The Lawrence and Helen Baldinger Endowed Library Collection in Critical Technologies in Medicine honors Professor Lawrence H. Baldinger (’31, ’33 Ph.D.) and his wife, Helen. Lawrence joined Notre Dame’s Department of Pharmacy in 1933. He served as dean of the College of Science from 1943 until 1969, when he was appointed advisor while continuing as associate dean and head of the Department of Preprofessional Studies. The Lawrence H. Baldinger Award is awarded annually to an outstanding preprofessional student in his honor. His lifelong specialty was organic chemistry; he conducted extensive research on peppermint oil for the USDA. Helen Baldinger was active in the Ladies of Notre Dame, often serving as a mentor to new faculty wives. She and Lawrence had three sons and a daughter.

The Baldinger Collection was endowed in 1998 through the generosity of Vinton B. and Marjorie P. Yardley. Vinton, a graduate of the University of Kansas, came to work in Mishawaka, Indiana, as an electrical engineer. Marjorie, his wife, was a secretary. They were both friends of University faculty and loved Notre Dame immensely.

The Baldinger Endowment continues to play a vital role in developing a strong collection in biological and biomedical sciences, enabling the purchase of new journal subscriptions that support the many active centers and programs within the University concerned with medical, environmental, and healthcare issues, each conducting state-of-the-art research.