Restrictions to Access

No restrictions. Open for research.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the Walter Reece Berryhill Papers #4174, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information

Received from Norma Berryhill of Chapel Hill, N.C., in 1979 and 1980 and from University Archives and Records Service, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in 1997 (Acc. 97120).

Sensitive Materials Statement

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

Processed by: Benjamin H. Trask, March 1987.

Encoded by: Jackie Dean, May 2006.

Updated by: Dawne Howard Lucas, December 2021.

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• Berryhill, Walter Reece, 1900-1979.
• Blythe, LeGette, 1900-
• Bobbitt, William H. (William Haywood), 1900-1992.
• Castle, William B. (William Bosworth), 1897-
• Coates, Albert, 1896-
• Daniels, Jonathan, 1902-
• Diseases.
• Ervin, Sam J. (Sam James), 1896-1985.
• Eure, Thad, 1899-
• Family medicine.
• Finland, Maxwell.
• Fordham, Christoper C.
• Friday, William C. (William Clyde)
• Hodges, Luther Hartwell, 1898-1974.
• Love, Cornelia Spencer, 1892-
• Lynch, Kenneth Merrill, 1887-1974.
• MacNider, William de Berniere, 1881-1951.
• Medical colleges--North Carolina--Faculty.
• Medical education--United States.
• Medicine--United States--Societies, etc.
• Moritz, Alan Richards, 1899-.
• North Carolina--Politics and government.
• Ross, Robert A. (Robert Alexander), 1899-1973.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Students--Medical care.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962). School of Medicine--Faculty.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Students--Medical care.
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. School of Medicine--Faculty.
• White, Thomas J., 1903-1991.

Walter Reece Berryhill was born 14 October 1900 in Charlotte, N.C., the son of Samuel Reece and Minnie Eugenia Scott Berryhill. In 1921, he graduated from the University of North Carolina. Six years later he completed course work at the Harvard University School of Medicine. Berryhill served as an intern at Boston City Hospital, and as a resident at University Hospital (Case Western Reserve University), Cleveland, Ohio.

In 1931, Berryhill returned to his native state. From 1933 to 1941, he served as physician-in-chief at the University infirmary and director of the student health service at his alma mater. Also during this period, Berryhill was promoted to associate professor, then to assistant professor, and, finally, to assistant dean of the School of Medicine. In 1941, he became both professor of medicine and dean of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. After 27 years as dean, Berryhill stepped down from that position in 1968. He retired in 1971, having served his last three years as the Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Medicine.

In addition to his service at UNC, Berryhill was vice-president of the Association of American Medical Colleges, 1958-1959, and sat on the executive council. He also wrote numerous articles pertaining chiefly to lung diseases and medical education. His final project was the co-authoring of Medical Education at Chapel Hill: The First Hundred Years (1979).

Berryhill received various awards for his service to medical education. Among these were the Faculty-Alumni Distinguished Service Award (1955), honorary degrees from Davidson College (1956) and UNC-Chapel Hill (1976), the O. Max Gardner Award (1964), and the Distinguished Citizen Award (1964). He considered his greatest honor the choice of Berryhill Hall as the name of the Basic Medical Sciences Building at UNC-Chapel Hill. The University thus acknowledged Berryhill's successful efforts to change the medical school from a two-year to a four-year program, and to lead the school to national prominence.

On 3 August 1930, Berryhill married Norma Mae Connell. The couple had two children, Jane and Catherine. Berryhill died 1 January 1979.

Correspondence, speeches, newspaper clippings, and photographs of Walter Reece Berryhill. These papers reflect Berryhill's interests in family medicine, living diseases, medical education, North Carolina politics and history, and the University of North Carolina, especially the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. They also document Berryhill's involvements in numerous medical organizations.

Correspondence is with physicians, medical educators, UNC administrators, advisors, politicians, and others. Among the physicians and educators are William Bosworth Castle (b. 1897), Maxwell Finland (b. 1902), Kenneth Merrill Lynch (1887-1974), William DeBerniere MacNider (1881-1951), Alan Richards Moritz (b. 1899), and Robert Alexander Ross (1899-1973). Politicians and lawyers represented here include William Haywood Bobbitt (b. 1900), Thad Eure (b. 1899), Samuel James Ervin, Jr. (1896-1985), Luther Hartwell Hodges, Sr. (1898-1974), and Thomas Jackson White, Jr. (b. 1903). University of North Carolina leaders include Christopher Columbus Fordham, III (b. 1926) and William Clyde Friday (b. 1920). Other correspondents of note are William LeGette Blythe (b. 1900), Albert Coates (1896-1989), Jonathan Worth Daniels (1902- ), and Cornelia Spencer Love (1892-1981). The correspondence chiefly concerns Berryhill's interest in medical education in North Carolina, North Carolina history, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and alumni associations. Other subjects of note include Berryhill's role as a medical advisor, various trusts and philanthropic interests, and professional organizations.

Also included are booklets and speeches relating to the dedication of Berryhill Hall at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, clippings highlighting Berryhill's achievements, and biographical information completed by Berryhill for reference publications. Speeches, articles, and related notes written by Berryhill mainly concern medical education, the history of medicine at the University of North Carolina, and lung diseases. There are also photographs of Berryhill, among other items. Most of the material in the collection is from late in Berryhill's career; only a few items concern his days as a student, resident, or intern at Boston City Hospital, Harvard University, or Case Western Reserve.

• Pictures (P-4174/1-12)