Henry Eyring

Dates

February 20, 1901 – December 26, 1981

Authorized Form of Name

Eyring, Henry, 1901-1981

Additional Forms of Names

Eyring, H. (Henry)

Biography

Abstract

Henry Eyring's main research focused on chemical kinetics and led to his development of the eponymous Eyring Transition State theory. He, along with Michael Polanyi, attempted to integrate quantum mechanics into the descriptions of chemical reactions.

Important Dates

February 20, 1901Born, Juarez (Chihuahua, Mexico).

1919Graduated from Gila Academy.

1923Obtained BS in Mining Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson (Ariz.).

1924Obtained MS in Metallurgy, University of Arizona, Tucson (Ariz.).

1924 – 1925Professor of Chemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson (Ariz.).

1925 – 1927Teaching Fellow, University of California, Berkeley.

1927Obtained PhD in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1927 – 1928Instructor of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin.

1929 – 1930Research Fellow, Kaiser Wilhelm Institute (Kaiser Wilhelm Institut fur Chemie).

1930Instructor of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley.

1931 – 1946Research Associate with rank of Instructor of Chemistry (1931-1932); Research Associate with rank of Professor of Chemistry (1932-1936); Associate Professor of Chemistry (1936-1938); and Professor of Chemistry (1938-1946), Princeton University, Princeton (N.J.).

1945Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1946 – 1981Dean, Graduate School, University of Utah, Salt Lake City (Utah).

1949Awarded the Bingham Medal, Society of Rheology.

1949Vice President, Society of Rheology.

1951Awarded the Nichols Medal, American Chemical Society.

1963President, American Chemical Society.

1965President, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

December 26, 1981Death, Salt Lake City (Utah).

Occupation

Theoretical and physical chemist.

Places

Subjects

Relationships

People

Family

Bennion, Mildred

Wife.

Eyring, Edward M.

Son.

Eyring, Harden Romney

Son.

Eyring, Henry B., 1933-

Son.

Advisors & Collaborators

Daniels, Farrington, 1889-1972

Postdoc advisor at University of Wisconsin.

Gibson, G. E. (George Ernest),

PhD advisor at University of California, Berkeley in Chemistry.

Polanyi, Michael, 1891-1976

Collaborated to integrating quantum mechanics into the descriptions of chemical reactions.

Tobolsky, Arthur Victor

Advised by Eyring at Princeton University.

Additional

Hammett, Louis P. (Louis Plack), 1894-1987

Linschitz, Henry, 1919-

Löwdin, Per-Olov, 1916-2000

Panofsky, Wolfgang K. H. (Wolfgang Kurt Hermann), 1919-2007

Pearson, Gerald L. (Gerald Leondus)

Institutions

Major Positions

Kaiser Wilhelm Institut fur Chemie

Research Fellow.

Princeton University. Department of Chemistry

Research Associate with rank of Instructor of Chemistry; Research Associate with rank of Professor of Chemistry; Associate Professor of Chemistry; and Professor of Chemistry.

University of Arizona. Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering

Received BS in Mining Engineering (1923) and MS in Metallurgy (1924). Professor of Chemistry.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Chemistry

Received PhD in Chemistry (1927). Teaching Fellow and Instructor of Chemistry.

University of Utah

Dean, Graduate School.

University of Wisconsin--Madison. Department of Chemistry

Instructor of Chemistry.