Sub-series 4. National Resource for Computation in Chemistry Files, 1965-1988, undated

The National Resource for Computation in Chemistry (NRCC) was an independent division of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory dedicated to scientific computing in chemistry. Established on October 1, 1977 and co-sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy, the NRCC was the United States’ first unified effort in computational chemistry. The NRCC’s mission was to provide computational facilities and personnel dedicated to advancing chemistry and related sciences through the use of high-speed computational equipment.

William A. Lester, Jr. served as Director of the NRCC from 1978 to 1981. Under his directorship, the center focused on helping chemists by making available information on new computational methodologies, developing computational algorithms and software, and supporting chemical research utilizing computational methods. On the recommendation of a joint National Science Foundation/U.S. Department of Energy review, the NRCC was officially terminated on September 30, 1981.

Arranged alphabetically by subject, this sub-series contains National Resource for Computation in Chemistry Files collected and maintained by William A. Lester, Jr. The files in this series mainly document the activities of the NRCC under Lester’s directorship, including those of Lester himself. Small amounts of materials regarding the NRCC’s activities prior to Lester’s arrival in 1978 are also present here.

Files pertaining to workshops held by the NRCC, the NRCC’s Policy Board, and the NRCC’s Program Committee make up the largest components of this sub-series. Small numbers of files pertaining to other miscellaneous topics, including, but not limited to, the NRCC’s Ad Hoc Review Committee, budgetary matters, and the termination of the NRCC are also preserved here.

The contents of the National Resource for Computation in Chemistry Files consist of a wide variety of materials. Correspondence, notes, and reports are the common materials found in this sub-series. Smaller, but noticeable, amounts of agendas, proposals, financial documents, and minutes are also found in this sub-series. Small amounts of other miscellaneous materials, including, but not limited to, newsletters, articles, prospectuses, and publications are preserved here as well.