About Harold Clayton Urey, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1934 Harold
Clayton Urey (April 29, 1893 – January 5, 1981) was an American
physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him
the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934. He played a significant
role in the development of the atom bomb, but may be most
prominent for his contribution to theories on the development of
organic life from non-living matter. Harold Clayton Urey was
born in Walkerton, Indiana, on April 29, 1893, as the son of the
Rev. Samuel Clayton Urey and Cora Rebecca Reinoehl, and grandson
of pioneers who settled in Indiana. His early education in rural
schools led to his graduation from high school in 1911 after
which he taught for three years in country schools. In 1914 he
entered the University of Montana and received his Bachelor of
Science degree in Zoology in 1917. He spent two years as a
research chemist in industry before returning to Montana as an
instructor in Chemistry. In 1921 he entered the University of
California to work un