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Henry Eyring papers, 1915-2010

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Eyring, Henry, 1901-1981
Title
Henry Eyring papers
Dates
1915-2010 (inclusive)
Quantity
46.25 linear feet, (89 boxes, 3 oversize boxes, and 1 microfilm reel)
Collection Number
MS 0477
Summary
The Henry Eyring papers (1915-2010) contain correspondence, financial material, awards, a biography by Steven H. Health, news clippings, autobiographical writings, medical records, article reprints, and speeches. From Eyring's teaching career, it contains histories of the Princeton University Chemistry Department (of which Eyring was a faculty member from 1931 to 1946), class record books, exams and lecture notes (from his years as a chemistry professor at the University of Utah, 1946-1977), graduate student dissertations, research material, and administrative papers (from his years as the Dean of the Graduate School of Chemistry at the University of Utah). It also contains programs for various conferences and symposiums in which Eyring participated, membership directories for professional organizations, newsletters, drafts of articles and manuscripts for text books, publication contracts, royalty statements, and files on some of his own college papers.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Some original items have been removed and placed in Reserve. Access must be given by the Manuscripts Curator and by appointment. An archivist must remain with the items if being used. Photocopies are available in the collection for research use.

Box 27 is restricted and closed to researchers.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Henry Eyring (1901-1981) was a leading theoretical chemist for five decades. He was born on February 20, 1901, to a Mormon family in Mexico. During the Mexican Revolution in 1912 the Mormons were expelled from Mexico, and Eyring's family settled in southeastern Arizona. Eyring attended the University of Arizona, receiving his B.S. and M.S. degrees in mining and metallurgical engineering in 1923 and 1924 respectively. In 1927 he received a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley, where he produced his thesis on a topic in radiochemistry under the direction of G. E. Gibson.

Eyring went to the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1927 as a research associate to Farrington Daniels, who directed Eyring's attention to chemical kinetics. At the same time, Eyring gained an appreciation of the possibilities of quantum mechanics for chemistry while auditing a course given by physicist John H. Van Vleck.

While in Madison, Eyring met Mildred Bennion, who was on leave from the University of Utah where she was chairman of the women's physical education program. Henry and Mildred married in 1928 and had three sons: Edward Marcus, Henry Bennion, and Harden Romney.

A National Research Fellowship in 1929 led Eyring to post-graduate work in Berlin, where he was involved in pioneering research on potential energy surfaces with Michael Polanyi. They collaborated on the first successful quantum mechanical calculations for simple gas reactions in 1931. After teaching one year at Berkeley, Eyring joined Hugh Taylor's department at Princeton in 1931 and began fifteen illustrious years of research.

At Princeton, Eyring established himself as a major force in theoretical chemistry, making significant and original contributions to quantum chemistry, chemical kinetics, liquid theory, the theory of optical activity, the nature of natural and synthetic fibers, and the physical understanding of biological processes. In 1946 he surprised the scientific community by accepting a position as dean of the new graduate school at the University of Utah. At Utah, Eyring became the single most important person in developing a first-rate graduate program and research institution. In 1966, he retired as dean and was named Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Metallurgy, a position he held until his death in 1981.

An active and prominent member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Eyring served in a number of positions of leadership. While at Princeton he functioned as the president of the New Brunswick, New Jersey Branch (1932-1942), and later was called as the president of the New Jersey District of the church (1945-1946). Upon arriving in Utah Eyring was called as a member of the Deseret Sunday School General Board (1946-1971) and became a popular speaker at religious gatherings.

After a long cancer-related illness, Mildred B. Eyring died in 1969. In 1971 Eyring married Winnifred Brennan Clark.

Eyring received numerous awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions to nearly every phase of physical chemistry. He published over six hundred scientific papers spanning a wide spectrum of subjects, from physics and quantum chemistry to molecular biology and medicine; he wrote ten books with colleagues, two of which, (The Theory of Rate Processes [1941], with Keith Laidler and Samuel Glasstone, and Quantum Chemistry [1944], with George E. Kimball and John Walter), were extremely influential texts. During his career, Eyring trained over 120 Ph.D.'s; taught advanced chemistry courses for twenty-five years without a sabbatical; and lectured around the country seventy-five days per year. Eyring also served as president of both the American Chemical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science; guided a graduate school and major research projects; consulted for many companies; served on public and private scientific boards; and gave hundreds of talks on science and religion.

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Content Description

The Henry Eyring papers (1915-1982) have been arranged into fifteen sections. The first, and by far the largest of these sections, contains materials deemed to be personal in nature. Family correspondence, financial material, and information regarding the numerous awards and honors Eyring received during his career are among the materials that can be located in this section. In addition, this section contains an extensive biography of Henry Eyring compiled and written by Steven H. Heath in 1980; a newsclipping file centered around Eyring's annual foot race; autobiographical writings; and material relating to Henry Eyring's last illness and subsequent death.

The second section in this collection contains materials relating to Eyring's religious activities. A prominent member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Henry Eyring served in a number of positions of leadership including branch president, district president, and as a member of the Deseret Sunday School General Board. Regretably, the material relating to Eyring's service in these positions is scant. Overall, the materials in this section include articles and speeches Eyring prepared on a variety of religious topics; correspondence with L.D.S. church presidents and general authorities; and material pertaining to Eyring's book, The Faith of A Scientist, which was written in response to L.D.S. church President Joseph Fielding Smith's Man, His Origin and Destiny. Also, of particular interest in this section is the material pertaining to the "I Believe" series that ran in the L.D.S. church owned magazine, The Instructor, from 1965-1967. This controversial series featured articles written by prominent L.D.S. scholars on topics related to the similarities and apparent conflicts of modern scientific research and the theology of the Mormon church.

Boxes 23-24 make up the third section of the Eyring collection and contain items related to the fifteen years Eyring spent as a member of the faculty at Princeton University. Among the materials contained in these two boxes are histories of the Princeton chemistry department, a class record book (1939-1940), graduate student dissertations, and typescripts of addresses given at the testimonial banquet held at the time of Eyring's departure from Princeton. Additionally, a small portion of material pertains to the Textile Research Institute of which Eyring was director from 1944-1946.

The fourth section of the Eyring collection is comprised of administrative materials reflecting the thirty-five years Eyring was affiliated with the University of Utah. Box 25 consists of materials directly related to Eyring's work as Dean of the Graduate School. For the most part, these records consist of lists of degrees conferred by the various departments at the university. Additional materials located in this section include memos and bulletins; graduate student files (1965-1981); financial summary sheets for research projects Eyring was involved in and supervised (1971-1974); and a miscellaneous array of other less significant materials.

In addition to his administrative responsibilities and research, Eyring taught both upper and lower division chemistry courses at the University of Utah. Boxes 30-31 contain materials pertaining to Eyring's activities as an instructor, and include such items as lecture notes, exams, record books, and student course evaluations (1969-1980).

The sixth section of the Eyring collection contains materials relating to conferences and symposiums that Eyring participated in throughout his career. Materials range from lecture notes, schedules, and programs to correspondence regarding arrangements for the various scientific gatherings. This particular section serves well to illustrate the diverse areas of study in which Eyring was involved.

A much sought after speaker, Henry Eyring traveled extensively addressing numerous groups from varied backgrounds. Box 34 contains handwritten and typed copies of Eyring's addresses. Many of the speeches represented here were presented at the commencement activities of various colleges and universities across the country. Box 35 contains materials regarding advance arrangements and publicity for Eyring's speaking engagements. The last five folders in box 35 contain materials concerning the George Oliver Curme Lectures. Eyring was highly involved with the Curme lectures as both a member of the advisory committee and a lecturer.

Section eight of the Eyring collection is comprised of materials relating to Eyring's affiliations with numerous professional organizations. While Eyring served as president of both the American Chemical Society (1963) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1965), little of the material in this section is directly related to his activities as such. Rather, materials in this section consist of membership directories, annual reports, newsletters, and correspondence.

Eyring's association with various research institutes across the country is reflected in the materials of the ninth section of the collection. These materials do not pertain to Eyring's personal research, but instead correlate to his work as a board member and consultant. Some of the research institutes with which Eyring was involved are the Welch Foundation, Union Carbide Corporation, National Science Foundation, and Thiokol Chemical Corporation. For the most part, materials in this section are in the form of consultation agreements, administrative reports, and correspondence.

The correspondence section of the Henry Eyring collection consists of general correspondence (1925-1982); letters of recommendation Eyring wrote on behalf of his students, acquaintances, and colleagues; and letters of cancellation and regret Eyring sent to individuals and organizations that had requested his attendance and participation at various functions (1967-1975). With the exception of the letters of recommendation which have been arranged alphabetically, the materials in this section have been placed in chronological order.

As evidenced by his membership in the United Airlines 100,000 Mile Club, Henry Eyring traveled extensively throughout his career. The materials in boxes 55 through 58 consist of hotel bills, airline tickets, and travel itineraries reflecting Eyring's activities as he traveled around the world as a consultant, board member, conference participant, and lecturer.

Section twelve of the Eyring collection contains materials directly related to the research Eyring was involved in while a member of the faculty at the the University of Utah. The major portion of this section is comprised of research proposals, correspondence, contracts, and progress and final reports.

Materials relating to the publication of Eyring's research articles and textbooks have been arranged in sections thirteen and fourteen respectively. The types of materials found in these sections include correspondence with professional journals and publishing companies, rough draft articles and manuscripts, publication contracts, and royalty statements. Also included are twelve bound volumes containing reprints of Eyring's research articles. Of the 623 articles he published, 606 of them can be located in these volumes.

The final section in the Henry Eyring collection is an assortment of materials. Box 82 contains correspondence relating to Eyring's work as an editor for a number of chemistry series publications. Boxes 83 and 84 contain files on a number of Eyring's colleagues including Farrington Daniels, Douglas Henderson, Joseph Hirschfelder, Gilbert N. Lewis, Hugh S. Taylor, and Michael Polanyi. These files, for the most part, consist of correspondence. Additionally, this section contains correspondence between Eyring and various publishing companies concerning reviews he agreed to do on numerous articles and books, and a newsclipping file detailing Eyring's professional activities from 1925-1982.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Organized in fifteen series by material type, thereunder arranged chronologically.

Acquisition Information

Boxes 1-88 were donated in 1981 (40 linear feet).

Box 89 was donated around the 1990s (0.25 linear feet).

Box 90 was donated in 2011 (1.25 linear feet).

Boxes 91-92 were donated by Eleanor Berrey in 2011.

Processing Note

Processed by Allesen Peck, Nola Freeman, and Kate Kimball in 1988.

Addendum processed by Kate Kimball in 2001.

Addendum processedd by Emma McFarland in 2011.

Addendum processedd by Betsey Welland in 2013.

Click here to read a statement on harmful language in library records.

Separated Materials

See also the Henry Eyring photograph collection (P0250) and audio-visual materials (A0211) in the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Chemistry--Research--United States
  • Chemistry--Study and teaching (Higher)
  • Chemists--United States
  • Religion and science--United States

Corporate Names

  • Princeton University--Faculty
  • University of Utah--Faculty

Family Names

  • Eyring family

Form or Genre Terms

  • Administrative records
  • Articles
  • Correspondence
  • Instructional materials
  • Notes (documents)
  • Speeches (documents)

Finding aid prepared by Allesen Peck and Nola Freeman.
1988 (last modified: 2019)

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