Local figure
Richard Henry Whitehead
Richard Henry Whitehead (1865–1916), a Salisbury native, came to Chapel Hill in September 1890 to revive the university's medical school, closed since 1885. He served as its dean and professor of anatomy for fifteen years, and in 1893 he also bought the village drugstore at Franklin and Henderson streets. In 1905 he left to reorganize medical teaching at the University of Virginia, and he returned in 1912 to speak at the dedication of Caldwell Hall.
Source: NCpedia: Whitehead, Richard Henry
Orange County Indexed has not yet linked an indexed work directly to Richard Henry Whitehead. The biography and the dated events on this page provide sources about Richard Henry Whitehead’s life and work. Suggest a source.
Life and Orange County connections
Dated events connected with this person, in date order. See these 4 dated events in the chronology →
- The university's medical school reopens under Richard H. Whitehead After Dean T. W. Harris left in 1886, the medical school closed for three years for lack of money. It reopened in 1890 as the Medical Department under Dr. Richard H. Whitehead. People: Thomas West Harris, Richard Henry Whitehead Place: Chapel HillSearch the index · Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 163 · Also: The Daily Tar Heel, February 9, 1979, p. 1
- The university's 1889-90 catalogue lists 200 students The catalogue showed 200 students, more than the year before, with 33 in the law school. It announced a medical and pharmaceutical department under Dr. R. H. Whitehead and departments of civil, electrical and mining engineering for September, and a new bachelor of letters course with electives after the first year. People: Richard Henry Whitehead Place: University of North Carolina, Chapel HillSearch the index · Orange County Observer (Hillsborough), May 24, 1890, p. 2
- Dr. Richard H. Whitehead buys Robert Strange MacRae's drugstore Dr. R. H. Whitehead, head of the revived medical school, bought MacRae's drugstore at Franklin and Henderson streets. By 1904 Pickard and Strowd's confection and grocery store was in the building. People: Richard Henry Whitehead Place: Northeast corner of Franklin and Henderson streets, Chapel Hill · Also named: Robert Strange MacRae · Also mentions: Franklin and Henderson streetsSearch the index · Bernard Lee Bryant Jr., Occupants and Structures of Franklin Street, Chapel Hill (1998; Chapel Hill Historical Society, 1999), scan p. 169
- The medical building, Caldwell Hall, is dedicated On May 8, 1912, the university opened its new medical building and named it Caldwell Hall for its first president. Dr. Richard H. Lewis presented it for the trustees, and Venable and Dean Isaac H. Manning accepted it. People: Francis Preston Venable, Isaac Hall Manning, Richard H. Lewis, Richard Henry Whitehead Place: Caldwell Hall · Also mentions: Caldwell HallSearch the index · Documenting the American South: Kemp P. Battle, History of the University of North Carolina, vol. II (1912), p. 731
Places in this person’s story
Buildings, schools, churches and other sites named in the dated events on this page, the most often named first.
- UNC School of Medicine University schools and programs · Chapel Hill · 2 events here
- Harris drugstore building (Franklin and Henderson streets) Businesses, mills and venues · Chapel Hill · 1 event here
People named in the same events
People named in the same dated entries as Richard Henry Whitehead, those sharing the most entries first. Each line links one of the shared entries in the chronology, where its source is cited. A shared entry shows these people in the same event, not how well they knew each other.
- Francis Preston Venable 1 entry: The medical building, Caldwell Hall, is dedicated (May 8, 1912)
- Isaac Hall Manning 1 entry: The medical building, Caldwell Hall, is dedicated (May 8, 1912)
- Richard H. Lewis 1 entry: The medical building, Caldwell Hall, is dedicated (May 8, 1912)
Research sources
Sources and research tools for this person. For ready-made searches of other catalogs, see Search further. Research guide: Trace a family through historical records.
Background
- Richard Henry Whitehead (1865-1916) and Whitehead HallUNC-Chapel Hill University histories, exhibits, and research guides
- Biographical History of North Carolina, vol. 5: Richard Henry Whitehead, p. 449Internet Archive Digitized books, newspapers, and records, readable online
- Lefler and Wager, Orange County, 1752-1952 (1953), p. 163FamilySearch Free genealogy records, catalog, and research wiki
Records of the time
- Bernard Lee Bryant Jr., Occupants and Structures of Franklin Street, Chapel Hill (1998; Chapel Hill Historical Society, 1999), scan p. 169Internet Archive Digitized books, newspapers, and records, readable online
Collections and databases
- NC LIVE: prepared search for Richard Henry Whitehead Library card Search NC LIVE for this subject and Orange County. You can change the search terms. Sign in through your North Carolina library to access the materials.
- Ancestry Library Edition In the libraryOrange County Public Library Census, birth, death and marriage records, and more, free on the public computers at OCPL libraries
Local help
- Rebecca B. Wall Local History Collection, Orange County Public Library The county library’s local-history room at the Main Library in Hillsborough: books, journals, maps, and microfilm of county records from 1752
- Local History Help Hours and request formOCPL Local History Liaison Meet with the Local History Liaison at the Main Library, usually Mondays from noon to 3 p.m., or send a question using the online request form
Search further
Search other catalogs and collections for this name. Results may include other people with the same name and have not been reviewed by the Friends.
Books about Richard Henry Whitehead
- WorldCat (opens in a new tab) Library catalogs worldwide
- OCPL (opens in a new tab) Orange County Public Library
Find copies at other libraries
- Chapel Hill Public Library (opens in a new tab) Public library in Chapel Hill
- Durham County Library (opens in a new tab) Public library next door in Durham
- UNC Libraries (opens in a new tab) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Duke Libraries (opens in a new tab) Duke University, Durham
- NC Cardinal (opens in a new tab) The State Library of North Carolina and public libraries across the state
Photographs, papers, and newspapers
- DigitalNC (opens in a new tab) North Carolina newspapers, yearbooks, and photographs
- DPLA (opens in a new tab) Digital collections from libraries, archives, and museums across the country
Historical records and collections
- Chronicling America (opens in a new tab) Historical newspapers from across the country, through 1963
- Internet Archive (opens in a new tab) Digitized books, directories, and local histories
- HathiTrust (opens in a new tab) Full text of digitized books
- ArchiveGrid (opens in a new tab) Papers held by archives across the country
These searches use Richard Henry Whitehead’s name without birth or death dates, so results may include namesakes. Links open in a new tab.
Found a book OCPL doesn’t own? You can often borrow it through interlibrary loan at OCPL.
More to discover
Keep Reading Local
The Friends connect people with new library materials, local writers and publishers, and resources documenting Orange County.