Laurence Irving

Laurence Irving (3 May 1895 – 20 November 1979 ) was a pioneering American scientist in the field of comparative physiology.

Life and education

Irving was born in Boston, Massachusetts on 3 May 1895. Directly after graduation from Bowdoin he entered Harvard University where he obtained an MA in physiology in 1917.

In 1947, after returning to Swarthmore from his war service, Irving was appointed scientific director at the then-new Naval Arctic Research Laboratory in Barrow, Alaska. Two years later he was appointed the chief of the physiology section of the Arctic Health Research Center in Anchorage, where he began his pioneering research into arctic biology.

Legacy

In 1971, the University of Alaska built a new building to house the Institute of Marine Sciences, joining the existing facility opened in 1965. These buildings were designated Biosciences I and II. On 16 August 1971 the buildings were jointly rededicated as the Laurence Irving Building for the Biosciences I and II in honor of Irving.