Scope and Content Note
The papers of Min Chueh Chang span the years 1933 to 2010, with the bulk of the material dating between 1960 and 1985. The collection is organized into five series: Correspondence, Professional File, Writings, Judith Hunter McCann Research Files, and Oversize.
This collection largely documents Chang’s career as a reproductive biologist with the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology (WFEB) in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. The majority of the papers relate to the research Chang conducted in the years after discovering the combined oral contraceptive pill in the late 1950's and successfully demonstrating in vitro fertilization in rabbits in 1959. Minimal documentation of Chang's research leading to these discoveries is included. Material related to Chang's education and career before coming to WFEB is also minimally documented.
The Correspondence series contains both incoming and outgoing letters and spans the years 1944 to 1994. The series is organized into two groupings: alphabetical and chronological. Correspondents are primarily professional colleagues and topics include research collaborations, edits to manuscripts, professional appointments, and arrangements for visiting professorships. Prominent professional correspondents include Cyril Edwin Adams, John “Pip” Hammond, Thoru Pederson, and Ryuzo Yanagimachi. Though largely focused on matters related to Chang's research and career, some of the correspondence contained in this series offers a glimpse into his personal life, especially letters from Isabelle C. Chang, Jean Hugh-Jones, and Masao and Yoshio Miyazaki. A small percentage of the letters in this series are written in Chinese.
The Professional File comprises material related to Chang’s research, work on editing boards of several scientific journals, and appearances at conferences and symposia, among other professional endeavors. Documents span the years 1941 to 2002. Files chronicling Chang’s travels for conferences, symposia, visiting professorships, and speaking appearances represent the majority of this series and include correspondence, itineraries, and notes. Notebooks and data cards containing information about rabbits used in Chang’s laboratory between 1947 and 1969 also form a significant part of this series. Files documenting to the functions of the WFEB are included and comprise annual reports, scholarly articles written by other WFEB scientists, memoranda, and materials belonging to Chang’s lab assistant, Dorothy Hunt.
The Writings series spans the years 1940 to 1990 and contains a chronological file of Chang’s article reprints and alphabetical file of correspondence and edits related to some of Chang’s articles from the latter part of his career.
The Judith Hunter McCann Research Files series comprises material created and collected by McCann, Chang’s authorized biographer. Chang bequeathed McCann his papers in 1989 and again in his will with the intent that she would use them to write his biography. McCann passed away before the biography was complete. Her files contain articles, clippings, and other documents about Chang's life and career. Also included are her notes, outlines, and correspondence created in the course of researching for the biography. Recordings of interviews McCann conducted with some of Chang's associates have been transferred to the Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division. Of particular note is a chronology of Chang’s correspondence McCann created to track dates, subjects, questions she had, and significant milestones and events. Photographs of Chang between 1964 and 1991, Chang’s family and friends in China, and others are also included in McCann’s files.