Harry Reuben Reynolds was born to Alex and Dora Reynolds on January 29, 1898. Reynolds grew up in Centerburg, Ohio and attended the Art Institute of Chicago graduating from the Art Education Division in 1923. That same year he joined the art staff at Utah State Agricultural College. He spent the next forty-seven years with the University teaching a variety of classes such as photography, history of art, painting, art education, jewelry, crafts, and design. Although Reynolds initial interest in art centered on painting and art crafts, during his first sabbatical year in 1930 he became interested in photography and purchased a small German camera. Gradually photography and experimentation with color photography became his main focus. He designed and constructed a puppet theater switchboard used to demonstrate lighting techniques, a slide projector for theatrical productions, and a new technique on stereo photomicrograph work. His second sabbatical year (1939-1940) was spent in travel to Chicago, Columbus, Washington D.C., New York, as well as completing two semesters of graduate study at the University of Iowa. His third sabbatical in 1961 was spent at the Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, California.

Reynolds service to the University extended beyond his teaching load. He was an advisor for the Buzzer student yearbook and he served as the first USU Art Gallery Curator (now the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art) in 1967. Reynolds also held a great interest in the theater. He was involved in student and Old Lyric Repertory Company productions and he directed and produced the "Look on the Land," an all-original musical, in 1956. Reynolds also tirelessly promoted art appreciation and education throughout Utah through exhibitions, lectures, and serving on numerous committees.

In 1931 Reynolds married Zina Catharine Harris of Spring Valley, Wyoming. Zina received a B.S. degree in education from Utah State University and became the first supervisor of the L.D.S. Hospital in Logan. In 1972 he and Zina were recognized by the USU Alumni Association for distinguished service. Professor Reynolds died on March 10, 1974 in Logan.