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James J. Bohning Papers

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Held at: Science History Institute Archives [Contact Us]315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Science History Institute Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
502
Repository:
Science History Institute Archives
Extent:
3.0 linear feet (3 boxes.)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, James J. Bohning Papers, 1890-2007, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date:
1890-2007 (inclusive) and 2002-2007 (bulk)
Creator:
Bohning, James J.
Form:
Archival materials
Abstract:
Research files, interview notes, oral history notes and materials, correspondence, newspaper clippings, conferences and presentations materials, and publications belonging to James J. Bohning.

James J. Bohning was an oral historian and a historian of science and technology. Bohning was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1934. He received his B.S. in chemistry from Valparaiso University (1956) and his master's degree in chemistry from New York University (1959). In 1959, Bohning began his teaching career as an instructor at Wilkes University (formerly Wilkes College) in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He took a leave of absence from Wilkes in 1962 to pursue his doctorate degree. In 1965, Bohning received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Northeastern University and returned to Wilkes as an assistant professor. In 1974, he chaired the 9th Middle Atlantic Regional Meeting (MARM) in Wilkes-Barre. While teaching at Wilkes, Bohning worked as a part-time oral historian at the Chemical Heritage Foundation (now the Science History Institute) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1990, he retired from Wilkes as an emeritus professor after twenty-two years at the university.

Bohning was an active member of the History of Chemistry Division (HIST) of the American Chemical Society (ACS), where he served as the Division's historian from 1988 to 2011 and its archivist from 1988 to 2009. He served on the ACS' National Historic Chemical Landmark Committee and was an associate editor of HIST's Bulletin for the History of Chemistry. Bohning left the Chemical Heritage Foundation in 1995 and became a staff writer for ACS News Service in Washington, D.C. In 1998, he retired from ACS and began conducting research in the history of chemistry as a CESAR Fellow at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In addition to his work at Lehigh, Bohning continued to conduct oral histories for the Chemical Heritage Foundation, the Dow Foundation, and the Northampton County Historical and Genealogical Society.

James J. Bohning died in Newtown, Pennsylvania on September 2, 2011.

Sources

James J. Bohning Papers, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The James J. Bohning Papers contain the personal papers of James J. Bohning. The collection is arranged into the following three series:

  1. Union Carbide Corporation Oral History Program
  2. Research Files
  3. Conferences and Presentations

The James J. Bohning Papers were donated to the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) by Ned D. Heindel in 2015.

The James J. Bohning Papers were processed by Andrew Mangravite in 2015 and encoded into EAD by Samantha Brigher in 2020.

The Manuals for Bibliographic Data Management and Scientific Reference Programs, which were compiled by James J. Bohning, are preserved at the Science History Institute.

The Special Collections at Lehigh University houses five items created by James J. Bohning. The Lehigh Collection Vertical Files houses three files of materials created by Bohning about individuals related to the University. The Special Collections also holds a Chemistry Department newsletter and a booklet from the American Chemical Society; the catalog records of the materials list Bohning as the author.

People
Organization
Subject

Publisher
Science History Institute Archives
Finding Aid Author
Finding aid created by Andrew Mangravite and encoded into EAD by Samantha Brigher.
Finding Aid Date
2015
Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.

Use Restrictions

The Science History Institute holds copyright to the James J. Bohning Papers. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Collection Inventory

Series Description

This series contains James J. Bohning's Union Carbide Corporation Oral History Program files. Arranged in its original numerical order, this series consists of eighty-three files in two boxes. These files primarily contain notes created by Bohning during his time as the oral historian of the Union Carbide Corporation Oral History Program. Some other miscellaneous materials, including correspondence and articles, are preserved here as well.

001 Haynes - Post Street Archives - background materials, 1941, 1948, 2005.
Box 1 Folder 1
002 Kanawha Valley History - notes from Ned Heindel to JJB, 2002.
Box 1 Folder 2
003A Carbide - Timeline, Misc. History, 1998, 2004.
Box 1 Folder 3
003E Union Carbide History - Bhopal (incl. an ICE Case Study), 1988-2006.
Box 1 Folder 4
Stief, Robert D. A History of Union Carbide Corporation, 1988.
Box 1 Folder 5
Potter, Jr., John J. Coal Hydrogenation and Related Coal Projects, 1995.
Box 1 Folder 6
003F Madge, Charles H. A History of Union Carbide Polyethylene, 2000.
Box 1 Folder 7
003G Hawk's Nest, Union Carbide - Silicosis deaths at Hawk's Nest, West Virginia, 1928-2005.
Box 1 Folder 8
003H Smith, J. S., and J. M. Davidson. History of LP Polyethylene, 1997.
Box 1 Folder 9
003I A Marketing Revolution (early sales efforts of UCC), 1962.
Box 1 Folder 10
003J Market Revolution (extra copy - photocopy), 1962.
Box 1 Folder 11
003K UCC Informal Observations to '37-Compton (Compton, J. N.), 1937.
Box 1 Folder 12
003L UCC Informal Observations to '37-Compton (select pages only), 1937.
Box 1 Folder 13
003M UC Nuclear - Prauger (Prauger, Donald B.), 1996.
Box 1 Folder 14
003N UC Synthetic Rubber - Branner (Branner, Frank M.), 1996.
Box 1 Folder 15
003P UCC 2002 Reunion Memories (sidelights by "lesser lights"), 2002.
Box 1 Folder 16
004 Dow/UC Oral History Travel - oral history trip itinerary, 2005.
Box 1 Folder 17
006B UC Retiree Reunion, Tampa, Florida (incl. JJB's interview schedule), 2006.
Box 1 Folder 18
008 Dow/UC Oral History (Daniels, George) - oral history notes, 2006.
Box 1 Folder 19
009 Dow/UC Oral History (Johnson, Frank) - oral history notes, 2002-2004.
Box 1 Folder 20
010 Dow/UC Oral History (Hieronymus, R.) - oral history notes, 2002-2006.
Box 1 Folder 21
011 Dow/UC Oral History (Kelly, W. M.) - oral history notes, 1958-2006.
Box 1 Folder 22
012 Dow/UC Oral History (Crist, Ray) - Research File 1, 2002, undated.
Box 1 Folder 23
013 Dow/UC Oral History (Crist, Ray) - Research File 2, 2003, undated.
Box 1 Folder 24
014 Dow/UC Oral History (Crist, Ray - Publications) - selected titles, 1924-1957.
Box 1 Folder 25
015a Dow/UC Oral History (Crist, Ray - Oral History) - correspondence, 2003-2005.
Box 1 Folder 26
016a Dow - correspondence (re: oral history scheduling and restrictions), 1995-2005.
Box 1 Folder 27
016b Dow - News - from Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), 2003-2006.
Box 1 Folder 28
016c "On the Dow Dole" - articles (re: pollution, sprawl, etc.), 2004.
Box 1 Folder 29
016d "Mystery Man from Massillon" - Timeline piece on Herbert Henry Dow, 2003.
Box 1 Folder 30
017 Dow Oral History - Kociba, Richard - oral history notes, 2001-2002.
Box 1 Folder 31
018 Dow Oral History - Lindsey, Rudy - oral history notes, 2001-2003.
Box 1 Folder 32
019 Dow Oral History - Kao, Che-I - oral history notes and draft, 2003-2004.
Box 1 Folder 33
020a Dow Ohio - Benson, J. Groffe - oral history notes, 2002-2006.
Box 1 Folder 34
020b Dow Oral History - Benson, J. Groffe - 1989 interview, 1989.
Box 1 Folder 35
021 Dow Oral History - Geoghan, Joseph - oral history notes, 2003.
Box 1 Folder 36
022a Dow Oral History - Sneath, William - oral history notes, 2002-2006.
Box 1 Folder 37
022b Dow Oral History - Sneath, William - 1989 interview, 1989.
Box 1 Folder 38
023 Dow Oral History - Kennedy, Robert - oral history notes, 2006.
Box 1 Folder 39
024 UC/Dow Oral History - Woomer, Warren J. interview (correspondence only), 2002.
Box 1 Folder 40
025 UC/Dow Oral History - Hannan, K. - 1989 interview, 1989.
Box 1 Folder 41
026 UC/Dow Oral History - Tomfohrde, H. F. - 1996 interview, 1997, 2005.
Box 1 Folder 42
027 UC/Dow Oral History - Wishart, R. - 1995 interview, 1978-2004.
Box 1 Folder 43
028 UC/Dow Oral History - Mason, B. - 1989 interview, 1989.
Box 1 Folder 44
029 UC - Hap Schulz - Engineering News, 2001.
Box 1 Folder 45
030 Oral History - Dow Family - Dow Family Oral History Program, 2003-2004.
Box 1 Folder 46
031 UC/Dow Oral History - Potter, John J. - oral history notes, 2004.
Box 1 Folder 47
032 UC/Dow Oral History - Fallon, Joseph M., 2004, 2006.
Box 1 Folder 48
033 UC/Dow Oral History - Byck, Joseph S. - oral history notes, 2004.
Box 1 Folder 49
034 UC/Dow Oral History - Peterson, E. L. - oral history notes, 2004-2006.
Box 1 Folder 50
035 UC/Dow Oral History - Montagna, Monty - oral history notes, 2002-2006.
Box 1 Folder 51
036 UC/Dow Oral History - Walker, Albert - oral history notes, 2004, 2006.
Box 1 Folder 52
037 UC/Dow Oral History - Madge, Charles - oral history notes, 2004.
Box 1 Folder 53
038 Dow - Fischer, A. Charles - oral history notes, 2000, 2004.
Box 1 Folder 54
039 Dow Oral History - Goring, Cleve - oral history materials, 2004-2005, undated.
Box 1 Folder 55
040 Dow Family Oral History - Whiting, Helen - oral history notes, 2004.
Box 1 Folder 56
041 Dow Oral History - Parker, Mike - oral history materials, 1993-2003.
Box 1 Folder 57
042 UC - Rabo, Jule A. - oral history notes, 2003, 2004.
Box 1 Folder 58
043 UCC Oral History - Urry, Lew - oral history materials, 1993, 2004.
Box 1 Folder 59
044 UCC Oral History - Clash, David - oral history notes, 2004, 2006.
Box 1 Folder 60
045 Dow Oral History - Ludwig, Paul - oral history notes, 2004.
Box 1 Folder 61
046 Dow Oral History - Willock, Denis - oral history notes, 2002, 2003.
Box 1 Folder 62
047 UC Oral History - Browning, Jackson - oral history materials/Bhopal, 1993, 2005.
Box 1 Folder 63
048 UCC Oral History - Van Mynen, Ron - oral history notes, 2002.
Box 1 Folder 64
050 Riecker, Margaret Ann (Ranny) - oral history notes, 2004.
Box 1 Folder 65
052 Wilsey, Dede - oral history materials, 2007.
Box 1 Folder 66
053 Dow Family Oral History - Matheson, Bonnie - oral history notes, 2005.
Box 1 Folder 67
054 Dow Family Oral History - Mills, Mary Lloyd - oral history notes, 2005.
Box 1 Folder 68
057 UCC Oral History - Stief, Robert - oral history materials/Bhopal, 1999-2005.
Box 2 Folder 1
058 UCC Oral History - Chenoweth, Bob - oral history notes/Bhopal, 2005.
Box 2 Folder 2
059 UCC Oral History - Hall, Joseph - oral history materials, 2005.
Box 2 Folder 3
060 UCC Oral History - Trauger, Donald - oral history notes, 2005.
Box 2 Folder 4
061 UCC Oral History - Branner, Frank - oral history notes, 2005.
Box 2 Folder 5
062 UCC Oral History - Davison, J. M. - oral history notes and materials, 2005.
Box 2 Folder 6
064 Dow Oral History - Reinhard, J. Pedro - oral history notes and materials, 1995-2006.
Box 2 Folder 7
065 Dow Oral History - Allemang, Arnold - oral history notes, 2006.
Box 2 Folder 8
067 UCC Oral History - Neely, Clyde - oral history notes, 2006.
Box 2 Folder 9
070 UCC Oral History - McGrew, John D. - oral history notes, 2006.
Box 2 Folder 10
071 UCC Oral History - Gatto, Ron - oral history notes, 2006.
Box 2 Folder 11
074 Pratt, Herbert T. (Bolton Society) - oral history notes and materials, 2006.
Box 2 Folder 12
076 McMaster, Lee - oral history notes and materials, 1992-2007.
Box 2 Folder 13
077 UCC Oral History - Harrison, T. - oral history notes, 2007.
Box 2 Folder 14
080 Baker, Leonard M. - oral history notes, 2007.
Box 2 Folder 15

Series Description

This series contains James J. Bohning's Research Files. Arranged in its original order, this series consists of thirty-four files in one box. The files' contents consist of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, correspondence, articles, and interview transcripts that were of interest to Bohning.

ACS - Chicago, Illinois - Sharkey, John (25 Years of ACS History), 1976.
Box 2 Folder 16
ACS - National Historic Chemical Landmarks - founding (correspondence), 1999.
Box 2 Folder 17
ACS - National Historical Chemical Landmarks - invitations, 1995-2006.
Box 2 Folder 18
ACS - Presidents Series - HIST National Meeting Presidential Cachet Series, undated.
Box 2 Folder 19
Beilstein-Gmelin - information file, 1979.
Box 2 Folder 20
Bolton - New York Times (photocopies of H. C. Bolton-related news items, 1872-1903), undated.
Box 2 Folder 21
Browne, Charles A. "Chemistry of the Azo Dyes" (photocopy of master's thesis, 1896), undated.
Box 2 Folder 22
Browne, Charles A. "Library of Charles A. Browne" (JJB slide presentation), 2002.
Box 2 Folder 23
"Centennial of Chemistry" (photocopy from New York Times, 1874), undated.
Box 2 Folder 24
"Chymia" - Leicester, Henry M. - finding aid (Susan Hamson/Chemical Heritage Foundation), 1998.
Box 2 Folder 25
Continental Chemical Society - correspondence (Folder 1 of 2), 1890.
Box 2 Folder 26
Continental Chemical Society - correspondence (Folder 2 of 2), 1890.
Box 2 Folder 27
Dudley, Charles - chapter of book by uncited author, 1986.
Box 2 Folder 28
Encyclopedia - Fitzroy Dearborn - contributors' information, 2001-2002.
Box 2 Folder 29
Environmental Chemistry - background materials (Folder 1 of 2), 1992-1994.
Box 2 Folder 30
Environmental Chemistry - background materials (Folder 2 of 2), 1989-1995.
Box 2 Folder 31
Famous People - biographical sketches and news articles, 1922-1972.
Box 2 Folder 32
Ihde, Aaron - letter of condolence to John Ihde (son), 2000.
Box 2 Folder 33
"Military Pyrotechny" (photocopy of West Point manual, 1835), undated.
Box 2 Folder 34
Oral History (incl. JJB "Oral History Workshop"), 1988-2006.
Box 2 Folder 35
Pfizer Oral History Manual - draft copy, 1992.
Box 2 Folder 36
Plunkett, Roy J. - transcripts of Interviews by JJB, 1986.
Box 2 Folder 37
Priestley Symposium - funding, 2004.
Box 2 Folder 38
Priestley - The Priestley Gavels - news items, 1935, 1944.
Box 2 Folder 39
Priestley - The Priestley House Museum - correspondence (re: contents), 1924-1981.
Box 2 Folder 40
Priestley - "On the Air with JP: Penn State", 2006 December.
Box 2 Folder 41
Priestley Talk - materials collected in preparation for, 1925-1981.
Box 2 Folder 42
Rochow - Chemical Heritage Foundation - "Silly Putty" newspaper clippings, 2002.
Box 2 Folder 43
Rochow, Eugene G., Dr. - correspondence file, 1994-1995.
Box 2 Folder 44
Rochow, Eugene G., Dr. - interview edits, 1995-2002.
Box 2 Folder 45
Rochow, Eugene G., Dr. - original transcript, 1995.
Box 2 Folder 46
Rochow, Eugene G., Dr. - research file, undated.
Box 2 Folder 47
"Scaling Up" - slide show notes, undated.
Box 2 Folder 48
Solar Energy - MIT (photocopies of correspondence and memos, 1936-1939), undated.
Box 2 Folder 49
Stein, Mimi. "Oral history and the corporation" - slide show notes, undated.
Box 2 Folder 50

Series Description

This series contains James J. Bohning's Conferences and Presentations files. Arranged in its original order, this series consists of twenty-three files in one box. These files primarily concern conferences at which Bohning presented papers. The contents of these files consist of copies of papers by Bohning and copies of papers sent to Bohning by colleagues for comments or as tokens of appreciation.

American Chemical Society 193rd National Meeting, Denver, Colorado (JJB presented), 1987.
Box 3 Folder 1
History of Science Society and Society for the History of Technology Annual Meetings, Raleigh and the Research Triangle, North Carolina (JJB presented), 1987.
Box 3 Folder 2
The Third Chemical Congress of North America, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (JJB presented), 1988.
Box 3 Folder 3
Bohning, James J. "The Continental Chemical Society," presented at ACS, St. Louis, Missouri, 1984 April 9.
Box 3 Folder 4
Bohning, James. "How Sweet It Is: Charles A. Browne, Sugar Chemist and Historian of the American Chemical Society", presented at ACS 220th National Meeting, Washington, D.C., 2000 August 21.
Box 3 Folder 5
Bohning, James J. "John H. Long, President of the American Chemical Society for 1903", presented at ACS 214th National Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2004 September 8.
Box 3 Folder 6
Bohning, James J. "Opposition to the Formation of the American Chemical Society", undated.
Box 3 Folder 7
Griep, Mark A. "University of Nebraska's First Two Chemists: Hudson Henry Nicholson and Rachel Abbie Holloway Lloyd", 1997.
Box 3 Folder 8
Harrison, D. "Grasselli Family: A Register of its Papers, 1778-1967", The Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio, 1979.
Box 3 Folder 9
Heindel, N. D., J. L. Sturchio, and James J. Bohning. "Chemistry in the United States: From Colonial Times to the Present", undated.
Box 3 Folder 10
Jensen, W. B. "Origins of the Cincinnati Chemical Community", Cincinnati Section of the American Chemical Society, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1988.
Box 3 Folder 11
Jensen, W. B. "Thomas Duche Mitchell," Cincinnati Section of the American Chemical Society, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1988.
Box 3 Folder 12
Jensen, W. B. "What A Privilege! Celebrating 85 Years of the Life and Career of Milt Orchin", Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1999.
Box 3 Folder 13
Maass, E. A. "Public Watchdog: Thomas Pym Cope and the Philadelphia Waterworks", Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Volume 125, Number 2, 1981 April.
Box 3 Folder 14
Matthies, P., and W. F. Seydl. "History and Development of Nylon 6", BASF Corporation, Bridgeport, New Jersey, 1986.
Box 3 Folder 15
Morris, P. "Between the Laboratory and the Office: Reppe, Ambros, and the Emergence of Heavy Organic Chemicals in Germany, 1925-1945", ESF, Strasbourg, France, 1996.
Box 3 Folder 16
Robinson, L. M. "Borrowing From Industry: Edgar Fahs Smith's Rotating Anode and Double-Cup Mercury Cathode", Department of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, undated.
Box 3 Folder 17
Robinson, L. M. "Making Money From Mannitol: Chemical Research at the Atlas Powder Company, 1912-1928", Department of Natural Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, undated.
Box 3 Folder 18
Schaar, B. E. "Chance Favors the Prepared Mind" (reprint), Chemistry, Number 80, American Chemical Society, undated.
Box 3 Folder 19
Sturchio, J. L. "Pure Science and Its Profits: Notes on the Rediscovery of Academic-Industrial Ties in American Research", Business History Conference, Hartford, Connecticut, 1984 March 10.
Box 3 Folder 20
Sturchio, J. L. "Civic Chemistry in Metropolitan New York, 1870-1910: The Chandler Circle", International Congress of History of Science, Berkeley, California, 1985 August.
Box 3 Folder 21
Struchio, J. L. "Experimenting With Research: Kenneth Mees, Eastman Kodak, and the Challenges of Diversification", Hagley R and D Pioneers Conference, Wilmington, Delaware, 1985 October 7.
Box 3 Folder 22
Strurchio, J. L. "Chemistry in Action: Penicillin Production in World War II", Today's Chemist, Volume 1, Number 1, 1988 February.
Box 3 Folder 23

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