McMurry University offers its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Carl Girvin Harkins, Sr. ’60, following his passing on June 25, 2025. He embodied McMurry’s core values of faith, service, and generosity, and his memory will live on through the lives he touched.
Girvin was born in Colorado City, TX, on June 14, 1939. He graduated from Colorado High School at age 16 and from McMurry University cum laude with the first double major in physics and chemistry in 1960. He completed a PhD in physical chemistry at Johns Hopkins University and two post-doctoral fellowships at UC Berkeley/Stanford University and Rice University. He was a Rhodes Scholar nominee.
Girvin met his wife of 65 years, Ann, while at McMurry. He was a member of Ko Sari fraternity and appreciated the mentorship of his professors, especially Drs. W. Norton Jones and Virgil Bottom.
Girvin joined the faculty at the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies (now University of Texas, Dallas) and later Rice University, where he managed a research program in the chemical engineering and materials science departments sponsored by NASA. In 1972, he developed and mentored students in a PhD program in corrosion science and engineering. Girvin then worked for Hewlett-Packard Labs, leading a research program that developed next-generation HP computers. His accomplishments led to numerous patents and established fundamentals that remain integral in computer construction and use today.
Girvin served for 12 years on McMurry’s Board of Trustees and held the title of Trustee Emeritus. In 2001, McMurry recognized him a Distinguished Alumnus and in 2007 honored his dedication to higher education and the United Methodist Church in 2007 with the Cross and Flame Award. Girvin and Ann are also members of McMurry’s Trailblazer Society, a giving society established in 2018 to honor those who have given generously to the university.
Girvin is survived by his wife, Ann; three children, six grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter.
A celebration of Girvin’s life will be held on Thursday, July 3, 2025, at 11 a.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, his family has asked that donations in his memory may be made to The W. Norton Jones, Jr. Professorship at McMurry University or to St. Paul United Methodist Church.