CHARLES G. OVERBERGER The University of Michigon Ann Arbor, Michigan 481 04
". . . a faculty aware of macromolecular science . . .
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I n my Prcsidontial Address presented on September 11, 19G7, a t the 154th ACS National Rleet,ing, I stresscd the need for an increased academic interest in macromolecular science. Although there has been an obvious growth in the field of synthetic macromolecules, particularly during the last two decades, there has been a laxity on the part of the academic communit,y t o recognize thc import,ance of irlcorporating the study of macromolccular chemistry into undergraduate and graduate curricula. Indeed, such a trend has characterized the mlc of universit.ies in regard t,o expansion in growt,h arcas of an interdisciplinary t,ype. Unless new areas are defined in the vcry formative stages of a universit~y'sexpansion, difliculties will he encountered whcn attcmpting to transcend existing lines of a particular discipline. It is important to note that in recent years a considcrablc number of chemists involved in thc chemical industry are cngaged in pnlymer science and technology. I do not wish to imply that chemist,^ should specialize principally in macromolecular science, hut greater activit,y should exist. in t,hc universities for increased t,raining in this arca. At t,he undergraduat,e levcl, universit,ies can contribut,c significant,ly to t,he development of this growth area by providing a driving force for formal study in the polymer field. I fcel t,liat it is impnrt,ant to introduce macromolecular chemist,ry into the regular course
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Journol of Chemicol Education
st,ructurc of organic, physical, iuorganic, and analytical chemistry. This can be accomplished by organizing undergraduat,~courscs so that t,here is adequate tinw for thc intn)duction of material in macromolecules. To do t,his pn~pcrlg,a facult,y is required who are aware of thc problems in macromolecular scieucc. I am not, suggesting that specialized courscs in polymer chemistry hc taught at. t,he undergraduate lcvel, hut that, cither special lectures that can he presented in the normal coursc struct,urc or material that can he prcsent,ed in a routine manner be introduced. Thc lat,ter cnn he accomplished by adding a first year graduatc survcy coursc of polymcr chcmistry to the undergraduate curriculum, providing that the student, has had adequate t r a i n i ~ ~ing the four major disciplincn of chcmistry. The need fur increased stimulation a t thc underg r a d u a t , lcvcl ~ to promotc a future interest in the study of nat,ural and synthetic macro~noleculcs cltni~ot bc overemphasized. .\Iacn~molecularscience, technology, and industry are growing rapidly, and many chemists wit,h a haclqymn~din the pnlymcr ficld vill hc required to m a i ~ ~ t a iangood academic-industrial balancc and to provide vital rcscarch in such areas as space technologg
EDITOI~'S NOTE Charles 6. Overbergel. is chakman af lhe 1)cpnilmcnt of Chemistry nl the Utivelaily of Michigan Ilc n.u gradnated fwm Pe~ulsylvani,zSlate liniversily wilh n BS dcgree in 1041 rind i,htained his P h l ) degrec a1 tho Uliivwsily of Illinois in 1944. 1 1 1 1947 he was sppni~ilcdn n Assistml Pmiessor of urganic ehemistl.y s t the l'dylcch~,icIustitule of Brooklyn where he remai~lcdruilil 1967 rising t l t t ~ , ~ ~ g h the proiessorid ranks and sewing as Aoting Vice-I'resident for Ilesearch, as Dean of Scienrc, and as Ilireetw a i the Polymer Research Inslilute. llis pl.ineipal researches are i n the fields of synthelic organic reaction mechanisms and p~lymcl.rhemist1.y. IIe is past Presideut of the Americau Chcmicnl Society atid is one uf the editms of a review j,mt.~,nl-Po~lsrhr.ille dw Hoehpo/~~nzerm-Po~(scI~t~ng (ridmnces i n Pol!,rnn. Srirnre), nu editor of the Jo~irnal~fI'olymmScimce, a ~ a 1hefil.st l editcn of n new swies of v~,lnmes-"i\Iacrorn~~lcr111n1~ Syntlmes."
