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A Guide to his Papers at the Indiana University Archives

Finding aid prepared by Alessandro G. Meregaglia

Summary Information

Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives

Creator
Carmack, Marvin, 1913-2010.

Collection No.
C503

Extent
18.4 cubic feet (19 boxes)

Language
Materials are primarily in English; Some correspondence and research materials are in German.

Abstract
Marvin Carmack was a professor of chemistry at Indiana University who specialized in organic chemistry and the study of lithospermum ruderale, among other research interests. The collection consists of Carmack's personal and professional correspondence, extensive research notes from his two university appointments and numerous private laboratory work, teaching materials from a variety of classes he taught as well as research notes from some of his students.

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.

Biographical Note

Born in 1913 in Dana (Vermillion County), Indiana, Marvin Carmack attended the University of Illinois and received an A.B. degree in Chemistry with honors in 1937. After completing both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Organic Chemistry at the University of Michigan in 1940, where he studied carcinogenic hydrocarbons, Dr. Carmack became a research associate at the University of Illinois, working on the chemistry of Senicio and Crotolaria alkaloids.

Professor Carmack began teaching at the University of Pennsylvania in 1941 as the Towne Instructor in Chemistry. He became Professor of Chemistry in 1951. During World War II, Dr. Carmack worked on contract with the National Defense Research Committee on high explosives and later on anti-malarial agents. Following the war, he began extensive studies in the field of organic sulfur chemistry. Awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1949, he spent the year in Zurich, Switzerland. He later held a Fulbright Fellowship at the Commonwealth and Industrial Research Office in Australia.

In 1953, Dr. Carmack accepted a position at Indiana University as Professor of Chemistry. The offer of professorship arose after Carmack attended the First International Conference on Organic Sulfur Chemistry hosted by Indiana University. Impressed by the University's administration and after meeting with then-Chemistry Department chairman, Harry G. Day, Carmack decided to move back to his home state. He formally retired from Indiana University in 1978, although he continued to work and conduct research for several more years. Indeed, Dr. Carmack remained involved with the Indiana Association of Science, undertaking a research project in the early 1990s on George Hale, an Indiana scientist who helped to develop the explosive known as RDX. ( George Hale's papers are also held by the IU Archives.)

Dr. Carmack's major research contributions focused on natural products and organosulfur chemistry. In the former area, his internationally recognized research detailed the chemistry of alkaloids and proof of structure of the active principle of Lithospernum Ruderale, the agent of fertility control used by the American Indians. His studies of organosulfur chemistry elucidated the spectral properties of sulfur compounds and the mechanism of the Willgerodt reaction.

In addition to academic work, Professor Carmack worked as a consultant to Abbott Laboratories, DuPont Company, and the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. He was also a member of Phi lambda upsilon, the National Chemistry Honor Society, and Sigma Xi, a scientific research society.

Dr. Carmack died on July 6, 2010.

Arrangement

This collection is organized into three series: Correspondence, Research, Teaching (further organized into two subseries of Student Work and Lecture Notes), and Biographical.

Scope and Content Note

The Biographical series, 1929-1957, contain personal documents and materials gathered by Carmack, mostly from his high school and college years as well as an address book.

The Correspondence series, 1928-2001, is arranged primarily chronologically but also contains folders of correspondence with a single person or a single topic. The letters consist primarily of Carmack's professional correspondence with colleagues at IU and at other universities. There is, however, personal correspondence interfiled, especially pre-1940, when Carmack's family wrote frequently during his college years.

The Research series, 1920-2007, forms the bulk of the collection. Dr. Carmack worked at several private laboratories - including Los Alamos and DuPont - conducting research and doing consulting work. Files related to that research and his findings are located in this series. Also present are extensive notes and materials related to his personal investigation of the Willgerodt reaction, lithospermum ruderale, and other organic chemistry research. Carmack's notes and finished article about George Hale are included in the collection. This series also contains notes from his involvement in professional organizations and various committees he served on while at Indiana University. There is also a 1988 IU name badge as well as two audio cassette tapes from a 1977 lecture in the series.

The Teaching series, 1936-1993, contains two subseries, Student Work, 1942-1965 and Lecture Notes, 1936-1978. The Student Work contains research and laboratory notebooks from his students, both undergraduate and graduate. At this time the sub-series is closed but may be made available with advance notice so that the Archivist may review the specific files requested. Dr. Carmack retained most of his teaching and lecture notes, which include blank quizzes, tests, handouts, and other related material. Where possible, the material is arranged by course number and name.

• Indexing Terms

• The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in IUCAT, the IU Libraries' online catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the catalog using these terms.

• • Names
  • Carmack, Marvin, 1913-2010--Archives
  • Carmack, Marvin, 1913-2010--Correspondence
  • Indiana University. Department of Chemistry--Faculty--Archives
• • Topics
  • Chemistry--Study and teaching (Higher)--Indiana--Bloomington--History--Sources
  • Chemistry teachers--Indiana--Bloomington--History--Sources

Separated Material

One glass vial that previously contained the chemical, thiouracil (lederle).

Photographs Pulled: Dozens of photographs were removed from the collection and are now stored with the Archives Photographs Collection. Photographs include images of Dr. Carmack in laboratories and lecturing, personal photographs, student portraits, and images related to his research on George C. Hale. Also included in separated photographs is a spiral bound yearbook from 1949 for Harrison Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania. Approximately two dozen rolls of negative film containing images of research documents and lectures are also present in the collection.

Related Material

Additional publications and research materials may be accessed in IUScholarworks: http://scholarworks.iu.edu/

Related photographs may be available in the University Archives Photographs Database: http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/archivesphotos/

Administrative Information

Container List

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Series: Box 1 Correspondence, 1928-2001 

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Correspondence,

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1933-1934 

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1935 

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1936 

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1937 

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1938 

(2 folders)

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1939 

(2 folders)

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Box 2 1940 

(4 folders)

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1941 

(5 folders)

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1942 

---

1943 

---

1944 

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1945 

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1946 

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1947 

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1948 

---

1949 

---

1950 

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1951 

(2 folders)

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1952 

(3 folders)

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1953,  

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January-February  View item(s)

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March View item(s)

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April View item(s)

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May View item(s)

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June View item(s)

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July View item(s)

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August View item(s)

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September-October View item(s)

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November View item(s)

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December View item(s)

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undated, circa 1953 View item(s)

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Box 3 1954 

(2 folders)

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1955 

(4 folders)

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1956 

(3 folders)

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1957 

(3 folders)

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1958 

---

1959 

---

1960 

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1961 

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1962 

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1964 

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1966 

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1967 

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1968 

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1972-1975 

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1977 

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2001 

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undated 

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Amoore Correspondence, 1968 

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Arthur D. Little, Inc., 1958 

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Dastoli Correspondence, 1967-1968 

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DuPont Correspondence, 1958-1960 

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Edward, John T., 1991 

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Family Correspondence,

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1928-1931 

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1943-1950 

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General Indiana University Correspondence, 1941-1980 

(Chiefly 1952-1953 relating to his appointment at IU.)

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Indiana University Unfinished Business Correspondence, 1953-1954 

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International Conference Correspondence, 1955 

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Box 4 Lecture Correspondence,

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1944-1951 

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1952-1958 

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Long, Dale Correspondence, 1951-1962 

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Lorenz, Walter, 1986-1992 

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Mayo, Dana, 1995-1997 

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Menadione (Hykinone Structure) Correspondence, 1945-1949 

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Novotny, Milos, 1995 

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Organic Chemists' Club Correspondence, 1947-1948 

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Osgan, Nash Correspondence, 1954 

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RDX Research Correspondence, 1989-1990 

(2 folders)

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Rees, Richard, Correspondence, 1959 

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Suspense Folder Correspondence, 1953 

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Unanswered mail, 1953 

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University of Pennsylvania Correspondence, 1947-1952 

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Weinberg, Eugene, Correspondence, 1955 

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Willgerodt Reaction Correspondence, 1944-1946 

(2 folders)

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Wiesler, Donald, 1997