William Denver Myers
Upon graduation from Wilmington College with honors in chemistry in 1931, William was awarded a full scholarship to attend graduate school at Haverford College for the school year 1931-32, to receive his Masters degree at the end of that year.
William is pictured above with the apparatus he built for research he conducted for his Masters thesis. As he noted on the back, this picture was taken in Dr. Meldrum's lab. Dr. W. B. Meldrum was the Chairman of the Chemistry Dept., wrote influential textbooks, worked for the War Dept., and was Professor Emeritus at Haverford College when he died in 1957.
Dr. Meldrum was the Professor in Charge of William's studies for the Masters degree. In January 1934, Dr. Meldrum was the co-author with William in the publication of William's work in the scientific journal, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry.
Sixty-nine years after William had earned his Masters degree, and 6 years after his death, his granddaughter Becky, having earned two Bachelor's degrees from San Francisco State University--one in music, another in chemistry--was studying for her Doctorate in chemistry at Purdue University in 2001. She did the work to obtain a copy of her grandfather's Masters thesis from the Haverford archives. Becky has scanned the thesis, the published scientific article, and this iconic 1932 picture of her grandfather in the lab at Haverford, for inclusion here.
William is pictured above with the apparatus he built for research he conducted for his Masters thesis. As he noted on the back, this picture was taken in Dr. Meldrum's lab. Dr. W. B. Meldrum was the Chairman of the Chemistry Dept., wrote influential textbooks, worked for the War Dept., and was Professor Emeritus at Haverford College when he died in 1957.
Dr. Meldrum was the Professor in Charge of William's studies for the Masters degree. In January 1934, Dr. Meldrum was the co-author with William in the publication of William's work in the scientific journal, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry.
Sixty-nine years after William had earned his Masters degree, and 6 years after his death, his granddaughter Becky, having earned two Bachelor's degrees from San Francisco State University--one in music, another in chemistry--was studying for her Doctorate in chemistry at Purdue University in 2001. She did the work to obtain a copy of her grandfather's Masters thesis from the Haverford archives. Becky has scanned the thesis, the published scientific article, and this iconic 1932 picture of her grandfather in the lab at Haverford, for inclusion here.
Bailey Hall of Science
Campus center for scientific studies from 1909 to 1959.
It housed the biology, physics and mathematics on the first floor, the department of chemistry on the second floor.
Constructed in 1908 at a cost of $13,000, a gift from the late Mr. and Mrs. A.I. Bailey of Wilmington.
William probably spent most of his class time in this building.
Campus center for scientific studies from 1909 to 1959.
It housed the biology, physics and mathematics on the first floor, the department of chemistry on the second floor.
Constructed in 1908 at a cost of $13,000, a gift from the late Mr. and Mrs. A.I. Bailey of Wilmington.
William probably spent most of his class time in this building.
The Science Fraternity at Wilmington College
Wilmington College Chi Beta Phi Science Honorary Society - President William D. Myers in back row second from left
In 1928, his freshman year at Wilmington College, William was a pledge to Chi Beta Phi, the Science Fraternity. In the Fall of 1929, this fraternity was combined with Alpha Tau Epsilon, a national social fraternity founded in 1924.
By 1931, his Senior year at Wilmington College, William was the President of Alpha Tau Epsilon. By then the combined fraternity had been redefined in a statement that appears in the 1931 Yearbook. Its purpose was "to give a greater degree of social life to a college group which wishes to maintain a high standard of scholarship."
However Chi Beta Phi, founded in Virginia in 1916, still existed at Wilmington College in 1931. William was also the President of this group. As noted in the 1931 Yearbook: "The object of this fraternity is to promote interest in Science; first, by scientific investigation; second, by lectures of prominent scientists; third by means of papers prepared by members; fourth, by means of round table discussion. This Chi Beta Phi fills its place in college life, meeting adequately a need that no other organization has been able to meet."
Wilmington College Chi Beta Phi Science Honorary Society - President William D. Myers in back row second from left
In 1928, his freshman year at Wilmington College, William was a pledge to Chi Beta Phi, the Science Fraternity. In the Fall of 1929, this fraternity was combined with Alpha Tau Epsilon, a national social fraternity founded in 1924.
By 1931, his Senior year at Wilmington College, William was the President of Alpha Tau Epsilon. By then the combined fraternity had been redefined in a statement that appears in the 1931 Yearbook. Its purpose was "to give a greater degree of social life to a college group which wishes to maintain a high standard of scholarship."
However Chi Beta Phi, founded in Virginia in 1916, still existed at Wilmington College in 1931. William was also the President of this group. As noted in the 1931 Yearbook: "The object of this fraternity is to promote interest in Science; first, by scientific investigation; second, by lectures of prominent scientists; third by means of papers prepared by members; fourth, by means of round table discussion. This Chi Beta Phi fills its place in college life, meeting adequately a need that no other organization has been able to meet."
William and Bertha both attended Clarksville High School. They had their first date on April 18, 1926. William graduated Clarksville High School in April 1927. Bertha graduated Clarksville High School in April 1928, but had also earned a scholarship to attend the College of Music in Cincinnati in the Fall of of 1926.
William entered Wilmington College in Fall of 1927. In his first Wilmington College yearbook, published in Spring 1928, there is an intriguing inscription from Bertha Mathers, dated June 10, 1928 (about 6 weeks after her High School graduation). This inscription is very faint and nearly invisible to the naked eye. It was not written in the same location as other friends were writing inscriptions to William. It is written several pages into the introduction to Wilmington College. Scanned and computer enhanced, Bertha’s inscription is now legible above.
William entered Wilmington College in Fall of 1927. In his first Wilmington College yearbook, published in Spring 1928, there is an intriguing inscription from Bertha Mathers, dated June 10, 1928 (about 6 weeks after her High School graduation). This inscription is very faint and nearly invisible to the naked eye. It was not written in the same location as other friends were writing inscriptions to William. It is written several pages into the introduction to Wilmington College. Scanned and computer enhanced, Bertha’s inscription is now legible above.
Lincoln Essay Contest Medal awarded to William Myers in 1927 while a Senior at Clarksville High School
Lincoln Essay Contest Medal awarded to William Myers in 1927 while a Senior at Clarksville High School
The Lincoln Essay Contest was used to create interest and increased knowledge and admiration of Lincoln among school children in the United States by offering annually a beautiful bronze medal to the pupil in each high school who writes the best short essay on the life of Lincoln.
The medal is three inches in diameter and three-eighths inch in thickness. The medal is made of the finest solid government bronze. These medals were struck on powerful presses under a pressure of several hundred tons per square inch. It was necessary to strike several blows to produce the desired relief. Only a single medal was struck at a time.
The head of Lincoln on the medal is a reproduction of Mr. Douglas Volk's famous painting "Abraham Lincoln." The medal is copyrighted and is not for sale.
On one side of the medal is cast the bust of Abraham Lincoln, the years of his birth and death, and the name "Lincoln." On the reverse side is a wreath with the legend: "Lincoln Essay Awarded to..." The Feb 12 date relates to Lincoln's birthday.
Haverford Masters Thesis