Thomas Herndon Papers, 1925-1977 | Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

By Dianne Bryant

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Collection Overview

Title: Thomas Herndon Papers, 1925-1977

Primary Creator: Herndon, Thomas Corwin (1898-1987)

Extent: 1.32 Cubic Feet

Date Acquired: 10/27/1978

Subjects: Eastern Kentucky University--Faculty and staff., Richmond (Ky.)--Climate.

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The Eastern Kentucky University Archives acquired the personal papers of Dr. Thomas Corwin Herndon in 1978. Unfortunately, the papers are rather incomplete and offer little information on Dr. Herndon's many years as a professor of chemistry at Eastern Kentucky University. Of particular interest is the documentation of his participation in a United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) education seminar held in England in 1948. Dr. Herndon devoted a great deal of time to his teaching and encouraging students to make a career in chemistry. He did little research and writing beyond his dissertation and an article in The Journal of Scientific Instruments (1945). From 1946 to 1977, Dr. Herndon served as Richmond's official weather observer. All of the weather observer records have been preserved and constitute a rich source of climatological data.

Collection Historical Note

Thomas Corwin Herndon was born on October 27, 1898, in Logan County, Kentucky. He was married on October 15, 1925, to Lucille Hays. Together they had one daughter, Nina Sue (Mrs. Edgar Louis Adams).

His educational experience consisted of an A.A. degree from Bethel College (Russellville, Kentucky), in 1921; a B.S. degree from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, in 1923; M.A. degree from George Peabody College of Nashville, Tennessee, in 1926; attended the University of Chicago in 1928; and received his Ph.D. from George Peabody College for Teachers in 1930.

Dr. Herndon's work experience included teaching high school science in Bristol, Tennessee, during the spring term of 1923, and at Middlesboro, Kentucky, from 1923 to 1924. He taught chemistry at Bethel College from 1924 to 1926 and returned to teaching high school chemistry in Knoxville, Tennessee, from 1926 to 1927. He taught chemistry during the regular fall and spring semesters at Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College while teaching chemistry at George Peabody College during the summers from 1928 to 1930. He was hired on a permanent basis at Eastern

Kentucky State Teachers College, later to become Eastern Kentucky University, and remained there until his retirement in 1967. Dr. Herndon was named chair of the chemistry department in 1947.

Prior to beginning his education, Dr. Herndon served in the U.S. Army from April 24, 1917, until July 29, 1919. He was overseas during World War I from October 2, 1918, to July 17, 1919.

Clubs and honor societies to which Dr. Herndon belonged included the Kentucky Academy of Science, American Chemistry Society, Phi Delta Kappa, Alpha Chi Sigma, Kentucky Civil War Roundtable, Richmond Torch Club, the Richmond Lions Club, and he was an Elder of the First Christian Church of Richmond, Kentucky. In 1948, Dr. Herndon was selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as one of six American educators to attend the UNESCO Seminar on the Education and Training of Teachers. The seminar was held at Ashridge College of Citizenship in Berkhamsted, Herts, England. The seminar was held from July 15 to August 25. During his stay, Dr. Herndon made many friends among the 47 educators selected from 24 countries. As reflected in the correspondence series, Dr. Herndon corresponded with several of these educators as late as 1977. Dr. Herndon died at the Pattie A. Clay Hospital on August 15, 1987.

Subject/Index Terms

Eastern Kentucky University--Faculty and staff.
Richmond (Ky.)--Climate.

Administrative Information

Repository: Eastern Kentucky University - Special Collections and Archives

Acquisition Source: Herndon, Thomas

Acquisition Method: gift

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1],
[Box 2: Weather Observer Record, 1946-1977],
[Box 3: Personal Writings],
[Box 4: Scrapbook, 1948],
[All]

Box 1

Barcode: 31234014058042

Folder 1: Personal correspondence, 1930-1973

From and to Dr. Herndon including a series of letters to and from Herman Lee Donovan regarding Dr. Herndon's employment with the college during January and February of 1930.

Folder 2: Christmas correspondence, 1948-1977

Folder 3: Certificate of admission to the University of Chicago, 11 Nov 1927

Folder 4: University of Chicago Record Card, Spring Term, 1928

Folder 5: University of Chicago Record Card, Winter Term, 1928

Folder 6: Three Memorandums of Agreement (employment contracts) from Eastern KY State Teachers College, Richmond, KY, Mar 26, 1930; Mar 14, 1931; Jul 19, 1932

Folder 7: Newspaper clipping of Mountain Laurel Festival, Clear Creek, Kentucky. From the Louisville Courier-Journal, 14 Jun 1931

Folder 8: Newspaper clipping of unknown children. From the Louisville Courier-Journal, 14 Jun 1931

Folder 9: Pamphlet., Nov 1948

UNESCO Seminar on Education. & Training of Teachers. Reprinted from Forum of Education, vol. VII, no. 2, pp. 49-59. Signed by author, C.R. McRae, September 12, 1948

Folder 10: The Newsletter of the Council on Cooperation in Teacher Education, Oct 1948

Containing information on the Ashridge Seminar. 2 copies.

Folder 11: Newspaper clipping, Mar 1961

Featuring Dr. Herndon, Prof. Meredith J. Cox, Dr. H.H. LaFuze, and Dr. J.G. Black in preparation for testing Kentucky high school science students. Source unknown

Folder 12: News Release, 25 Jan 1962

Eastern Kentucky State College news release pertaining to Dr. Herndon's weather observer position.

Folder 13: Photograph Clipping, Fall 1962

From unknown source at Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College regarding visit to Dr. Herndon by Dr. Billy Gene Creech, head of Clinical Bio-chemistry Division, Lipid Research Center, at Baylor University Medical School in Houston, Texas.

Folder 14: Itinerary of Dr. and Mrs. Herndon's European Tour, 1963

Folder 15: Travel book/diary of Dr. and Mrs. Herndon's European Tour, 1963

Folder 16: Newspaper Clipping, 23 Oct 1963

Of Dr. Herndon and large gourd grown in his backyard. From the Richmond Daily Register.

Folder 17: Newspaper Clipping, 1965

Announcing Dr. Herndon's appointment as acting head of the department of chemistry at Eastern Kentucky University. From the Richmond Daily Register.

Folder 18: Newspaper Clipping, 21 Jul 1966

Of letter from Dr. Herndon to columnist Allan M. Trout. From the Louisville Courier Journal

Folder 19: Commencement Announcement

From Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky. Dr. Herndon's "last commencement."

Folder 20: Magazine Clipping, 15 Oct 1971

Clipping from "Eastern"--Eastern Kentucky University Alumni Publication regarding naming of Thomas C. Herndon Lounge.

Folder 21: Clipping from the Richmond Daily Register, 1 Nov 1971

Regarding Dr. Herndon's weather station gear

Folder 22: Clipping from the Richmond Daily Register, 15 Jul 1977

Announcing Dr. Herndon's retirement as official U.S. weather observer for Richmond

Folder 23: Clipping from the Richmond Daily Register, 15 Jul 1977

Dr. Herndon and Charles T. (Turkey) Hughes being presented with 50-year certificates to Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity

Folder 24: Clipping from the Richmond Daily Register, 1 Dec 1977

Dr. Herndon's service as official U.S. weather observer

Folder 25: Poem, "The Scientific Method," dedicated to Dr. Herndon, 15 Jul 1965

Folder 26: Dr. Herndon's calling card with Christmas wish, undated

Folder 27: Photographs

Item 1: Lucille Hays and Thomas C. Herndon, prior to their wedding in October 1925, 25-Jul
Item 2: Dr. Herndon in doctoral cap and gown, 25 Aug 1930
Item 3: Head shot. Unidentified photograph inserted in Dr. Herndon's doctoral dissertation, ca. 1930
Item 4: Lucille Hays and Thomas C. Herndon sightseeing in Stockholm, Sep 1963
Item 5: Col. Kearns, Thomas C. Herndon,?, Lucille Hays Herndon en route, Cherbourg to New York, Oct 12 or 13, 1963
Item 6: Group photograph of Dr. Herndon, as sponsor, with Eastern Kentucky University Jr. Class Officers, ca. 1941: R. Goodlet, Vice President, F. Flanagan, President, J. Trent, Secretary, and M. Walker, Treasurer
Item 7: Dr. Herndon with weather equipment, 1 Dec 1967: Newspaper shot for article appearing in the Richmond Daily Register

Box 2: Weather Observer Record, 1946-1977

The weather observer record series consists of thirty climatological observers' meteorological records covering the years 1946 to 1977 in which Dr. Herndon compiled Richmond, Kentucky, weather data. These data were forwarded monthly to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Weather Bureau. The June 1977 record includes Dr. Herndon's note regarding his retirement as official weather observer for Richmond after thirty-one plus years. Also included are miscellaneous weather items arranged chronologically.

Barcode: 31234014058034

Folder 1: Weather Observers' Records, May 1946 - Sep 1957
Folder 2: Weather Observers' Records, Oct 1957 - Jan 1968
Folder 3: Weather Observers' Records, Feb 1968 to Jun 1977
Folder 4: Correspondence, 1950-1967: with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Weather Bureau and weather record summaries.
Folder 5: Kentucky Climatological Data Report, Apr, 1961
Folder 6: U.S. Department of Commerce Weather Bureau Cooperative Observer Cooperative Newsletter, Feb, 1962
Folder 7: Magazine - Weatherwise, Almanac issue.

Box 3: Personal Writings

Barcode: 31234014058026

Folder 1: A Study of Calcium Acetate-Alcogel. Master of Arts Thesis, George Peabody College for Teachers, 26 Aug
Folder 2: Francis Bacon. Term paper, Fall quarter, 1929
Folder 3: Written preliminary examination in chemistry, 2 Dec 1929
Folder 4: Written Preliminaries in Teachers College Education, 4 Dec 1929
Folder 5: A Study of the Benzaldehyde Electrode: Original manuscript of Dr. Herndon's doctoral dissertation
Folder 6: A Study of the Benzaldehyde Electrode, 1930: Contribution to Education. Published under the direction of George Peabody College for Teachers, Nashville, Tennessee
Folder 7: The Administration of Chemistry in State Teachers' Colleges, 1932: Reprint from Journal of Chemical Education, vol. 9. no. 8
Folder 8: An Outline of Elementary Qualitative Analysis, 1945: Pamphlet. Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College, Richmond, Kentucky
Folder 9: Refractometer, 1945: Reprint from The Journal of Scientific Instruments, vol. 16, no. 12, December, 1945
Folder 10: Tribute to W. A. Ault, undated
Folder 11: Eulogy to Keen Johnson, undated
Folder 12: Remarks concerning Miss Maude Gibson, 21 Mar 1962: At dedication of the Gibson Building at Eastern Kentucky State Teachers College, Richmond, Kentucky
Folder 13: Dr. W. J. Moore--As I have Known Him, 25 Jun 1965

Box 4: Scrapbook, 1948

One large scrapbook which contains Dr. Herndon's memorabilia from the UNESCO Seminar on the Education and Training of Teachers held at Ashridge College of Citizenship, Berkhamsted, Herts, England. The seminar was held from July 15 to August 25, 1948, and included educators from several nations. Dr. Herndon was one of six educators selected to attend from the United States. Among the memorabilia are Dr. Herndon's telegraphs of notification of acceptance, plane tickets, numerous photographs and post cards, seminar schedules, and souvenirs from England.

Barcode: 31234014031320

Browse by Box:

[Box 1],
[Box 2: Weather Observer Record, 1946-1977],
[Box 3: Personal Writings],
[Box 4: Scrapbook, 1948],
[All]