.
By Dianne Bryant
Collection Overview
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
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
Browse by Box:
[Box 1],
[
Box 2: Weather Observer Record, 1946-1977],
[
Box 3: Personal Writings],
[
Box 4: Scrapbook, 1948],
[
All]
