1088
I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERIXG CHEMISTRY
Vol. 17, No. 10
Academic Research and Industry Address of James F. Norris, President of the American Chemical Society, at Its Seventieth Meeting, Los Angeles, Calif., August 6 , 1925
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N H I S admirable address last year, Dr. Baekeland stated that edge to the synthesis of compounds of such technical significance he had read the addresses of all the past presidents of the as ammonia, acetic acid, and methanol. And we have added SOCIETY.I had not the courage to follow his excellent exam- only a bit here and there. ple. I was afraid I would find that all the words of wisdom had Let us see to it that such triumphs are born here in America. been spoken; that all the valuable ideas had been expressed. I I am an enthusiastic internationalist and science is international ; did not want to be hampered by the thought that I was but re- but we all have a particular pride which is natural and commendpeating what had been better said by others. So the problem able in the achievements of those close to us. Every father of this talk was approached in a way not in accord with the scien- wants his own boy to succeed. It is not provincial, therefore, tific method. Ignorant of the literature of presidential addresses, to want America t o take the lead in chemistry. some thoughts were written down boldly with confidence in the I again ask the question-what can we do t o win the first place good luck that mysteriously looks after the cheerful in spirit. and how can our SOCIETY help? The answer to the first part of The attitude taken is consistent with looking ahead rather than the question is self-evident, but the way to bring about the result behind. The cautious man governs his actions with a knowledge is a problem for serious thought. We must increase the proof the past. The statesman acts in the light of history. The ductiveness of research. The past year I have been studying reformer does not. The promulgators of revolutionary ideas with great care the relationship between chemical research and have been ignorant of the facts or disregarded them. They industrial development. I have visited some of our largest indusbrought a fresh point of view t o affairs. Their very ignorance tries based on chemistry and have seen the part played in their of what experience had shown to be impossible made the impos- development by the work done in their own research laboratories sible possible. I hope I have caught some of this spirit. At and that produced by the investigators in universities. I was least I have dared t o build castles in the air. impressed by the fact that the industries are prepared to utilize These commonplace remarks have been made, not only to a t once the results of research in what for want of a better name excuse myself of ignorance of the wise words of my predecessors, is called pure science. They are supplied with chemists of the but also as a kind of preamble t o an outline of some fascinating best training and of the highest type, who follow eagerly the dreams that have floated before some of us who have keenly a t world’s publications. I n a paper apparently of theoretical inheart the welfare of our great SOCIETY. terest is found a fact that the technical man sees he can apply. Next year we shall complete the fiftieth year of a continued In one great laboratory I found most of the research men feverprogress in chemistry since the foundation of the AMERICAN ishly carrying out work suggested by papers published b y two CHEMICALSOCIETY.We will then stop to hear of great achieve- university professors-one in Canada and the other in Germany. ments. But today we can look to the future. I once saw The lesson to be drawn was clear. The work that can be done a striking play in which two young men were rivals for the in the research laboratory of a great chemical organization is of hand of the heroine. One was continually prating of his blue one type-that done in the university laboratory is of another. But both must be d o n e - o n e springs from the other. Industrial blood; his ancestors dated back t o Mayflower days and beyond. The other was a nobody of force and character. H e finally scientific advance has its roots in the academic soil. We are silenced his rival and won his lady love by saying he had decided safe in this country t o leave the application of chemistry t o those that he himself would rather be an ancestor than a descendant. who are a t present guiding our industries. We of the academic How can we apply the incident to the AMERICAN CHEMICAL fraternity must see t o i t that we furnish the acorns from which SOCIETY? Fifty years of achievement are about to become a the mighty oaks will grow. part of the ages. Let us then turn from the past and look t o the Relation between Academic Research and Industry future. Which path shall we take of those that lie before us? These statements bring me t o one of the major subjects of my How can the SOCIETY best serve the nation, chemistry, and us who a r e giving our lives t o the science? By making chemistry more talk-namely, the relationship between academic research and vital in the development of civilization and in adding to happi- industrial progress in chemistry. Wherever great progress has ness, comfort, and wealth; by increasing the fundamental knowl- been made the importance of this relationship has been recognized. We could well study and follow the example of Germany. edge of our building blocks, the atoms, and of the mechanism of It has been my good fortune t o see something of the cooperation their interaction; and by continuing our work of educating the people in regard t o what a potent factor chemistry has been and between the great masters in research and the industrial organizais today in the march of civilization. I n the last few years the tions that have given German applied chemistry such high rank. attitude of the public toward the chemist has changed. He is Let us copy what has proved t o be a great success. I am glad to note that such cooperation is increasing in this country. The a man of achievement, a wonder-maker, almost a superman. How can we take advantage of the great start we have made? man who is devoting his life t o the study of a particular field of Chemistry in America is forging ahead a t a rate that startles the chemistry, who is adding t o the world’s knowledge by research, world. I have just returned from Europe, where I was one of and who knows the details of what has been done, cannot help those who represented America in international gatherings de- but be of the greatest value to the industry based on his specialty. voted t o chemistry. On all sides our achievements are recog- I have seen and taken part in the industrial development of chemnized. American chemistry was honored in many ways and al- ical processes and know that the men directly concerned with ways was given the place of distinction. We have only begun the development are aided by the academic investigators, who our activities and there is much t o do before we can finally say approach the subject from a more or less detached point of view. we lead the world. When we calmly review the great advances I feel confident that our industries will advance more rapidly when they seek more freely such scientific contacts. in pure and applied chemistry that have earned the wonder of The industries can help themselves in another way. They the world in the last decade, we are chagrined t o find that we played no important part in t.hem. We are but followers in the can formulate problems for research of a fundamental character study of the atom; we marvel a t the application of known knowl- based on their experience. The industrial research laboratories
Imw ail tiicy can do to solve thcir immmliste pro1,lcms. Tiicy that works--thr dollar mark is llie \itill I clicmical equ:iLiooc, as our irienrl X'zrlker I>iitS it. They CanllOt stop t" investigate t Pacts iind relationships underlying the pro lakc yei%is.and new prohlems are pressing for solution. W e liave beeu cracking petroleum ior years, lmt wliat do we k w w ui it irom the staiirlpoiiil oi real organic chi.mistry? \Vhnt do we
I r l o not * m a nthat university men sliould beaime industrialists. Let sonic oi thcm work in these fields that are bcing applied so successfully. I~?verythingthey do will be recognized and used. The most striking thing in applied science today is the quickness with which tlic results of acndemic research are utilized. Twcntyfive ycars passed beiore any one made use of Faraday's q m h msihing discowry of benzene. It would not be so today. I have said nothing of the kind of research that changes the trend
problcm of vulcauization? A start h a s search that is more or less dirccted. KO l x ~ made n to get into tlic hands of the one would want the u,hole world to iolacademic investigator iundamenlnl low on thepaths1 haveindicated. There protilcrns which must be solved beiore are always geniuses who go their own inany of our industrics can pass from way; unfortunately these *re but few. the realm of the arts to tfiat of applicd We do not attempt to point the road. science. B u t inucli more cnii 1ic done. They should be provided with every ma.. Slang men in our universities ~ T eC a g r i terial aid, and tlmt is a part of the plan. to uirdertakc the study oi these pr01)J have outlined in a somewliat disIems, Ixit they do riot know whcre to cursory way how it appears t o me &emIwgiii or w l m tu study. They do not istry can be made a more vital factor in care to attempt to soluc thc immediate America. It all goes back to research. tecliuical pro1,Icms That is the 1,nsiThe industries should seck more iully iiecs of the industry itself and should the codpeiirtion of individual academic Ix i u i d for in dollars. irrvestigntors in solving their industrial Allliough some meii oi the 1iiglic.it problems. The itiduatrics should point rank look askance at anything of a out t o tlir cliemical world the fundatechnical nature, I a m sure C V C T ~ O I I C mental unsolved problems underlying takcs joy in seeing the fruits oi Iris g
