Dates
- 1866-1945
Scope and Content Note
This collection consists of personal papers, letters, newspaper clippings and articles by and about William S. Myers, as well as a number of his personal scrapbooks, which also contain clippings and some personal effects. The collection is housed in 16 manuscript boxes.
The papers of William S. Myers are divided into 4 sections: Correspondence (1 folder); Newspaper clippings (1 folder); Miscellaneous (1 folder); and Scrapbooks (15 manuscript boxes each containing 1 large scrapbook).
The files containing correspondence consist mostly of letters written to two presidents of Rutgers University (Austin Scott, and William H. S. Demarest), as well as some items pertaining to important events in Myers’ life. The newspaper clippings are mostly items related to Myers, many from the Rutgers Alumni Monthly, which published brief notes about important events in the lives of notable alumni.
Extent
6.4 Cubic Feet (16 manuscript boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Biographical Sketch
William Shields Myers was born December 15th 1866, in Albany, New York, to Benjamin F. Myers & Elizabeth Shields Myers. W.S. Myers married Miss Annie Taylor Lambert of New Brunswick, New Jersey, with whom he had one child, in 1889.
Myers received his B.Sc. (1879), M.Sc. (1894) and an Honorary D.Sc. (1908) from Rutgers College. He also earned an F.C.S. from London in 1892 where he studied under and worked with Sir William Ramsay, the discoverer of Argon. He also studied in Munich under Dr. Von Hoffman for a time.
After earning his M.Sc. from Rutgers he served as a chemistry instructor there until 1896 when he was made an associate professor of Chemistry. He resigned this post in 1901 to work as the director of Nitrate Propaganda for the United States and Colonies. In 1904 he was elected Mayor of New Brunswick, a post he held until 1906. He continued work with the Chilean Nitrate commission until 1926. In 1902 he was elected Alumni Trustee of Rutgers and served in that capacity until 1938 when he resigned.
Myers died sometime during January 9th/10th at his Bainbridge N.Y. home, ‘Stonehenge’. He was 78 years old.
- Title
- Guide to the Papers of William Shields Myers, 1866-1945
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Daniel Klein
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description note
- English
Part of the Rutgers University Archives Repository
Rutgers University Libraries
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
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