Herbert A. McKinstry, a pioneering materials scientist, educator, community activist and founding faculty member of Penn State's Materials Research Laboratory, passed away at the age of 101.
McKinstry devoted more than four decades to research and teaching at Penn State, helping establish the foundation for what would become the Materials Research Institute. As a researcher, he was known for his expertise in X-ray diffraction, a technique used to study the structure of materials, and low-thermal expansion materials that resist changing size when heated or cooled. He shared his knowledge by co-authoring more than 60 scientific papers and mentoring generations of students in ceramics and materials science.
Born on April 22, 1925, to Rev. Samuel McKinstry and Myrl (Beckwith) McKinstry, McKinstry moved with his family to Avoca, New York, in 1929. He developed an early passion for both music and science, eventually choosing science as his profession while maintaining a lifelong love of singing and choral music.
After earning a bachelor's degree in glass technology from Alfred University, McKinstry arrived at Penn State in 1947 as a graduate student and research assistant in ceramics. He earned a master's degree in ceramic technology in 1950 and a doctorate in physics in 1960, both from Penn State.
In 1956, McKinstry received a Fulbright Scholar Award to conduct research at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Division of Industrial Chemistry, in Melbourne, Australia. He joined the Penn State faculty in 1962 as an assistant professor of solid-state technology and later became one of the founding faculty members of the Materials Research Laboratory, the interdisciplinary research enterprise that would eventually become Penn State's Materials Research Institute.
During the laboratory's formative years in the 1960s, McKinstry helped establish Penn State as an emerging center for ceramics and materials research by contributing expertise in crystallography, X-ray diffraction and materials characterization. His work supported the collaborative, cross-disciplinary model that became a hallmark of the laboratory and later the institute, bringing together researchers from physics, chemistry, engineering and materials science to address complex scientific challenges.
As his career progressed, McKinstry's research focused on X-ray diffraction and the development of low thermal expansion coefficient materials. His publications earned more than 2,000 citations, reflecting the lasting influence of his research within the ceramics and materials science communities. In 1985, he received the Ross Coffin Purdy Award from the American Ceramic Society in recognition of his outstanding contributions to ceramic literature.
McKinstry was also known as an innovator in scientific instrumentation and teaching. He designed specialized high-temperature diffraction furnaces that were later commercialized through Tempress, a company he helped establish. Long before personal computers became common in higher education, he was among the first faculty members at Penn State to integrate microcomputers into research and classroom instruction. Former colleagues and students also remembered him for his lifelong curiosity and enthusiasm for learning, which continued well into retirement as he remained engaged with developments in physics, materials science and technology.
Beyond his scientific achievements, McKinstry and his wife, Jean Millspaugh McKinstry, were deeply involved in community service and social justice efforts. The couple participated in civil rights activities during the 1960s, including supporting voter registration efforts in Mississippi and helping sponsor the Southern Student Project, which enabled Black students from southern states to attend Penn State.
They also were founding members of Diakonia, a progressive Presbyterian community in State College focused on service and outreach and helped establish the Coalition for Peace in opposition to the Vietnam War.
Music remained central to McKinstry's life. He frequently sang at weddings and community events and performed as a tenor with the State College Choral Society until 2005.
McKinstry retired from Penn State in 1990 as an associate professor of solid-state technology in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean, in 2009, and by his son, Samuel McKinstry, in 2011. He is survived by his children, Nancy Parks, Herb L. McKinstry and Julia McKinstry; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his daughter-in-law, Herb's wife, Susan Trolier-McKinstry, Evan Pugh University Professor, Steward S. Flaschen Professor of Ceramic Science and Engineering and professor of electrical engineering.
A memorial service for McKinstry will be held on May 16 at 4:00 p.m. at the State College Presbyterian Church. Donations in his memory may be made to either the State College Presbyterian Church or the State College Choral Society.
