Career
Zirkle was elected to the National Academy of Science in 1959. Zirkle served on the editorial boards of seven journals. Zirkle was born in Springfield, Illinois.
Zirkle graduated from the University of Missouri with an A.B and Doctor of Philosophy in 1928 and 1932, respectively.
In 1932 Zirkle joined the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia as a lecturer in biophysics and remained there until 1938. In 1940 Zirkle accepted a position as professor of biology at the Indiana University.
During World World War II Zirkle became one of the principals in the biological program of the Manhattan Project. His focus in the Manhattan Project was to study the effects on living systems from fast and slow neutrons, beta rays, and gamma rays.
In 1944 Zirkle became a professor at the University of Chicago and in 1945 was appointed director of the Institute of Radiobiology and Biophysics at the university.
Zirkle died in Castle Rock, Colorado in 1988.
