Sub-series 1. Alphabetical Correspondence, 1937-1998, undated

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains Henry C. McBay’s Alphabetical Correspondence files. Most of the materials in the Alphabetical Correspondence files are professional in nature. Small amounts of personal materials are also present here.

Files containing McBay’s correspondence with various colleges and universities, the majority of which are Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), make up the largest component of the Alphabetical Correspondence files. McBay’s correspondence with several African American chemists, including St. Elmo Brady, Austin W. Curtis, Lloyd N. Ferguson, and Billy Joe Evans are also present in this sub-series. Correspondence with several non-African American chemists, including Morris S. Kharasch and Herbert C. Brown, is also preserved here. Files containing McBay’s correspondence with staff and faculty members at Morehouse College and Atlanta University, including figures such as Benjamin E. Mays and Hugh M. Gloster, also make up a significant portion of this series.

Smaller, but noticeable, numbers of files containing McBay’s correspondence with chemical companies, United States government agencies, professional organizations (including the American Chemical Society), educational foundations, and former students are also present in the Alphabetical Correspondence files. Small numbers of correspondence files regarding other miscellaneous subjects, including but not limited to, awards received by McBay, his service with the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Liberia, and patent matters are also preserved here.

The contents of the Alphabetical Correspondence files consist of a variety of materials. Letters make up a large majority of the materials in this sub-series. Smaller, but noticeable, amounts of telegrams, memoranda, photocopied articles, notes, and financial documents are also found in this sub-series. Small amounts of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, legal documents, resumes, reports, and press releases are preserved here as well.