Wayland, Harold.

Biography

Harold Wayland was born in Boise, Idaho, on July 2, 1909. His first name was James, but apart from the occasional appearance of the initial J. before his name, he typically dropped his first name or initial on his scientific publications.

Wayland received his BS in physics and mathematics from the University of Idaho in 1931; he then earned his MS and PhD degrees in the same subjects at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1935 and 1937 respectively. At Caltech, Wayland studied under Robert Millkan, Morgan Ward, and Harry Bateman. After teaching physics at the University of Redlands (1938-1941) and following a period of service for the US navy on torpedo research (1941-1948), he returned to Caltech, where he taught Applied Mechanics. In 1963 he was named Professor of Engineering Science. Wayland retired from Caltech in 1979 but stayed active as a scientist, lecturer, and consultant for many years. He died on October 10, 2000.

Trained as a physicist, Wayland's scientific interest lay in the interdisciplinary area between the physical and engineering sciences and the biomedical sciences. In collaboration with Wallace Frasher, MD, of the University of Southern California (USC) School of Medicine, Wayland developed the intravital microscope to measure and study blood flow in living animals at the microcirculatory level. His work in the fields of microcirculation and blood rheology represent a pioneer phase in biomedical engineering.

Wayland was an enthusiastic traveler, gastronome, and wine connoisseur. Beginning with a fellowship from the American Scandinavian Foundation, 1936-1937, for a year at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, Wayland regularly traveled and lectured in Europe and Japan. In 1953-1954 he was a Guggenheim Fellow in Strasbourg, France. Wayland was the founder of the Athenaeum Apicians, a gourmet dining club that met at Caltech's Athenaeum beginning in 1964. Among his honors and awards was an honorary doctorate from the University of Idaho in 1977.

From the guide to the Papers of Harold Wayland, 1948-2001, (California Institute of Technology. Caltech Archives)