial beginning of a forestry curriculum at North Carolina State University began in 1917 when J.S. Homes was appointed the first Extension Forester. In 1925, R.W. Graeber became an Extension Forester and provided strong leadership for the establishment of a formal forestry program.

In 1929, the University formally established the Department of Forestry in the School of Agriculture. Dr. Julius V. Hofmann served as its first Director, starting early on to acquire land to create teaching and research forests. In 1931 the Department of Forestry was renamed the Division of Forestry, School of Agriculture and Forestry. Dr. J.V. Hofmann retired as Director of the Division in 1948 and was replaced by Richard J. Preston.

During Preston's tenure, in 1950, the Division of Forestry was elevated to School status and named the School of Forestry. In 1952 the School moved to new quarters in Kilgore Hall. The School underwent another name change in 1968 to the School of Forest Resources. The administration changed the name to better reflect the broadening of its programs, including the addition of the parks, recreation, and tourism management curriculum transferred from the School of Education. The school became a college in 1987.

In 1970 the School moved into the newly constructed forestry building Biltmore Hall, named after the nation's first school of forestry, the Biltmore Forest School. At the retirement of Dean Preston in 1971, Eric L. Ellwood, who was serving as head of the Department of Wood and Paper Science, became Dean, serving until 1989.

The name of the college changed from College of Forest Resources to College of Natural Resources in 2000.

These records document the administrative work of the Dean's Office of the College of Forest Resources between the years 1928 and 1990. They include correspondence, memoranda, and reports relating to the work of the Dean of the College of Natural Resources (formerly the Dean of the College of Forest Resources) relating to the management of the College's departments, coordination with industry and foundations to help fund research, and relationships with federal and state government as well as university administration.

Series 1. Alphabetic Subject files, 1927-1967

The first series, Alphabetic Subject files, 1927-1962, reflects the early development of the College and the first years of Dean Richard Preston's tenure. The records include general correspondence, and correspondence with the university administration including Chancellors Bostian and Harrelson, the graduate school, and the provost's office.

The development of the College's research program can be seen in correspondence with the National Science Foundation, the research committee, and the United States Department of Agriculture. The birth and growth of the forest genetics research program is also well documented in correspondence from 1955-1962. The records also contain Dean Preston's work with outside forest related organizations such as the American Forestry Association, the Council of Forestry School Executives, the Forest Products Research Society, the North Carolina Forestry Association, the Society of American Foresters and the United States Forest Service. The Dean's committee work is also documented in correspondence with the Land Grant Colleges Forest Committee and the Southern Regional Committee on Forestry Education and Research. The relationship of the Dean's Office with federal and state government is reflected in congressional correspondence, and correspondence with the North Carolina Department of Conservation and Development. Industry relations are reflected in correspondence with such companies as Champion Paper and Fibre, International Paper, and the Osmose Wood Preserving Company. Other items include budgets, material on conferences and seminars, cooperative training, and forestry research, a history of the College, long range plans, and an agreement with Elizabeth Dillard Reynolds for use of her Long Creek Farm for student training.

Of note in the collection is a series of rich correspondence with Carl Alwin Schenck between the years 1951 and 1961. Many of these letters relate to Schenck's visit to North Carolina in 1952 to receive an honorary doctorate from the university. Other letters relate to Schenck's health, his wishes for his library and personal papers, and his death. There is also a selection of his photographs of tree plantings in Biltmore Forest.

This series of records also contains possibly the earliest document on the foundation of a forestry curriculum at N.C. State University. In the 1928 letter from R.W. Graeber to Chancellor Brooks, Graeber wrote about the meeting of the legislative and executive committee of the N.C. Forestry Association and their plan to introduce a bill to provide for the teaching of forestry at N.C. State.

Series 2. Alphabetic Subject files, 1962-1978

The second series, 1963-1978, contains the correspondence of Dean Preston until his retirement in 1971, and continues with the correspondence of his successor, Dean Eric L. Ellwood. The research done by faculty and students in the College is well documented in correspondence with the Agricultural Research Service, the Cooperative State Research Service, and the National Science Foundation. The sponsored funds activity reports from research administration note the various research projects undertaken by the College between 1970 and 1978.

The collection contains an almost complete record of the history and work of the College reflected in the background material for comprehensive review folders. The continued involvement of the college with the forest products industry can be seen in correspondence with the Forest Farmers Association, the Hardwood Research Council, the National Forest Products Association, the North Carolina Agribusiness Council, and the Society of American Foresters. There is extensive correspondence relating to Dean Ellwood's service to the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry.

The Dean's relationship with state government is reflected in letters and reports regarding his service on the State Farm Operations Commission, the Governor's task forces on environmental education and energy sufficiency, as well as correspondence with the North Carolina Department of Natural and Economic Resources. The College's early involvement and concern in the development of environmental and energy education and research can also be seen in this sub-series. There is correspondence regarding the Air Conservation Steering Committee, environmental education, and the Triangle Universities Consortium on Air Pollution. There is also an extensive series of news clippings from Alaskan newspapers regarding the Alaska Lands Act of 1977-1978. Administrative relations and policies are documented in correspondence with Chancellors Caldwell and Thomas, and the provost's office. Other items in this sub-series include material on affirmative action, consulting, courses and curriculum, foreign visitors, land use planning, and the southern pine beetle outbreak and program. This sub-series also contains several of Dean Ellwood's article and speeches, as well as a copy of Dean Preston's retirement speech.

Series 3. Alphabetic Subject files, 1979-1987

The Alphabetic Subject Files series covers the years from 1979-1987. The correspondence of Dean Ellwood continues and reflects the continued growth of the research and teaching mission of the College. The relationship with the university administration can be seen in correspondence with Chancellors Thomas and Poulton as well as the provost's office. Materials on the administration and policies of the College include correspondence and reports on admissions, computing, general and minority enrollment, foreign visitors, and student recruitment. Research projects and material are located in the research administration sponsored funds activity reports, the southern pine beetle research program reports, and the USDA study on research and extension systems in renewable resources reports. The College's continued interest in environmental and energy studies is reflected in correspondence and material relating to acid rain, general correspondence on energy and the energy advisory task force. Other materials in this sub-series include a proposal for a natural resources research laboratory, and correspondence and reports relating to the Southeastern Center for Forest Economic Research. The series is arranged alphabetically.

Series 4. General Records, 1908-2020

The General Records series consists of materials received after the first three series. Materials include correspondence, reports, histories of the college, and photographs.

Series 5. Web Content, 2002-present

The Web Content series contains four websites: the official website of the College of Natural Resources, the Center for Geospatial Analytics website; the College of Natural Resource News site; and the program page for Geospatial information science and technology.

The records are organized in 5 series: Series 1., Alphabetic Subject files, 1927-1962; Series 2. Alphabetic Subject files, 1962-1978; Series 3. Alphabetic Subject files, 1979-1987; Series 4. General Records, 1908-2020; Series 5. Web Content.

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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], North Carolina State University, College of Natural Resources, Office of the Dean Records, UA 140.001, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Transferred from the North Carolina State University College of Natural Resources. Web content harvested using the Internet Archive's Archive-It web archiving services.

Processed by Special Collections Staff; Encoded by Steven Mandeville-Gamble; Finding aid updated by Cate Putirskis, 2008 October; 2009 February; 2010 April; Gevorg Vardanyan, 2023 July; Unprocessed series processed by Emma Esser, 2025 March; Finding aid updated by Cathy Dorin-Black, 2025 March; Archived web content processed by Kate Phillips, 2025 November.