Cyrus Barnum, B.A. (1936), Ph.D. (1940) University of Minnesota. Professor of biochemistry at the University of Minnesota; specialized in the relationship between cancer and the formation of nucleic acid in the body.
Cyrus Paine Barnum, Jr. was born on May 18, 1914 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He earned his B.A. in chemistry in 1936 and his Ph.D. in physiological chemistry in 1940, both from the University of Minnesota. After he was awarded his Ph.D., Dr. Barnum was a research fellow at the Scripps Metabolic Clinic in La Jolla, California for one year. After completing his fellowship, Dr. Barnum returned to the University of Minnesota as a Carnegie research fellow in the department of physiological chemistry (1940-1942). He joined the staff of the University of Minnesota as an instructor in 1942. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1945, associate professor in 1946 and professor in 1955. Dr. Barnum's main area of research was cancer, specifically the relationship between cancer and the formation of nucleic acid in the body. Cyrus P. Barnum died on July 26, 1965 at the age of 51.
From the guide to the Cyrus P. Barnum papers, 1955-1965, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University of Minnesota Archives [uarc])