MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A retired Mississippi State University professor recently donated his professional archives to the Forest History Society Library in Durham, N.C.

Forest products professor emeritus Terry Sellers Jr. was invited to donate his collection of research, publications, patents and speeches to the nonprofit educational institution associated with Duke University.

Cheryl Oakes, the Forest History Society librarian, said the papers help fulfill the library’s mission, which is to document all aspects of forests around the world and their significance to people.

“As a scientist, Dr. Sellers has spent his career in an aspect of the forest products industry that is unique and that gives us a firsthand look at changing technology and the role of research,” Oakes said. “His work complements that of other people whose papers have found a home at the Forest History Society.”

A Sharp Professor of Forest Products, Sellers worked at MSU as a researcher and educator for 24 years before retiring in 2004. He studied natural and synthetic adhesives and engineered wood products, such as particleboard, plywood and laminated beams and arches.

Sellers’ book, Plywood and Adhesive Technology, has received worldwide praise. Many of his publications have been translated into Japanese and Spanish. He has worked as a private consultant for academic, governmental and industry clients in 16 countries.

During his tenure at MSU, he received a patent on his work with kenaf, a fibrous plant similar to bamboo.

Sellers is the past president of the International Forest Products Society and has been honored by the U.S. Department of Commerce for international standards work. He has also received accolades from Shell Oil Co. for adhesive research and the Forest Products Society for outstanding service to the profession. In 2006, Sellers was named Outstanding Alumnus in Auburn University’s College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

The Forest History Society was founded in 1946 and works to preserve forest heritage by collecting and preserving information on the relationships between forests and the people around them.

“It is gratifying for the Forest History Society to request my papers, which represent my 20 years in industry and 24 years in academia,” Sellers said. “I hope that this collection will expand the history of forest products composite research in their collection.”

Writer: Dave Storment
Contact: Dr. Terry Sellers Jr., 205-274-4863, Cheryl Oakes, cheryl.oakes@duke.edu