The Robert W. Newburgh Papers document Newburgh's research, administrative activities, participation in faculty governance, contributions to statewide and national organizations, and instruction. The Papers include correspondence, research grant proposals and reports, drafts of journal articles and book chapters, committee and organizational records, and course materials.
Of special note are Newburgh's evalution of proposed environmental sciences programs at Portland State College and the Oregon Technical Institute in 1968; his participation in the Advisory Committee on Environmental Science and Technology which prepared a 1971 report on environmental quality in Oregon; and records of the Environmental Health Sciences Center at Oregon State.
Records of the OSU Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Faculty Senate document Newburgh's involvement with faculty governance. The collection also includes materials of the Biological Sciences Committee, the Board of Intercollegiate Athletics, the Student-Faculty conferences held in the early 1970s.
Robert W. Newburgh joined the faculty of Oregon State College in 1953 as a research associate in the Chemistry Department. He became an Assistant Professor the following year and was promoted through the faculty ranks to Professor in 1961. Newburgh was appointed the acting chair of the Biochemistry and Biophysics Department when it was established in 1967 and was named chair in 1968; he served as Director of the Science Research Institute from 1971 to 1974. Newburgh became Dean of the Graduate School in 1976, a position he held until he left OSU in 1979 to become Section Head for Molecular and Genetic Biosciences at the National Science Foundation. Newburgh officially retired from Oregon State in late 1981 and was awarded emeritus status.
Newburgh's research was in the field of developmental and cell biology, using primarily insects and cell cultures as models. He focused on the neural development of a variety of organisms.
Newburgh earned his BS in Chemistry from the University of Iowa in 1949 and his MS (1951) and Ph.D. (1953) degrees in Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin. After leaving OSU, Newburgh worked at the National Science Foundation for several years and then became head of the Biological and Biomedical Division of the Office of Naval Research. In 1995, he became the Executive Director of The Protein Society, a position he held until 2003.
Collection is open for research.
Robert W. Newburgh Papers, Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.
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These materials were transferred to the Archives as part of departmental records by the Biochemistry and Biophysics Department in several accessions during the 1970s. They were separated from the department records to form a separate collection in 2011.
The Robert W. Newburgh Papers are arranged in 5 series: I. Correspondence, 1962-1974; II. Research Projects, 1958-1970; III. Article and Book Chapter Drafts, 1968-1976; IV. Committee and Organizational Involvement, 1965-1976; and V. Course Materials, 1969-1970.
Series I is comprised of correspondence written or received by Newburgh, primarily in his role as chair of the Biochemistry and Biophysics Department. Correspondence pertaining to his research and participation in faculty governance is also included.
Series II consists of grant proposals, correspondence, and progress reports for research conducted by Newburgh. It includes a proposal for a summer training program in toxicology.
Series III consists of manuscripts of journal articles and book chapters written by Newburgh and submitted for publication and related correspondence.
Series IV comprises the bulk of the collection and documents Newburgh's involvement in faculty governance and organizations, including the Faculty Senate and American Association of University Professors. His contributions to state and national committees and organizations, such as the Oregon Heart Association Research Committee and the American Chemical Society Pauling Award Selection Committee, are also reflected in the materials. The records of the Advisory Committee on Environmental Science and Technology includes a report on environmental quality in Oregon. The records include correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, and publications.
Series V consists of course descriptions and outlines, examinations, and course notes for several bichemistry and biophysics courses, including Molecules of Life (BB 100), Introduction to Biophysics (BB 333), Introduction to Physcial Biochemistry (BB 450), and General Biochemistry (BB 451 and 452).