Henry Eyring
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{{Infobox Scientist
| name = Henry D. Eyring
| image =
| birth_date = February 20, 1901
| birth_place = [[Colonia Juárez]], [[Chihuahua]], [[Mexico]]
| death_date = December 26, 1981
| death_place = [[Salt Lake City, Utah]], [[United States]]
| residence = [[United States]]
| nationality = Mexican, U.S.
| field = [[Chemical kinetics]]
| work_institution = [[Princeton University]], [[University of Utah]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Arizona]], [[University of California, Berkeley]]
| doctoral_advisor =
| known_for = Absolute Rate Theory of Chemical Reactions
| prizes = [[Wolf Prize in Chemistry]] (1980), [[National Medal of Science]] (1966).
| footnotes =
}}
'''Henry Eyring''' ([[February 20]], [[1901]] in [[Colonia Juárez]], [[Chihuahua]] – [[December 26]], [[1981]] in [[Salt Lake City, Utah]]) was a [[Mexico|Mexican]]-born [[United States|American]] theoretical [[chemist]] whose primary contribution was in the study of [[Kinetics|chemical reaction rates]] and intermediates. A prolific writer, he authored more than 600 scientific articles, ten scientific books, and a few books on the subject of science and religion. He received the [[Wolf Prize in Chemistry]] in 1980 and the [[National Medal of Science]] in 1966 for developing the Absolute Rate Theory of chemical reactions, one of the most important developments of 20th-century chemistry. Several other chemists later received the Nobel prize for work based on it, and his failure to receive the Nobel prize was a matter of surprise to many.<ref>G.B. Kauffman; The Nobel Centennial 1901—2001; Chem. Educator 2001, 6, 370—384</ref>
He was also elected president of the [[American Chemical Society]] in 1963 and the [[AAAS|Association for the Advancement of Science]] in 1965.
==History==
Eyring was reared on a cattle ranch in [[Colonia Juarez]], [[Mexico]], for the first 11 years of his life. In July [[1912]], the Eyrings and about 4,200 other immigrants were driven out of Mexico by violent insurgents during the [[Mexican Revolution]] and moved to [[El Paso, Texas|El Paso]], [[Texas]]. After living in El Paso for approximately one year, the Eyrings relocated to [[Pima, Arizona]], where Henry completed [[high school]] and showed a special aptitude for [[mathematics]] and [[science]]. He also studied at Gila Academy in [[Thatcher, Arizona]], now [[Eastern Arizona College]], where one of the pillars at the front of the main building still bears his name, along with that of his brother-in-law, [[Spencer W. Kimball]], later president and prophet of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]].
By [[1919]], Eyring had received a state fellowship to the [[University of Arizona]], where he received degrees in [[mining engineering]], [[metallurgy]], and [[chemistry]]. He subsequently pursued and received his doctoral degree in Chemistry from the [[University of California, Berkeley]].
After a review of his dissertation, [[Princeton University]] recruited Eyring as an instructor in [[1931]]. He would continue his work at Princeton until [[1946]]<ref>http://archives.aaas.org/people.php?p_id=169</ref> when he was offered a position as [[dean (education)|dean]] of the graduate school at the [[University of Utah]]. The chemistry building on the university campus is now named in his honor.
He had three sons with his wife, Mildred Bennion. The oldest, Edward M. "Ted" Eyring is a chemistry professor at the [[University of Utah]]. [[Henry B. Eyring]], is the First Counselor in the [[First Presidency (LDS Church)|First Presidency]] of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]]. Harden B. Eyring, is a higher education administrator for the State of Utah.
==Religious beliefs==
Eyring was a member of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] throughout his life. His views of science and religion were captured in this quote: "Is there any conflict between science and religion? There is no conflict in the mind of God, but often there is conflict in the minds of men."<ref name="isbn0-87747-944-5">{{cite book |author=Eyring, Harden Romney; Eyring, Henry |title=Reflections of a scientist |publisher=Deseret Book Co |location=Salt Lake City |year=1983 |pages=2 |isbn=0-87747-944-5 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref> [[Sterling McMurrin]] believed he should have received the Nobel Prize but was not awarded it because of his religion.<ref>"Matters of Conscience: Conversations With Sterling M. McMurrin on Philosophy, Education, and Religion" by Sterling M. McMurrin & L. Jackson Newell, Signature Books, 1996</ref>
As a member of the LDS Church, he served as a [[branch president]], [[district president]], and, for over twenty years, a member of the general board of the [[Sunday_School_%28LDS_Church%29#Deseret_Sunday_School_Union|Deseret Sunday School Union]].
==Awards==
* [[AAAS]] [[Newcomb Cleveland Prize]] (1932)
* [[Eugene C. Bingham|Bingham]] Medal (1949) of the Society of [[Rheology]]
* [[Peter Debye Award]] in Physical Chemistry (1964)
* [[Langmuir prize]] (1967)
* [[Linus Pauling medal]] (1969)
* [[Cresson Award]] (1969)from the Frankin Institute
* [[T. W. Richards medal]] (1975)
* [[Priestley Medal]] (1975)
* [[Berzelius medal]] (1979)
* [[Wolf Prize]] (1980)
* Member of [[International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science]]
==Scientific publications: books==
Henry Eyring authored, co-authored, or edited the following books or journals:
* A generalized theory of plasticity involving the virial theorem
* The activated complex in chemisorption and catalysis
* An examination into the origin, possible synthesis, and physical properties of diamonds
* ''[[Annual Review of Physical Chemistry]]''
* Basic chemical kinetics
* ''Deformation Kinetics'' with Alexander Stephen Krausz
* ''Electrochemistry''
* Kinetic evidence of phase structure
* ''Modern Chemical Kinetics''
* Non-classical reaction kinetics
* ''Physical Chemistry, an Advanced Treatise'' (1970)
* ''Quantum Chemistry''
* Reactions in condensed phases
* The significance of isotopic reactions in rate theory
* ''Significant Liquid Structures''
* Some aspects of catalytic hydrogenation
* ''Statistical Mechanics''
* ''Statistical Mechanics and Dynamics''
* ''Theoretical Chemistry: Advances and Perspectives. Volume 2''
* ''The Theory of Rate Processes in Biology and Medicine'' with Frank H. Johnson and Betsy Jones Stover
* ''Theory of Optical Activity'' (''Monographs on Chemistry'' series) with D.J. Caldwell
* ''Time and Change''
* ''Valency''
==Religious publications: books==
* ''Reflections of a Scientist'' (1983)<ref name="isbn0-87747-944-5"/>
* ''The Faith of a Scientist'' Bookcraft, Inc. (1967)
* ''Science and your Faith in God'' Bookcraft, Inc. (1958)
==References==
<references/>
==See also==
* [[Eyring equation]]
* [[Mormon Scientist: The Life and Faith of Henry Eyring]] - book about Henry Eyring.
==External links==
*[http://www.chem.utah.edu/pdf/dept_info/chem_dept_history.pdf The Chemistry Department:1946-2000] by Edward M. Eyring, April K. Heiselt, & Kelly Erickson (University of Utah)
*[http://www.nap.edu/html/biomems/heyring.html Biography] from the National Academy of Sciences
*[http://www.chemistry.msu.edu/Portraits/PortraitsHH_Detail.asp?HH_LName=Eyring Mini-Biography] of Henry Eyring
*[http://archives.aaas.org/people.php?p_id=169 Biography] at the AAAS
{{Wolf Prize in Chemistry}}
{{Presidents of the American Chemical Society}}
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[[Category:1901 births]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:Mexican chemists]]
[[Category:American chemists]]
[[Category:Mexican Latter Day Saints]]
[[Category:American Latter Day Saints]]
[[Category:Latter Day Saint writers]]
[[Category:Bennion-Eyring family]]
[[Category:International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science members]]
[[Category:National Medal of Science laureates]]
[[Category:People from Chihuahua]]
[[Category:Priestley Medal]]
[[Category:University of Utah faculty]]
[[Category:Wolf Prize in Chemistry laureates]]
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[[ja:ヘンリー・アイリング]]
[[zh:亨利·艾林]]
<!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
{{Persondata
|NAME = Eyring, Henry D
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
|SHORT DESCRIPTION = Chemist specialized in kinetics
|DATE OF BIRTH = 1901-02-20
|PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Colonia Juárez]], [[Chihuahua]], [[Mexico]]
|DATE OF DEATH = 1981-12-26
|PLACE OF DEATH = [[Salt Lake City, Utah]], [[United States]]
}}