Gerrit Van Zyl graduated from Hope College in 1918. In 1920 he graduated from the University of Michigan with a masters degree in chemistry and physics. After three years as a teaching fellow at the University of Michigan, Van Zyl joined the faculty of Hope College as a chemistry professor. He received his Ph. D. in chemistry in 1924 from the University of Michigan. In 1957, Dr. Van Zyl was named a fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences. In 1962 he was named one of six outstanding college chemistry teachers in the United States and Canada by the Manufacturers chemists' Association. He retired from Hope college in 1964.
From the description of Papers, 1923-1968. (Joint Archive of Holland, History Research Center). WorldCat record id: 30451850
