Information | Services | e-Resources | Collections

Dr. Harold J. Morowitz is a biophysicist and Robinson Professor in Biology and Natural Philosophy at George Mason University. Born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., on December 4, 1927, Morowitz earned his Ph.D. at Yale University in 1951. From 1951-1953 he was a physicist at the National Bureau of Standards. Morowitz was on the staff of the National Heart Institute from 1953-1955 before joining the faculty of Yale University in 1955. At Yale, Morowitz was associate professor of biophysics (1960-1968), professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry (1968-1988), and master of Pierson College (1981-1986). He joined the faculty of George Mason University in 1988 as a Robinson Professor. From 1993 to 1998, Morowitz directed the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study. Dr. Morowitz has authored and coauthored several books, Life and the Physical Sciences (with Waterman), 1964; Theoretical and Mathematical Biology, 1965; Energy Flow in Biology, 1968; Entropy for Biologists (with Lucille Morowitz), 1970; Life on the Planet Earth, 1974; Ego Niches,1977; Foundations of Bioenergetics, 1978; The Wine of Life, 1979; Mayonnaise and the Origins of Life, 1985; Cosmic Joy and Local Pain, 1987; The Thermodynamics of Pizza, 1991; Beginnings of Cellular Life (with James Trefil), 1992; The Facts of Life, 1992; and Entropy and the Magic Flute, 1993.

The Morowitz Manuscript Collection includes the following:

Energy Flow in Biological Systems: draft copy of the book, including chapter and appendix notes, illustrations, calculations for mathematical operations, and correspondence between the author and his editor

The Beginnings of Cellular Life: draft copy of the work, including the index and notes.

The Facts of Life: draft copy of the book, with the "author's copy," and the original artwork for the illustrations.

Archival materials (i.e., working papers, correspondence, etc.) pertaining to his academic career.

Original poetry written by Morowitz.

SC&A preserves and makes available to all students, faculty, and researchers many kinds of original and scholarly materials. Subject areas in SC&A include Northern Virginiana, Planned Communities, Congressional Papers, Performing Arts, Maps, the Civil War, and George Mason University. Formats in SC&A include manuscripts, rare books, playbills, musical scores, audio and videotapes, architectural drawings, photographs, and slides.