Henry Eyring
Wolf Prize Laureate in Chemistry 1980
Henry Eyring
Affiliation at the time of the award:
University of Utah, USA
Award citation:
“for his development of absolute rate theory and its imaginative applications to chemical and physical processes”.
Prize share:
None
Professor Henry Eyring has dedicated a lifetime being involved in the many ramifications of this powerful approach to chemical dynamics. He has shown that the absolute rate theory is equally valid in detonations of gases, corrosion of metal surfaces, nerve action, marine biology, etc. The list of applications rapidly becomes legion. The universality of the theory is its greatest strength.
The award of the 1980 Wolf Prize in Chemistry to Henry Eyring is a fitting and proper recognition for the work of this unique and gifted scientist. His transition state or absolute rate theory of treating chemical reaction kinetics and other rate processes has become the guiding principle behind everyday thinking in this area. The successful application by Henry Eyring of this theory to diverse phenomena in chemistry, biology, engineering, geology and physics over a fifty year period constitutes the basis for this award.
He is the holder of 15 Honorary Doctorates, has received numerous awards, has authored 590 scientific publications and is a member of a great number of Academies of Sciences and scientific associations all over the world.