Henry J. Eyring Mexican-American chemist Date of Birth: 20.02.1901 Country: USA

Biography of Henry Eyring

Henry Eyring was an American chemist of Mexican descent who made significant contributions to the field of quantum chemistry and chemical kinetics. He was born in 1901 in Colonia Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, and grew up in a Mormon colony where his family raised cattle. Eyring's father was one of the last practitioners of polygamy. During the Mexican Revolution, his family was forced to leave Mexico and settled in El Paso, Texas, and later in Pima, Arizona, where Eyring completed his schooling.

Even during his school years, Eyring showed exceptional talent in mathematics and other exact sciences. He went on to study at Eastern Arizona College, and later received a scholarship to pursue a degree in mining, metallurgy, and chemistry at the University of Arizona. He obtained his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1927.

After defending his dissertation, Eyring was invited to join Princeton University as an instructor in 1931. He remained at Princeton until 1946 when he was offered the position of dean in the Graduate School at the University of Utah. Today, one of the university campus buildings bears his name.

Eyring's major contributions revolve around quantum chemistry and chemical kinetics. He introduced the term "activated complex" and played a significant role in developing the structural theory of liquids. He also studied optical activity of substances. In 1945, Eyring became a member of the National Academy of Sciences and was accepted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1958. He served as the president of the American Chemical Society from 1962 and became the president of the Association for the Advancement of Science in 1965.

In recognition of his achievements, Eyring was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1966 and the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 1980. Despite his influential work, Eyring never received a Nobel Prize, which surprised many in the scientific community. However, he was later awarded the Berzelius Medal by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1977. It was believed by some that Eyring was overlooked for the Nobel Prize due to his religion. Throughout his life, Eyring remained a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His perspective on science and religion can be summarized by his quote: "Is there a conflict between science and religion? There is no conflict in the mind of God, but there is often a conflict in the minds of men."

Henry Eyring passed away on December 26, 1981, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He married Mildred Bennion, and they had three sons. Edward M. 'Ted' Eyring became a chemistry professor at the University of Utah, Henry B. Eyring became a high-ranking official in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Harden B. Eyring works in the Utah state administration in the field of education.