William Jefferson Darby Papers

Collection Scope and Content Summary
Personal and professional papers of biochemist and nutrition leader William Jefferson Darby (1913-2001). Collection includes large section about The Nutrition Foundation. Collection is divided into three major series, Nutrition Foundation years, Vanderbilt University, and post-retirement years which includes Dr. Darby's extensive consulting for the H. J. Heinz Foundation.
Dates
- 1944 - 2001
Creator
Notes about Access to this Collection
All collections are subject to applicable Vanderbilt University privacy and confidentiality policies. Collection specific restrictions: No Restrictions.
Reproduction Rights
Copyright is retained by History of Medicine Collections, Eskind Biomedical Library, Vanderbilt University or is retained by the authors of specific published items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Historical or Biographical Note
William J. Darby (1913-2001) was a Vanderbilt Professor considered among leading nutrition scientists of the 20th century. Dr. Darby made significant contributions to our knowledge of human requirements for protein, iron, folic acid, and zinc. As a teacher and mentor he enriched the lives of many generations of students. As a consultant to major charitable foundations he channeled significant funding to nutrition education and research projects.
Dr. Darby, was born in Galloway, Arkansas, November 6, 1913. He graduated MD from the University of Arkansas, and then a fellowship took him to the University of Michigan where he obtained a Ph. D. degree in Biological Chemistry. Dr. Darby came to Vanderbilt in 1942 as a Special Fellow in Nutrition of the International Health Division of The Rockefeller Foundation. The following year he moved to North Carolina where he taught at Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and served as Director of Nutrition for the State Board of Health. He returned to Vanderbilt in 1944 as Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Medicine. Dr. Darby became chair of the Department of Biochemistry in 1949 and served in this position until 1971. Dr. Darby worked to obtain the outside funding that led to the establishment of the first separate identifiable nutrition unit in an American medical school. In 1972 William Darby was elected a member of the National Academy of Science and became President of the Nutrition Foundation.
Dr. Darby served as Honorary Curator for the History of Medicine Collection in the Eskind Library while in retirement. His passion for old books began in his graduate student days in the early 1940s. One of Dr. Darby's early and enduring collecting interests was the history of scurvy. Dr. Darby's research interests and his travels influenced his book collecting. As a result he collected works on nutritional problems such as goiter, anemia, protein deficiency, pellagra, and kwashiorkor.
Extent
102.69 Cubic Feet (80 Paige boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Personal and professional papers of biochemist and nutrition leader William Jefferson Darby (1913-2001). Collection includes large section about The Nutrition Foundation. Collection is divided into three major series, Nutrition Foundation years, Vanderbilt University, and post-retirement years which includes Dr. Darby's extensive consulting for the H. J. Heinz Foundation.
The collection has been digitized and is available at https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/food/collections/william-darby-papers/.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements note
All material in this collection has been transferred to acid free folders and boxes.
Physical Location
EBL Vault
Acquisition Information
Collection was donated in October 1982 as reported in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Library Annual Report 1982-1983. Subesquient additions were made to the collection.
Processing History
Organized and arranged by Dr. Patricia Swan 2002 -2004.
- Title
- William Jefferson Darby Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- History of Medicine Collections Staff
- Date
- 2005-07-18
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Eskind Biomedical Library Manuscripts Collection Repository
Eskind Biomedical Library
2209 Garland Ave.
Nashville TN 37232
historyofmedicine@vanderbilt.edu