Department of Chemical Engineering records, 1961-1981

Summary

Creator:
State University of New York at Buffalo. Department of Chemical Engineering and State University of New York at Buffalo. University Archives
Abstract:
Records of the Department of Chemical Engineering from its establishment until 1981. Includes information regarding teaching and faculty research and involvement as well as departmental administrative information.
Extent:
12.3 Linear Feet 26 manuscript boxes, 7 half manuscript boxes
Language:
Collection material in English.
Preferred citation:

[Item information and date], Box #, Folder #, 18/5/833, Department of Chemical Engineering Records, University Archives, The State University of New York at Buffalo

See For additional information, see the Archives' preferred citations instructions.

Background

Scope and content:

Records of the Department of Chemical Engineering from its establishment until 1981. Includes information regarding teaching and faculty research and involvement as well as departmental administrative information.

Biographical / historical:

In the late 1950s, the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Engineering hired Joseph Bergantz, a local consultant with considerable research and development experience in the Chemical Engineering industry, to design a Chemical Engineering program for the school. The Department was formally established in 1961, with the announcement of Bachelor and Master of Science in Chemical Engineering degrees, and Donald Brutvan became the first full-time faculty member in that Spring. Bergantz also came on as a full-time Professor and Chair, and William Mathewson, who had just completed his Ph.D. at Cornell, was hired.

Bergantz, Brutvan, and Mathewson taught several courses to about 40 part-time graduate students, during the Department's first full year of operation. In 1962-63, the Department began to offer courses to sophomore and junior-level undergraduates and a Ph.D. program was authorized by the State University of New York.

After three new faculty joined the Department in 1964, it continued to grow. The Department was housed partially in Parker Engineering and partially in Acheson Chemistry until 1966, when it finally received its own building. In 1965 the Engineering Council for Professional Development (ECPD) approved accreditation for Chemical Engineering and all of the other School of Engineering departments.

In 1968, Sol Weller became Acting Chair of the Department while Bergantz was on sabbatical. When Bergantz returned and became Associate Dean of the Engineering School, Harry Cullinan was named Department Chair. Weller served two other stints as Acting Chair in 1972 and 1976. Kenneth Kiser served as Acting Chair in 1977. Then Jarda Ulbrecht became Chair in 1978 contiguous with the Department's relocation to the UB North Campus. Weber held the position of Chair from 1982 to 1989. In 1989 Ralph Yang became Chair of the Department, until he was replaced by Kiser in 1995. Carl Lund has been Chair of the Department since 1997.

Acquisition information:
The University Archives received two accessions from the Department of Chemical Engineering, the first in August 1978 (78-042) and the second in October 1982 (82-086). When the materials arrived at the Archives box listings were compiled and a number of files were disposed of according to the 1977 SUNY Records Retention and Disposition Schedules (records of the dispositions are available in the collection's accession file). The two accessions were combined and processed by Karen Walton in November 2003. At that time additional disposals were made. The processing was completed by Kerry Fender, under the direction of Karen Walton, in April 2004.
Processing information:

Processed by Karen Walton with Kerry Fender.

Arrangement:

The Collection is divided into five series: I. Administration, II. Teaching, III. Research, IV. People, V. Involvement in Organizations, VI. Restricted Materials.

Accruals:

No further accruals are expected to this collection.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The bulk of the Department of Chemical Engineering records are open for research

University records are public records and once fully processed are generally open to research use. Access to student and personnel records is restricted for 80 years from the date of creation. See reference staff for details. No restrictions on access apply to published records. The restriction of university records is subject to compliance with applicable laws, including the Freedom of Information Act. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the archives' usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Some papers containing confidential information have been removed from folders within Series 1 (Administration), Subseries 4 (Correspondence). These materials are restricted until 2060.

Terms of access:

Copyright is held by The State University of New York at Buffalo, University Archives. Copyright in other papers in the collection may be held by their authors, or the authors' heirs or assigns. Researchers must obtain the written permission of the holder(s) of copyright and the University Archives before publishing quotations from materials in the collection. Most papers may be copied in accordance with the library's usual procedures unless otherwise specified.

Preferred citation:

[Item information and date], Box #, Folder #, 18/5/833, Department of Chemical Engineering Records, University Archives, The State University of New York at Buffalo

See For additional information, see the Archives' preferred citations instructions.

Location of this collection:
420 Capen Hall
Buffalo, NY 14260, United States
Link to repository site
Contact:
716-645-2916
lib-archives@buffalo.edu