David E. Nichols papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: MSF 468

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The David E. Nichols papers document David E. Nichols’s career as a medicinal chemist and pharmacologist at Purdue University from 1974 until 2012, as well as his subsequent professional and public activities. The collection features materials pertaining to Nichols’s groundbreaking research on hallucinogens (psychedelics), serotonin receptors, dopamine agonists, MDMA neurotoxicity, and MDMA analogues. The collection also features documents pertaining to the founding and proceedings of the Heffter Research Institute, which Nichols founded in 1993. The collection includes but is not limited to correspondence, corporation records, grey literature, instructional materials, legal documents, popular and scholarly publications, and research materials. Donated in multiple accessions over several years, the Nichols papers are organized into fourteen series.

Notice

The Research Material series contains footage of animal testing which may cause distress or trauma to the viewer.

Dates

Creation: 1920-2012
Other: Majority of material found in 1990s

Creator

Nichols, David E., 1944- (Person)

Language of Materials

Collection material is in English.

Access Information

Material in Series Fourteen, Restricted Material, is not open to the public until 2080. Copies of this material with personally identifying information redacted are arranged within the collection according to their topic.

Reproduction of Series Fifteen, Email Correspondence, is not permitted until 2054.

Copyright and Use Information

Biographical Information

David E. Nichols was born on December 23, 1944 in Covington, Kentucky. He received a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati in 1969 and a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Iowa in 1973. Nichols taught and researched at Purdue University from 1974 until his retirement in 2012, holding joint professorial appointments in the Departments of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology. During his years of research, Nichols appeared as an author of over 200 scientific publications. Believing that psychedelic drugs could have positive therapeutic results, Nichols helped found the Heffter Research Institute in 1993 to support basic and clinical psychedelic research. Nichols is also known for coining the term "entactogen" to differentiate the effects of MDMA and related chemicals from other hallucinogens. In addition to developing novel psychoactive substances in his lab at Purdue, Nichols also synthesized psilocybin, DMT, LSD and other substances for research programs at other institutions, including Rick Strassman's groundbreaking DMT study in 1990.

Source: Materials within the collection.

Extent

51.20 Cubic Feet (67 document boxes; 23 records boxes; 1 card file box; 1 flat box)

5 Gigabytes (605 digital files [access] .56 Gigabytes (43,877 email messages ))

Additional Description

Arrangement

The David E. Nichols papers have been arranged into thirteen series: 1. Correspondence 2. Heffter Research Institute Records 3. DMT and Psilocybin Studies 4. MDMA Studies and Scheduling Materials 5. Grant Materials 6. Teaching Materials and Departmental Documents 7. Legal Proceedings 8. Nichols's Publications 9. Consulting Material 10. Periodicals and Clippings. 11. Research Material 12. Laboratory Notebooks 13. Restricted Material

Technical Access

Email Correspondence Series is only accessible in the Purdue Archives and Special Collection reading room in West Lafayette. Researchers can view the emails with the ePADD software on the reading room computer.

Acquisition Information

Collection donationed by David E. Nichols in six installments: July 26, 2011; May 9, 2012; June 4, 2012; June 14, 2012; July 11, 2013; July 26, 2013.

Collecting Areas

- Psychoactive Substances. Betsy Gordon Psychoactive Substances Research Collection

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title: David E. Nichols papers
Status: In Progress
Author: Jonnie McConnell, Lauren N. Haslem, and Serena Potter
Date: 2018-05-03
Description rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description: English
Script of description: Latin
Language of description note: English
Edition statement: Third edition. Collection description was first completed June 2015.