Papers of Mary S. Shorb
Abstract
A professor emeritus at the University of Maryland, Mary S. Shorb (1907-1990) was known for her work in designing assays to allow for the commercial production of vitamin B12. Her papers include correspondence; reports and applications for grants from the National Institutes of Health; lab and research notes; and speeches, articles, and papers written by Shorb.
Important Information for Users of the Collection
This collection is open for research.
Papers of Mary S. Shorb, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries
Photocopies of original materials may be provided for a fee and at the discretion of the curator. Please see our Duplication of Materials policy for more information. Queries regarding publication rights and copyright status of materials within this collection should be directed to the appropriate curator.
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Historical Note
Mary S. Shorb was born on January 11, 1907, in Wahpeton, North Dakota, and was raised in Caldwell, Idaho. She received her B.S. from the College of Idaho in 1928. Before joining the faculty at the University of Maryland in College Park, Dr. Shorb was associated with the Johns Hopkins University (1929-1932) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) (1942-1946). While at Hopkins, she was a technical research assistant on studies of the common cold (1929-1932) and an immunology technical assistant in the School of Hygiene and Public Health (1931-1932). Shorb received her doctorate in immunology from Hopkins in 1933. From 1942 to 1944, she was a bacteriologist for the Bureau of Human Nutrition of USDA, followed by a two-year stint at USDA's Bureau of Dairy Industries. During the years 1947 to 1949, she was the Merck Post-Doctorate Fellow in Poultry Husbandry Nutrition at Maryland.
Shorb was a research professor at the University of Maryland from 1949 to 1972. In addition, during her time at the university, she worked part-time for the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, and lectured on nutrition and bacteriology at Oxford University and the University of Paris. Her community activities included membership in the first High Point High School PTA, the Beltsville Garden Club, and the Prince George's County Mental Health Society. In 1972, she was named research professor emeritus in the Poultry Husbandry Department at the University of Maryland.
Mary Shorb's reputation rests on her studies of vitamin B12. She and her colleagues discovered that the vitamin was more effective in treating pernicious anemia than the liver extract in use since 1926; prior to 1926, patients afflicted with the disease usually died. Working with a team of researchers from the Merck Laboratories to isolate the basic factor in the liver extract which helped anemia victims, she determined that the vitamin, named B12, was the beneficial element in the extract. This discovery brought relief to patients who were previously forced to take frequent, costly injections of the liver extract. Her discovery elicited letters of thanks from people all over the world who either suffered from pernicious anemia or had a family member with the disease.
A member of the American Society of Microbiologists, the Society of Microbiology, and the Protozoology Society, as well as a fellow of the New York Academy of Science, Shorb received many awards. These included the Hematology Research Foundation Award in 1948; the Mead Johnson Award in 1949; and Hood College's Outstanding Woman of Maryland award in 1951. In 1972, Merck, Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories commemorated its twenty-three-year research relationship with her by establishing an endowed lectureship in her name at the University of Maryland in College Park. During the 1980s, she was honored by the American Association of University Women. Shorb's portrait was included in a 1992 calendar produced by Westinghouse Electronic Systems.
Dr. Shorb was married to D. A. Shorb and was the mother of three children. She died in 1990.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Mary S. Shorb papers cover the period from 1910 to 1971; the bulk of the collection dates from 1945 to 1965. The Shorb papers include correspondence, scientific articles, newspaper clippings, laboratory notes, charts, and photographs. Important subjects include Dr. Shorb's research on B12, L. lactis, L. bifidus, Trichomonas, chickens, animal nutrition, animal growth, Thalidomide, and pernicious anemia. Correspondents in the collection include George Briggs, T. J. Jukes, Karl Folkers, T. R. Wood, H. B. Woodruff, E. E. Howe, David Heldin, H. W. Schoelein, and many of Dr. Shorb's graduate assistants.
Custodial History and Acquisition Information
Mary S. Shorb donated her papers to the University of Maryland Libraries in 1972.
Processing Information
Processed in March 1979. Guide revised by Marianne Beane, July 1997.
All materials have been placed in acid-free folders within acid-free boxes. Staples and paper clips were removed and replaced with plastic clips. Photographs have been transferred to the photograph collection. Oversized materials have been transferred to oversize storage. Chicken feathers found in the collection were disinfected and encapsulated.
EAD markup created using EAD database in Microsoft Access. Markup completed by Jennie A. Levine.
Arrangement of Collection
The collection is organized into eight series:
Detailed Description of the Collection
Series 1: Administrative and Professional Materials, 1947-1967 (2.50 linear feet)
This series contains correspondence, project notes, and grant materials. Included is correspondence between Shorb and Merck Pharmaceutical Company, Difco Laboratories, the Office of Naval Research, and the Pfizer Project; she conducted research for each of these companies and agencies. Correspondence concerning the Merck & Co., Inc. v. Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp. lawsuit, in which Shorb provided testimony, is also included. In addition there is correspondence from scientists at the American Cancer Society and other colleagues. Finally, the series includes notes on her various projects and information regarding state, federal, and National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant reports.
Materials in this series are arranged alphabetically.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Cancer Society, 1958-1960 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 1 | |
| Annual Report and LLD preliminary report, undated | series 1 | box 1 | folder 2 | |
| B12, folic acid experiments, 1948 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 3 | |
| Correspondence, 1948-1956 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 4 | |
| Correspondence, 1948-1956 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 5 | |
| Correspondence, 1948-1956 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 6 | |
| Correspondence, 1948-1956 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 7 | |
| Correspondence, 1948-1956 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 8 | |
| Correspondence, 1948-1956 | series 1 | box 1 | folder 9 | |
| Correspondence, 1951-1958 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 1 | |
| Correspondence, 1951-1958 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 2 | |
| Correspondence, 1951-1958 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 3 | |
| Difco Laboratories, 1947-1953 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 4 | |
| Lactobacillus bifidus, 1953-1955 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 5 | |
| Lipid metabolism of trichomonad protozoa project, 1958-1961 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 6 | |
| Merck -- Correspondence, 1948-1951 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 7 | |
| Merck -- Correspondence, 1948-1951 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 8 | |
| Merck -- Correspondence, 1948-1951 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 9 | |
| Merck -- Correspondence, 1948-1951 | series 1 | box 2 | folder 10 | |
| Merck -- Correspondence, 1952-1961 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 1 | |
| Merck -- Correspondence, 1952-1961 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 2 | |
| Merck -- Correspondence, 1952-1961 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 3 | |
| Merck -- Correspondence, 1952-1961 | series 1 | box 3 | folder 4 | |
| Merck & Co., Inc. v. Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp, 1957-1960 | series 1 | box 4 | folder 1 | |
| NIH grant -- Information, 1947-1948 | series 1 | box 4 | folder 2 | |
| NIH grant -- A-3939A, A-1922, A-2102 (C1), 1956-1963 | series 1 | box 4 | folder 3 | |
| NIH grant -- E-2343, 1958-1962 | series 1 | box 4 | folder 4 | |
| NIH grant -- E-3411, 1960-1962 | series 1 | box 4 | folder 5 | |
| NIH grant -- RF697, 1947-1951 | series 1 | box 5 | folder 1 | |
| NIH grant -- 1R01-AM-07531-01, Rol-AM-07531-02 TMP, AI-05181-01, 5RO1 HD-00646-02, 1962-1967 | series 1 | box 5 | folder 2 | |
| Office of Naval Research -- Correspondence, 1947-1956 | series 1 | box 5 | folder 3 | |
| Office of Naval Research -- Reports and Pamphlets, 1950-1953 | series 1 | box 5 | folder 4 | |
| Peptides, 1951-1953 | series 1 | box 5 | folder 5 | |
| Pfizer Project, 1954-1955 | series 1 | box 5 | folder 6 | |
| Pfizer Project -- Correspondence, 1954-1955 | series 1 | box 5 | folder 7 | |
| Protozoa Projects, 1954-1958 | series 1 | box 5 | folder 8 | |
| Raus Sarcoma, 1959-1960 | series 1 | box 5 | folder 9 | |
| State and federal grant reports, 1949-1955 | series 1 | box 6 | folder 1 | |
| Tetrahymena patent, 1959-1960 | series 1 | box 6 | folder 2 | |
| TJ assays -- Merck report, 1948-1949 | series 1 | box 6 | folder 3 | |
| TJ assays -- Merck TJ and St factor report, 1949 | series 1 | box 6 | folder 4 | |
| Trichomonads, 1959 | series 1 | box 6 | folder 5 | |
| Trichomonas, 1958-1959 | series 1 | box 6 | folder 6 | |
| Trichomonas lipids, 1957-1958 | series 1 | box 6 | folder 7 | |
| U.S. Industrial Chemicals Co., 1951-1952 | series 1 | box 6 | folder 8 | |
| U.S. B12 Assay Methods, 1949-1951 | series 1 | box 6 | folder 9 | |
Series 2: Scholarly Papers, 1947-1967 (1.50 linear feet)
The second series contains Shorb's writings on B12 research, chicken experiments, and other topics, prepared for scientific journals and lectures. One of the most notable topics is her research on Thalidomide, which measured the drug's effects on embryo development and other reproductive processes in hens.
Dr. Shorb conducted her research in 1962 and 1963, after the emergence of scientific evidence that Thalidomide causes malformations in human fetuses. Included in the series is an illustrated August 1962 LIFE magazine article concerning the discovery of Thalidomide's harmful effects and featuring families dealing with those effects.
Materials are arranged alphabetically by topic.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B6-Alanine Cup Assays Manuscripts, 1950 | series 2 | box 7 | folder 1 | |
| B12, 1949 | series 2 | box 7 | folder 2 | |
| B12 Assay Paper, 1947 | series 2 | box 7 | folder 3 | |
| Bile Acid Paper, 1947 | series 2 | box 7 | folder 4 | |
| Chicken experiments, 1949-1952 | series 2 | box 7 | folder 5 | |
| Cholesterol replacement, 1959-1960 | series 2 | box 7 | folder 6 | |
| Embryo development and Vitamin inhibition, 1950-1955 | series 2 | box 7 | folder 7 | |
| Embryo development and Vitamin inhibition, 1950-1955 | series 2 | box 7 | folder 8 | |
| L. bifidus -- Merck paper Merck paper, 1953-1955 | series 2 | box 7 | folder 9 | |
| L. bifidus -- Paper and presentation notes, 1952-1955 | series 2 | box 7 | folder 10 | |
| L. bifidus -- Lactobacillus lactis, undated | series 2 | box 7 | folder 11 | |
| LLD assays-B12 paper, 1952 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 1 | |
| Letters to Editor - Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1947-1948 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 2 | |
| Lipid references, undated | series 2 | box 8 | folder 3 | |
| Manuscript B12 paper -- Cambridge Symposium, 1949 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 4 | |
| Manuscript B12 paper -- LL assay paper, undated | series 2 | box 8 | folder 5 | |
| Manuscript B12 paper -- Manuscript B12 assay, undated | series 2 | box 8 | folder 6 | |
| Manuscript B12 paper -- Manuscript B12 assay, undated | series 2 | box 8 | folder 7 | |
| Manuscript B12 paper -- Talk College of Idaho, 1950 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 8 | |
| Shorb B12 paper, 1949-1951 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 9 | |
| St. assay paper, 1949 | series 2 | box 8 | folder 10 | |
| Tetra lipid papers, 1961 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 1 | |
| Tetrahymena pyriformis, 1962-1963 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 2 | |
| Tetrahymena Triparanol summary sheets - fatty acid paper, 1962 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 3 | |
| Thalidomide, 1962-1963 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 4 | |
| TJ assay - TJ and B6 cup assay, 1950 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 5 | |
| Trichomonas, 1957-1959 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 6 | |
| Trichomonas, 1957-1959 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 7 | |
| Trichomonas -- Outline, 1956-1958 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 8 | |
| Trichomonas -- Summary tables, 1959 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 9 | |
| Triparanol-inhibited Tetrahymena, 1967 | series 2 | box 9 | folder 10 | |
Series 3: Laboratory Research, 1944-1965 (5.75 linear feet)
Series III contains Shorb's laboratory notes on research topics ranging from B12 to Trichomonas nutrition studies. It also includes a box of chicken feathers from her research on poultry. The series includes notes on the Pfizer Project and notes from her graduate assistants on other experiments.
Materials are arranged alphabetically by topic.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alanine and B6 chromatographs, undated | series 3 | box 10 | folder 1 | |
| Amino acid, vitamin, etc. requirements, 1947 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 2 | |
| Assays -- LLD, AE, St. animal protein factors, 1946-1947 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 3 | |
| Assays -- Vitamin C and D, undated | series 3 | box 10 | folder 4 | |
| B12 assays -- L.leichmanii, undated | series 3 | box 10 | folder 5 | |
| B12 assays -- P.H. and USP exp. 300 and 500, B6 replacing TJ, 1949, 1949 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 6 | |
| B12 assays -- Various media, standard curves, undated | series 3 | box 10 | folder 7 | |
| B12 assays -- 1951 - L.lactis, E.coli, 1950-1951 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 8 | |
| B12 U.S.P. assays, 1950 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 9 | |
| B.th and amino acids chromatographs, undated | series 3 | box 10 | folder 10 | |
| Bactinal flora diet, Sulfonamide pH., 1944-1945 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 11 | |
| Chick experiments, 1947-1949 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 12 | |
| Chick experiments, 1947-1949 | series 3 | box 10 | folder 13 | |
| Chicken feathers, undated | series 3 | box 11 | folder 1 | |
| Chicken feathers, undated | series 3 | box 11 | folder 2 | |
| Chicken feathers, undated | series 3 | box 11 | folder 3 | |
| Chicken feathers, undated | series 3 | box 11 | folder 4 | |
| Cholesterol-requiring Tetrahymena-TLC and GLC charts unpublished, 1965 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 1 | |
| Coccus isolations-pure crilline tests, 1945 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 2 | |
| D-Alanine tube, B6 exp. Assays, 1949 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 3 | |
| Diets, 1948-1949 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 4 | |
| Difco Dehydrated Media -- LLD Assays, undated | series 3 | box 12 | folder 5 | |
| Difco Dehydrated Media -- TJ Assays, undated | series 3 | box 12 | folder 6 | |
| Enzyme T. pyriformis, 1960 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 7 | |
| Experiments colony formation, morphology, etc., 1945 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 8 | |
| Experiments on nutrient supplements, 1947 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 9 | |
| Experiment results discarded, undated | series 3 | box 12 | folder 10 | |
| Experiments to be done, undated | series 3 | box 12 | folder 11 | |
| Experiments TJ, St and suggestions for exp., 1948 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 12 | |
| Fecal counts, 1945 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 13 | |
| Growth of organisms other than L. lactis with T.J. and LLD factors, undated | series 3 | box 12 | folder 14 | |
| Growth zones with various organisms, undated | series 3 | box 12 | folder 15 | |
| Inhibition L. lactis, 1948 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 16 | |
| Inhibition L. lactis -- Antagonists for folic acid, 1949 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 17 | |
| Inhibition L. lactis -- B12, undated | series 3 | box 12 | folder 18 | |
| Inhibition L. lactis -- Folic acid compounds, 1949 | series 3 | box 12 | folder 19 | |
| Inhibition L. lactis -- Non-folic, undated | series 3 | box 12 | folder 20 | |
| Intestinal flora, undated | series 3 | box 12 | folder 21 | |
| Isolations St. Bacilli, undated | series 3 | box 13 | folder 1 | |
| L unit values and summary, 1950 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 2 | |
| Lactobacilli, 1945 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 3 | |
| L. casei tube and plate, 1950-1951 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 4 | |
| L. lactis plate, 1950-1952 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 5 | |
| L. lactis St tube medium and LB7 and asparagine, undated | series 3 | box 13 | folder 6 | |
| L. lactis tube assay, 1950-1951 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 7 | |
| L. L. tube assay-L5 standard with ca and Silver's LE factor in medium, 1950 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 8 | |
| LLD assays -- Briggs Liver Fraction, L. preparations, undated | series 3 | box 13 | folder 9 | |
| LLD assays -- Exp. B12 and Strepogenin activity, 1952 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 10 | |
| LLD assays -- L. bulgaricus tube and plate, Wright strepogenin, 1951 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 11 | |
| LLD assays -- Standard curves Fraction "L", 1946 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 12 | |
| LLD and TJ assays, 1947 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 13 | |
| L. lactis Dorner growth requirements, 1946 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 14 | |
| Leichmannii assays, undated | series 3 | box 13 | folder 15 | |
| Media-summary tables, undated | series 3 | box 13 | folder 16 | |
| Menges, 1949-1952 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 17 | |
| Merck 29 experiments, 1961-1964 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 18 | |
| Merck 29 experiments, 1961-1964 | series 3 | box 13 | folder 19 | |
| Merck experiments on different basals, etc., 1947 | series 3 | box 14 | folder 1 | |
| Merck liver samples -- Completed, 1947 | series 3 | box 14 | folder 2 | |
| Merck liver samples -- Not completed, 1947 | series 3 | box 14 | folder 3 | |
| Merck standard curves LLD, 1947 | series 3 | box 14 | folder 4 | |
| Merck summary tables tomator juice factor, undated | series 3 | box 14 | folder 5 | |
| Modifications of Sander's medium, undated | series 3 | box 14 | folder 6 | |
| Nucleic acid chromatographs, undated | series 3 | box 14 | folder 7 | |
| PCA 1-13, B12 cup assay, 1949 | series 3 | box 14 | folder 8 | |
| Pfizer Project -- Lab notes, 1954-1955 | series 3 | box 14 | folder 9 | |
| Pfizer Project -- Lactobacillus bifidus notes, 1954 | series 3 | box 14 | folder 10 | |
| Poded Tetrahymanol sample, 1965 | series 3 | box 14 | folder 11 | |
| Prire Cullum tests-isolations, G-bacilli, undated | series 3 | box 14 | folder 12 | |
| Protozoology notes, 1949-1955 | series 3 | box 15 | folder 1 | |
| Raus sarcoma virus -- Exp. 1-10, 1958-1959 | series 3 | box 15 | folder 2 | |
| Raus sarcoma virus -- Exp. 1-10, 1958-1959 | series 3 | box 15 | folder 3 | |
| Raus sarcoma virus -- Tumors, 1958-1959 | series 3 | box 15 | folder 4 | |
| Replacement both B12 and TJ (unsupplemented basal), undated | series 3 | box 15 | folder 5 | |
| RNA factor -- Curves and data by counts, 1956-1957 | series 3 | box 15 | folder 6 | |
| RNA factor -- Summary, undated | series 3 | box 15 | folder 7 | |
| Scott-L. leich assay-book 22, 1954 | series 3 | box 15 | folder 8 | |
| Selection of media for plate counts, 1945 | series 3 | box 15 | folder 9 | |
| Serum factor, curves and data, 1957 | series 3 | box 15 | folder 10 | |
| Silver "L" assay-plate, 1949-1950 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 1 | |
| Sparing effect B12 and TJ (unsupplemented basal), undated | series 3 | box 16 | folder 2 | |
| St assay, undated | series 3 | box 16 | folder 3 | |
| St assay -- Summary sheets, 1949 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 4 | |
| St and L factors chromographs, 1948 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 5 | |
| Stimulating factor in serum for T. gallinae: required factor in serum for T. gallinanum, 1958 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 6 | |
| Suggestions for L. exp., undated | series 3 | box 16 | folder 7 | |
| Summary chromatographs data-L. lactis, L. leichmanii, L. bulgarius, L. casei, 1951 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 8 | |
| Summary tables, 1949 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 9 | |
| Summary tables -- TJ assay, undated | series 3 | box 16 | folder 10 | |
| Summary tables -- TJ media, etc., 1948 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 11 | |
| Tetrahymena lipids - original drawings, 1958-1962 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 12 | |
| Tetrahymena pyriformis, 1961-1962 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 13 | |
| Tetrahymena pyriformis, 1961-1962 | series 3 | box 16 | folder 14 | |
| Tetrahymena pyriformis, 1960-1962 | series 3 | box 17 | folder 1 | |
| Tetrahymena pyriformis, 1960-1962 | series 3 | box 17 | folder 2 | |
| Tetrahymena pyriformis, 1960-1962 | series 3 | box 17 | folder 3 | |
| Tetrahymena pyriformis and triparanol, 1960-1964 | series 3 | box 17 | folder 4 | |
| Tetrahymena pyriformis and triparanol, 1960-1964 | series 3 | box 17 | folder 5 | |
| T. pyriformis sterols and triparanol summary sheets, 1962-1963 | series 3 | box 17 | folder 6 | |
| Tetrahymenol saponification procedures, 1965 | series 3 | box 17 | folder 7 | |
| TJ -- Assays, 1948-1949 and undated | series 3 | box 18 | folder 1 | |
| TJ -- Assays, 1948-1949 and undated | series 3 | box 18 | folder 2 | |
| TJ -- Assays on amino acid basal media, undated | series 3 | box 18 | folder 3 | |
| TJ -- Assays on Casin Hydrolysate Basals, 1946 | series 3 | box 18 | folder 4 | |
| TJ -- Original material to be looked over, 1947 | series 3 | box 18 | folder 5 | |
| TJ -- Standard curves on Difco Pantothenate Basal, 1947-1949 | series 3 | box 18 | folder 6 | |
| TJ -- B6 sup assay exp., 1949 | series 3 | box 18 | folder 7 | |
| Trichomonas -- Cholesterol inhibition, 1961-1962 | series 3 | box 18 | folder 8 | |
| Trichomonas -- Growth factors, RNA, trypt and serum fractions, undated | series 3 | box 18 | folder 9 | |
| Trichomonas -- Lipid, carbohydrate, etc., undated | series 3 | box 18 | folder 10 | |
| Trichomonas -- Media summary tables, 1955-1957 | series 3 | box 18 | folder 11 | |
| Trichomonas -- Steroid requirements, original data, 1959-1960 | series 3 | box 19 | folder 1 | |
| Trichomonas -- Tem Factor-Phospholipids, original data, undated | series 3 | box 19 | folder 2 | |
| Trichomonas -- Things to do, undated | series 3 | box 19 | folder 3 | |
| Trichomonas -- Viability studies, growth rates, inhibition studies, 1955 | series 3 | box 19 | folder 4 | |
| T. gallinae-unchanged culture, changing culture, undated | series 3 | box 19 | folder 5 | |
| T. gallinarum -- Globulin and R (RNA) factor, SM medium, undated | series 3 | box 19 | folder 6 | |
| T. gallinarum -- TGR summary sheets, 1954 | series 3 | box 19 | folder 7 | |
| Trichomonas nutrition studies -- Synthetic medium, DNA factor, undated | series 3 | box 19 | folder 8 | |
| Trichomonas nutrition studies -- Synthetic medium, serum factor, 1956 | series 3 | box 19 | folder 9 | |
| Trichomonas nutrition studies -- Synthetic medium, Trypticase factor, 1956 | series 3 | box 19 | folder 10 | |
| Triparanol Tetrahymena sterols-proteose peptone medium, 1963-1964 | series 3 | box 19 | folder 11 | |
| Trypticase assay -- T. gallinae, book 51 and 52, 1959-1960 | series 3 | box 20 | folder 1 | |
| Trypticase assay -- T. gallinae T Proline supplement, 1957-1960 | series 3 | box 20 | folder 2 | |
| Tube assays -- Calcium studies, 1950 | series 3 | box 20 | folder 3 | |
| Tube assays -- L, undated | series 3 | box 20 | folder 4 | |
| Tube assays -- L plate assay, undated | series 3 | box 20 | folder 5 | |
| Tube assays -- LT, undated | series 3 | box 20 | folder 6 | |
| Tube assays -- LT and LL, undated | series 3 | box 20 | folder 7 | |
| Tube assays -- St factor, 1949 | series 3 | box 20 | folder 8 | |
| Tube assay of fractions and peptides on 4 organisms, 1950 | series 3 | box 20 | folder 9 | |
Series 4: Personal Materials, 1948-1961 (1.00 linear foot)
This series, which consists of correspondence, newspaper clippings, and journals, provides information on Shorb's personal life. A number of letters in the series are from her graduate assistant and friend, Unabelle Boggs Blackwood; Ms. Blackwood frequently inquired about Shorb's family, including her children and grandchildren. There is also correspondence from as far away as Greece and Germany requesting information on the use of B12 to treat pernicious anemia; copies of Shorb's responses, referring their inquiries to the drug manufacturer, are also included.
Newspaper clippings about Shorb are included in the series as well as additional information about her graduate assistants and letters of recommendation Dr. Shorb wrote for them.
Materials in this series are arranged alphabetically.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abstracts, 1948-1953 | series 4 | box 21 | folder 1 | |
| B12 embryo work, 1950-1955 | series 4 | box 21 | folder 2 | |
| R. W. Bishop, 1950-1953 | series 4 | box 21 | folder 3 | |
| Unabelle Boggs Blackwood -- Correspondence, 1954-1958 | series 4 | box 21 | folder 4 | |
| Unabelle Boggs Blackwood -- Public Health Service projects, 1957-1960 | series 4 | box 21 | folder 5 | |
| Unabelle Boggs Blackwood -- Public Health Service projects -- Reports and Pamphlets, 1958-1960 | series 4 | box 21 | folder 6 | |
| Boston Conference-reports and pamphlets, 1950(?) | series 4 | box 21 | folder 7 | |
| Clippings, Awards, 1948-1951 | series 4 | box 21 | folder 8 | |
| Correspondence, 1948-1956 | series 4 | box 21 | folder 9 | |
| Pauline Lund - germ free work, 1961 | series 4 | box 22 | folder 1 | |
| Kay's conference report, 1951 | series 4 | box 22 | folder 2 | |
| R. E. McCarthy, 1951-1952 | series 4 | box 22 | folder 3 | |
| Nutrition Reviews and Borden Reviews, 1948-1949 | series 4 | box 22 | folder 4 | |
| G. Lynn Romoser, 1950-1952 | series 4 | box 22 | folder 5 | |
| W. S. Silver, 1950 | series 4 | box 22 | folder 6 | |
| W. S. Silver -- Thesis problem, 1948-1950 | series 4 | box 22 | folder 7 | |
Series 5: Laboratory Notebooks, 1946-1963 (4.00 linear feet)
The fifth series includes student laboratory notebooks, notes on chick growth, and a laboratory notebook on protozoa. Dr. Shorb's own notebook recording her laboratory experiments is also in the series.
The materials are arranged alphabetically by subject and then numerically.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assays - books 2-9 (7 vols.), 1947-1951 | series 5 | box 23 | folder 1 | |
| Assays - books 2-9 (7 vols.), 1947-1951 | series 5 | box 23 | folder 2 | |
| Assays - books 2-9 (7 vols.), 1947-1951 | series 5 | box 23 | folder 3 | |
| Assays - books 2-9 (7 vols.), 1947-1951 | series 5 | box 23 | folder 4 | |
| Assays - books 2-9 (7 vols.), 1947-1951 | series 5 | box 23 | folder 5 | |
| Assays - books 2-9 (7 vols.), 1947-1951 | series 5 | box 23 | folder 6 | |
| Assays - books 2-9 (7 vols.), 1947-1951 | series 5 | box 23 | folder 7 | |
| Assays - books 10-21 (2 vols.), 1946-1957 | series 5 | box 24 | folder 1 | |
| Assays - books 10-21 (2 vols.), 1946-1957 | series 5 | box 24 | folder 2 | |
| Bacteriology - book 50, 1946-1957 | series 5 | box 24 | folder 3 | |
| Basal media and stock solutions - books 1 and 2, 1946-1957 | series 5 | box 24 | folder 4 | |
| Basal media and stock solutions - books 1 and 2, 1946-1957 | series 5 | box 24 | folder 5 | |
| Chick growth - books 1-14 (8 vols.), 1948-1955 | series 5 | box 25 | folder 1 | |
| Chick growth - books 1-14 (8 vols.), 1948-1955 | series 5 | box 25 | folder 2 | |
| Chick growth - books 1-14 (8 vols.), 1948-1955 | series 5 | box 25 | folder 3 | |
| Chick growth - books 1-14 (8 vols.), 1948-1955 | series 5 | box 25 | folder 4 | |
| Chick growth - books 1-14 (8 vols.), 1948-1955 | series 5 | box 25 | folder 5 | |
| Chick growth - books 1-14 (8 vols.), 1948-1955 | series 5 | box 25 | folder 6 | |
| Chick growth - books 1-14 (8 vols.), 1948-1955 | series 5 | box 25 | folder 7 | |
| Chick growth - books 1-14 (8 vols.), 1948-1955 | series 5 | box 25 | folder 8 | |
| Chick growth - books 15-21 (7 vols.), 1950-1952 | series 5 | box 26 | folder 1 | |
| Chick growth - books 15-21 (7 vols.), 1950-1952 | series 5 | box 26 | folder 2 | |
| Chick growth - books 15-21 (7 vols.), 1950-1952 | series 5 | box 26 | folder 3 | |
| Chick growth - books 15-21 (7 vols.), 1950-1952 | series 5 | box 26 | folder 4 | |
| Chick growth - books 15-21 (7 vols.), 1950-1952 | series 5 | box 26 | folder 5 | |
| Chick growth - books 15-21 (7 vols.), 1950-1952 | series 5 | box 26 | folder 6 | |
| Chick growth - books 15-21 (7 vols.), 1950-1952 | series 5 | box 26 | folder 7 | |
| Chick growth - books 22-28 (8 vols.), 1950-1954 | series 5 | box 27 | folder 1 | |
| Chick growth - books 22-28 (8 vols.), 1950-1954 | series 5 | box 27 | folder 2 | |
| Chick growth - books 22-28 (8 vols.), 1950-1954 | series 5 | box 27 | folder 3 | |
| Chick growth - books 22-28 (8 vols.), 1950-1954 | series 5 | box 27 | folder 4 | |
| Chick growth - books 22-28 (8 vols.), 1950-1954 | series 5 | box 27 | folder 5 | |
| Chick growth - books 22-28 (8 vols.), 1950-1954 | series 5 | box 27 | folder 6 | |
| Chick growth - books 22-28 (8 vols.), 1950-1954 | series 5 | box 27 | folder 7 | |
| Chick growth - books 22-28 (8 vols.), 1950-1954 | series 5 | box 27 | folder 8 | |
| Chick growth - books 29-30, 32, 34-37, 39 (8 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 28 | folder 1 | |
| Chick growth - books 29-30, 32, 34-37, 39 (8 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 28 | folder 2 | |
| Chick growth - books 29-30, 32, 34-37, 39 (8 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 28 | folder 3 | |
| Chick growth - books 29-30, 32, 34-37, 39 (8 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 28 | folder 4 | |
| Chick growth - books 29-30, 32, 34-37, 39 (8 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 28 | folder 5 | |
| Chick growth - books 29-30, 32, 34-37, 39 (8 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 28 | folder 6 | |
| Chick growth - books 29-30, 32, 34-37, 39 (8 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 28 | folder 7 | |
| Chick growth - books 29-30, 32, 34-37, 39 (8 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 28 | folder 8 | |
| Chick growth - books,41-55 (5 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 29 | folder 1 | |
| Chick growth - books,41-55 (5 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 29 | folder 2 | |
| Chick growth - books,41-55 (5 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 29 | folder 3 | |
| Chick growth - books,41-55 (5 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 29 | folder 4 | |
| Chick growth - books,41-55 (5 vols.), 1955-1963 | series 5 | box 29 | folder 5 | |
| Protozoa - books 47-50 (2 vols.), 1945-1962 | series 5 | box 30 | folder 1 | |
| Protozoa - books 47-50 (2 vols.), 1945-1962 | series 5 | box 30 | folder 2 | |
| Reagent book - Microbiological Assay - book 2, 1945-1949 | series 5 | box 30 | folder 3 | |
| Shorb notes - book 2, 1945-1962 | series 5 | box 30 | folder 4 | |
| Stock media - book 3, 1945-1962 | series 5 | box 30 | folder 5 | |
| Walker analysis, 1945-1962 | series 5 | box 30 | folder 6 | |
Series 6: Scientific Reports, 1910-1912, 1924-1971 (2.00 linear feet)
This series contains Shorb's personal collection of articles by other scientists from scholarly journals. Some of the articles are written in German, French, Spanish, and Italian. Topics of the articles are related to areas of particular interest to Shorb, including chick nutrition and growth, the effects and production of B12 and other vitamins, and pernicious anemia. There are also three annual reports from the British Columbia Poultry Association dating from 1910 through 1912.
Materials are arranged alphabetically by author's last name and/or journal title.
| Description | Series | Box / Reel | Folder / Frame | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A - F, 1924-1968 | series 6 | box 31 | folder 1 | |
| A - F, 1924-1968 | series 6 | box 31 | folder 2 | |
| A - F, 1924-1968 | series 6 | box 31 | folder 3 | |
| A - F, 1924-1968 | series 6 | box 31 | folder 4 | |
| A - F, 1924-1968 | series 6 | box 31 | folder 5 | |
| A - F, 1924-1968 | series 6 | box 31 | folder 6 | |
| G - LU, 1943-1971 | series 6 | box 32 | folder 1 | |
| G - LU, 1943-1971 | series 6 | box 32 | folder 2 | |
| G - LU, 1943-1971 | series 6 | box 32 | folder 3 | |
| G - LU, 1943-1971 | series 6 | box 32 | folder 4 | |
| G - LU, 1943-1971 | series 6 | box 32 | folder 5 | |
| G - LU, 1943-1971 | series 6 | box 32 | folder 6 | |
| M - SHE, 1926-1966 | series 6 | box 33 | folder 1 | |
| M - SHE, 1926-1966 | series 6 | box 33 | folder 2 | |
| M - SHE, 1926-1966 | series 6 | box 33 | folder 3 | |
| M - SHE, 1926-1966 | series 6 | box 33 | folder 4 | |
| M - SHE, 1926-1966 | series 6 | box 33 | folder 5 | |
| M - SHE, 1926-1966 | series 6 | box 33 | folder 6 | |
| M - SHE, 1926-1966 | series 6 | box 33 | folder 7 | |
| SHI - Z, 1928-1971 | series 6 | box 34 | folder 1 | |
| SHI - Z, 1928-1971 | series 6 | box 34 | folder 2 | |
| SHI - Z, 1928-1971 | series 6 | box 34 | folder 3 | |
| SHI - Z, 1928-1971 | series 6 | box 34 | folder 4 | |
| SHI - Z, 1928-1971 | series 6 | box 34 | folder 5 | |
| SHI - Z, 1928-1971 | series 6 | box 34 | folder 6 | |
Series 7: Photographs, 1949-1955 and undated (63 items)
There are sixty-three photographs in the series. Subjects include Dr. Shorb, many of her colleagues, test subjects and experiment materials, charts, graphs, and papers.
These materials have been transferred to the photograph collection.
There is currently no box inventory available for this series. Please refer to the series description above for a broad description of the materials.
Series 8: Charts, undated (1 item)
This series consists of a chart from one of Dr. Shorb's experiments.
The chart was placed in an oversize folder and shelved in a mapcase drawer.
There is currently no box inventory available for this series. Please refer to the series description above for a broad description of the materials.
Related Material
For other related archival and manuscript collections, please see the following subject guides.
Selected Search Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the University of Maryland Libraries' Catalog. Researchers desiring related materials about these topics, names, or places may search the Catalog using these headings.
Subjects
- Animal nutrition -- Research -- Maryland -- Archival resources
- Shorb, Mary S., 1907- -- Archives
- University of Maryland, College Park -- History -- Sources
- Vitamin B12 -- Research -- Maryland -- Archival resources
Names (Added Entries)
- Blackwood, Unabelle Boggs
- Briggs, George
- Jukes, T. J.
- Schoelein, H. W.
- Woodruff, H. B.