Carl F. Eyring was born in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, on August 30, 1889. His early education took place at the Juarez Stake Elementary School (from which he graduated in 1902) and continued at the Juarez Stake Academy (from which he graduated in 1908). He commenced his collegiate career at Brigham Young University in 1909 where he studied under noted physicist Harvey Fletcher. He graduated with a BA degree in 1912 and pursued graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin from which he received an MA degree in 1915.

Carl F. Eyring joined the faculty of Brigham Young University in 1915. He completed his doctoral degree from the California Institute of Technology in 1923. Dr. Eyring was appointed acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1923. He was appointed dean in 1924 and served until his death from leukemia in 1951. His service as dean was interrupted at least twice. Once from 1929 to 1931 when he was on leave to work at the Bell Telephone Laboratories and a second time from 1937 to 1939 when he served as mission president of the New England mission. Dr. Eyring was largely responsible for the planning of the new science building that the university built in 1950. The building was renamed the Carl F. Eyring Science Center in 1954 in his honor.