A Guide to the Karl August Folkers Papers, 1960-1997

Biographical Note

Karl August Folkers (1906-1997), was the Ashbel Smith Professor Emeritus of Chemistry and director of the Institute for Biomedical Research at The University of Texas at Austin at the time of his death. His research focused on naturally-occurring, biologically-active compounds. He is best known for his work with B-vitamins, hypothalamic hormone, coenzyme Q and mevalonic acid. During his career, Folkers held positions at Merck (1931-1963), the Stanford Research Institute (1963-1968), and The University of Texas at Austin (1968-1997). He received the American Chemical Society Award for meritorious work in pure chemistry in 1941, the Van Meter Prize of the American Thyroid Association in 1969, and the American Chemical Society Priestly Award in 1986, among others. In 1990, Folkers founded the Folkers Foundation for Biomedical and Clinical Research with the mission to support biochemical research on causes of human disease.

Scope and Contents

These papers consist of correspondence, research files, reprints, and office files documenting the career of Karl August Folkers in chemical research. Correspondence files are generally alphabetical by person or organization, with some subject files mixed in.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Unrestricted access.

Use Restrictions

These papers are stored remotely. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Karl August Folkers Papers, 1960-1997, the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Papers