The Harry G. Day Lectureship
The Harry G. Day Lectureship
The Harry G. Day Lectureship in Chemistry was established in 1987 as a result of donations by friends, colleagues, and students of Professor Emeritus Day. Under the auspices of this lectureship an outstanding biochemist is invited to lecture at Indiana University.
HARRY G. DAY (1906-2007)
Dr. Day was born in Monroe County, Iowa, in 1906. He received his A.B. in chemistry from Cornell College (Iowa) in 1930 and a Doctorate in Science in biochemistry from Johns Hopkins University in 1933. Following a year as National Research Council Fellow, he went to Yale as a General Education Board Fellow then returned as an Associate in the Department of Biochemistry at Johns Hopkins (1936-40). He joined the chemistry faculty at Indiana University as an Assistant Professor in 1940 and was promoted to Full Professor in 1950. Later Dr. Day served as Chair of the Department from 1952-62. He also served as Associate Dean for Research and Advanced Studies (1967-72) and as Special Assistant in the Office of Research and Development from 1973 until his retirement in 1976.
Harry Day was a co-author of approximately 200 scientific publications. One of his major works was The Newer Knowledge of Nutrition, 5th edition, with E.V. McCollum and E. Orent-Keiles, published in 1939. Among his major research contributions was the effect of fluorides on the reduction of dental caries, carried out at IU with J.C. Muhler and W.H. Nebergall, which resulted in the first commercial dentifrice containing stannous fluoride, Crest.
Professionally, Dr. Day served on various committees of the American Chemical Society and the American Society of Biological Chemists. He was president of the American Institute of Nutrition from 1971-72. He was a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Indiana Academy of Science, serving as its president (1961-62) and elected Speaker of the Year (1980-81).
Harry Day received many awards and honors for his service and contributions to the field of public health. In 1967 Cornell College awarded him an Honorary Sc.D. degree. He received a Meritorious Service Award from the Monroe County Community Council in 1966, the Exchange Club Book of Golden Deeds for outstanding community service in 1972, Outstanding Alumnus in Public Health Award from Johns Hopkins in 1988, and membership in the prestigious Indiana Academy in 1989. In 1990 the new chemistry auditorium was named the Harry G. Day Lecture Hall, and, at that time, Indiana University presented him with the President's Medal for Excellence. He was also honored with a 1993 Indiana University Distinguished Service Award, and in 1995 he was inducted into the Monroe County Hall of Fame.
In 1993 Professor Day completed his history of the Department of Chemistry, The Development of Chemistry at Indiana University in Bloomington, 1829-1991. In June 2004, he received the Sagamore of the Wabash Award. This is one of the highest honors that can be given to someone in our state and was presented by the governor to honor Professor Days' lifetime of community and civic service.
Harry G. Day Lecturers
2023 Gregory H. Robinson
2016 Carol V. Robinson
2015 Brian T. Chait
2013 Kevan M. Shokat
2007 James A. Wells
2006 Chi-Huey Wong
2005 Carlos Bustamante
2003 Lawrence J. Marnett
1999 S. Walter Englander
1999 Don C. Wiley
1996 H. Gobind Khorana
1993 Stephen J. Benkovic
1990 John W. Suttie
1988 Hector F. DeLuca
