“Dr. Harold C. Urey” State Historical Marker

To Be Dedicated Near Corunna

A new Indiana state historical marker commemorating scientist Dr. Harold C. Urey will be dedicated on Saturday, May 9. The public is invited to attend the dedication ceremony, which will take place at the entrance to Fairfield Cemetery, at the intersection of CR 12 and CR 13, in Corunna, IN 46730 (DeKalb County), at 11 a.m. Parking is available along side streets in the area.

The new historical marker was sponsored by the DeKalb County Community Foundation and commemorates Dr. Urey’s contributions to chemistry, nuclear physics, and space exploration. Dr. Urey’s son, Dr. John Urey, will be in attendance at the program. “My father, Harold Clayton Urey, was very proud that he was a Hoosier. He spent his early years from age 6 to 18 in DeKalb County. He earned his B.A. in biology and after WWI, earned his PhD in chemistry at Cal Berkeley. He was a marvelous father and a brilliant scientist and humanist who never forgot Indiana and always knew that he put his pants on one leg at a time”.

This is the tenth state historical marker to be installed in the county and the eighth in the last nine years. For a listing of all markers in DeKalb County, click here.

The text follows for the state marker entitled “Dr. Harold C. Urey, 1893-1981:”

Acclaimed scientist Dr. Harold Urey was raised in DeKalb County. He began his career producing chemical compounds for munitions during WWI. In 1934, Urey won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of the isotope deuterium. During WWII, he was involved in the Manhattan Project, overseeing atomic research at Columbia University to produce nuclear weapons. After WWII, Urey joined leading scientists, including Albert Einstein, to advocate for the responsible use of nuclear energy. By the early 1950s, Urey shifted to cosmochemistry and conducted groundbreaking research on the origins of life. He also advised NASA during the Apollo Program. Urey promoted the sciences until his death and is buried in Fairfield Cemetery.

State historical markers commemorate significant individuals, organizations, places, and events in Indiana history. These markers help communities throughout the state promote, preserve, and present their history for the education and enjoyment of residents and tourists of all ages. For over 100 years, the Indiana Historical Bureau, a division of the Indiana State Library, has been marking Indiana history. Since 1946, the marker format has been the large roadside marker, which has the familiar dark blue background with gold lettering and the outline of the state of Indiana at the top. Approximately 800 of these markers have been installed over the years.

For more information about the Indiana Historical Marker Program, including details on this marker, a listing of other markers in the state, or other resources about Indiana history, visit the Indiana Historical Bureau’s website at http://www.IN.gov/history or call 317-232-2537. For more information on the dedication, contact marker applicant John Bry at: [email protected].