Chester Hamlin Werkman was a professor of bacteriology and biochemistry at Iowa State College (University) from 1923 until 1962. This collection includes biographical information, awards, correspondence, a lab notebook, photographs, and reprints of Werkman's research articles. These files document Werkman's research interests in bacteriology and biochemistry, his work as professor and head of Iowa State's Department of Bacteriology, and his overall career.

Chester H. Werkman was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on June 17, 1893. He received his B.S. (1919) in organic chemistry and his Ph.D. (1923) in bacteriology from Iowa State College (University). He received an honorary D.Sc. (1944) from Purdue University. After obtaining his B.S., he worked under Dr. Pennington of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Chemistry. Werkman returned to Iowa State to further his studies and served as Instructor (1921-1923) of Bacteriology. He was hired as Assistant Professor (1923-1924) of Microbiology at Massachusetts State College at Amherst. He later joined the faculty at Iowa State where he served as a Bacteriologist (1924-1927) in the Department of Bacteriology and was promoted to Associate Professor (1927-1933) and Professor (1933-1962). He was also named Head (1945-1957) of the Department.

Werkman published in many fields including immunity, chemistry, sanitation, food bacteriology, physiology of bacteria, and cellular metabolism and was a state, national, and international leader in biochemistry. He was involved in the discovery of Carbon-13 and did extensive work in photosynthesis, the process whereby green plants create food. With the help of H. G. Wood of the University of Minnesota, Werkman found that carbon dioxide was used in the body and was not entirely poisonous, as was believed at the time.

Werkman served on many professional organizations and government boards. He was vice president of the Chemistry Section at the International Association of Microbiologists. He held several positions in the Society of American Bacteriologists (SAB) including Chairman of the Industrial and Agricultural Section and also served as the first Chairman of the Biochemistry and Physiology of Bacteria Sections. During World War II, Werkman was appointed to the Chemical Section of the War Production Board which included work in chemicals, procurement, and research.

Werkman married Cecile A. Baker, and together they had two children: Robert, and Iona. Werkman died in Ames, Iowa, on September 10, 1962.

This collection (1919-1976, undated) contains biographical information, awards, correspondence, research papers, photographs, news clippings, and press releases relating to Chester Werkman' professional career. Correspondence files document his career advancement, research, and concerns regarding the Cold War and biological warfare. Copies of many of his published research articles are included along with a presentation on bacterial metabolism prepared for the International Union of Biological Sciences. Files related to Iowa State's Department of Bacteriology can also be found in the collection.

The collection is organized alphabetically.