The Central Research and Development Department was the main research arm of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., also known as the DuPont Company. It had its origins in the Development Department, which formed in 1903 and operated at the Experimental Station (the company's main research and development facility) in Wilmington, Delaware. In 1911, the Chemical Department was formed, renamed in 1958 as the Central Research Department. All company research came under its jurisdiction. In 1975, these two departments merged to become the Central Research and Development Department. This collection represents fairly complete documentation of the Central Research and Development Department's research activities, particularly during the 1930s when neoprene and nylon were developed.

Parry Norling (1939-) was a career research chemist and manager with E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company. This small collection consists of DuPont Company-related videotapes and slides accumulated by Parry Norling while in his role as Planning Director at DuPont's Central Research and Development during the 1990s.