Wyman, Jeffries, 1901-1995

Jeffries Wyman (1901-1995) was Professor of Biology at Harvard from 1928 to 1951.

From the description of Papers of Jeffries Wyman, 1957-1985 (inclusive). (Harvard University). WorldCat record id: 77061123

Jeffries Wyman (1901-1995) was a biophysicist . A professor of Biology at Harvard from 1928 to 1951, he spent his later years at the University of Rome . He was the author of numerous papers on the biophysical properties of proteins and a member of scientific organizations such as the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Lincei Society of Science. He also helped establish the European Molecular Biology Organization.

Wyman was born June 21, 1901 in West Newton, Massachusetts. In 1923 he received an A.B. degree from Harvard and in 1927 a Ph.D. degree from University College, London for his thesis on the viscous-elastic properties of muscle and the thermodynamics of muscle contraction.

His career as a research scientist began at Harvard where he was a member of the Biology Department from 1928 to 1951 . Wyman studied the dielectric properties of amino acids, proteins and related compounds, the mechanical and electrical properties of monolayers of biological materials at air-liquid interfaces, and the physical chemistry of hemoglobin .

During World War II, Wyman briefly left Harvard to work for the United States Navy doing research on problems of underwater sound and atmosphere circulation.

In 1951, Wyman left Harvard to become the first Scientific Advisor to the U.S. Embassy in Paris .

He spent three years working in the Middle East for the United Nations as a director of one of the four regional science cooperation offices of UNESCO, from 1955-1958.

In 1958, Wyman published the textbook, Biophysical Chemistry, which he cowrote with his Harvard colleague, Professor John T. Edsall .

In 1960, Wyman returned to scientific research as a guest scientist at the University of Rome's Biochemical Institute and at the Instituto Regina Elena where his research focused on the structure and function of hemoglobin.

Wyman died at his home in Paris on November 4, 1995.

From the guide to the Papers of Jeffries Wyman, 1957-1985, (Harvard University Archives)