Lawrence Joseph Henderson (1878Henderson ( -1942) ) was a man of such diverse interests that his personal papers should prove valuable to others besides historians of biology. Although he was primarily a biochemist and physiologist, his published works inelude treatises on subjects such as philosophy and sociology (see my article in this issue). He was an influential force at Harvard University during his career there, playing an instrumental role in the founding of the Department of Physical Chemistry in the Medical School, the Fatigue Laboratory, the Society of Fellows, and the history of science program. Jean Mayer commented in 1968 (]. Nutr. 94: 5): "To write of the history of science and its application to man in the United States during the first half of this century without mentioning L. J. Henderson would be to have missed one of the most important elements in the academic atmosphere in which they developed."
The L. J. Henderson papers at Harvard University are located primarily in the archives of Widener Library and Baker Library, although the Countway Library also contains a few Henderson manuscript materials. These papers include correspondence, notebooks, unpublished lectures, rough drafts of publications, and similar items.
Henderson's wide range of activities brought him into contact with scholars in many different fields. His correspondents included scientists (e.g.,