Moyer Delwyn Thomas papers

Collection

Identifier: MS 0665

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Moyer Delwyn Thomas papers (1914-1976) represent a unique collection of early air pollution materials, which should be of value to researchers who are interested in the historical development of air pollution measuring equipment and early air pollution research and methods. The papers are categorized into four large sections. The personal section of the collection consists of miscellaneous personal, financial, and travel information as well as some family materials. The second half of the section is a collection of Gymaufa Ganu (an American Welsh association) materials. The second part of this collection contains two boxes of general, family, religious and general correspondence. By far the most extensive section of the collection, the third section, houses both materials written by Thomas and other scientists. The fourth, and final, section is comprised of materials relating to Thomas' career as a scientist, his labwork in materials testing for ASTM, and his preliminary drafts and references for his published and non-published papers.

Dates

1914-1976

Creator

Thomas, Moyer Delwyn, 1894-1975 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Conditions Governing Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Biographical Sketch

Moyer Delwyn Thomas was born on 29 August 1894 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to David Palmer and Margaret Davies Thomas. In addition to being a Rhodes scholar, Thomas completed bachelor's, master's and a doctoral degrees in chemistry from Oxford University. After his tenure at Oxford in the early 1910s, Thomas volunteered for the American Ambulance Volunteer Corps in France during World War I. He further participated in the war effort by returning to Oxford and working on formaldehyde in a chemical warfare laboratory. Thomas also held earlier degrees from the University of Utah. After returning home from England in the early 1920s, Thomas filled the position of associate professor of agronomy at Utah State University which included his role as a soil chemist in its Logan experiment station. Thomas continued to help the war effort in the Second World War where he served as a consultant to the National Defense Research Committee. He also served as consultant to the Atomic Energy Commission from 1948 to 1958. For a large period of his working career, Thomas worked as a chemist and agronomist for American Smelting and Refining Company in Salt Lake City. Thomas is perhaps best well known for his development of the Thomas Autometer, a device that measures the concentration of gases, specifically SO2, associated with air pollution. For his instrument development, he was awarded the Frank A. Chambers Award in 1955 from the Air Pollution Control Association. Furthermore, he authored many papers and books on such subjects as soil structure and alkali, air pollution, plant nutrition, photosynthesis, and radioactive tracers. Thomas died on 10 September 1975.

Extent

37 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Moyer Delwyn Thomas papers (1914-1976) contain colleague files, personal and professional correspondence, financial records, travel information, a bibliography, research files, charts, diagrams, reports, lecture notes, and monographs concerning air pollution. It also contains programs, musical songbooks, and meeting materials for the Gwyn Gnarfu, an American Welsh association. Thomas (1894-1975) was a research chemist for the American Smelting and Refining Company, and senior research scientist for the Stanford Research Institute. In addition, he developed the Thomas Autometer, which measures sulfur dioxide and other pollutants in the atmosphere.