ACS Board of Directors Minutes June 19, 1952 - C&EN Global

Nov 5, 2010 - THE Board of Directors of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY met at the Log Cabin Club, St. Louis, Mo., at 9:40 A.M., June 19, 1952. Charles ...
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ACS Board of Directors Minutes June 19, 1952

Committee of the Board of Directors consider any revised report submitted and act t lier eon. 7. It was moved, seconded, and carried that the report of the Committee on Petroleum Research Fund be referred back to the committee for further consideration and with the request that a final report be rendered as promptly as possible. 8. Some members of the AMEIUCAX CHEMICAL SOCIETY have been concerned because certain fellowship stipends have been subject to income tax. In a discussion o! this matter, it was pointed out that the term "fellowship" is used to cover differing types of activity. Before attempting to set a Society policy, it is essential to define more closely the area of o u r concern. Therefore, it was moved, seconded, and carried that the Chairman of t h e Board of Directors be authorized to appoint a Committee on Fellowship Definition which will outline the various uses of t h e term and identify those in which the fundamental basis is education of the individual.

l i i E Board of Directors of the AMERICAN

CHEMICAL SOCIETY met at

the

Log

Cabin Cluh, St. Louis, Mo., at 9:40 A.M., June 19, 1952. Charles Allen Thomas, Chairman of the Board, presided. The following directors were present: M. H. Arveson, Edgar C . Britton, Wallace R. Brode, Farrington Daniels, W . Conard Fcmelius, \ \ Howell Furman, Walter A. Schmidt, Charles A. Thomas, Ernest H. Volwilcr, J. C. Warner, and William G. Young. The following were present b y invitation: Robert T . Baldwin, Alden II. Emery, Arthur B . Hanson, Rohert V. Mellefont, and Walter J. Murphy. 1. T h e minutes of t h e meeting of March 2 8 , 1952, previously distrihuted to each director, were approved.

prepare reports o n objectives, organization, and representation. These documents were laid before the Board of Directors of the ACS with a request that it authorize r>arlicipation by the Society. 11. It was moved, seconded, and carried that the AMERICAN

C H E M I C A L SOCI-

ETY participate in a Scientific Manpower Commission provided an adequate number of other scientific societies take like action, that the Board go on record as favoring initial support of the activity insofar as possible by scientists asking outside agencies only to meet a deficit, that the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors be given power to authorize at the proper time an appropriation of at least $5000 for this purpose, and that the other societies now considering participation in the Scientific Manpower CommisReports sion be informed of the foregoing, with the hope that each will endorse the principle 2. It was moved, seconded, and carand do what is feasible to implement it. ried that the report on ad interim actions 12. It was moved, seconded, and carof t h e Board of Directors b e received. ried that the objectives of t h e Future This involved only approval for printing Scientists of America Foundation be enof t h e minutes of the March 28, 1952, Publications dorsed, that the ACS express i t s willingmeeting. 9. It was moved, seconded, and car- ness to be listed as one of the advisory 3 . I t was moved, seconded, and carried that the Chairman of t h e Board be groups, and that it render such aid t o the ried that the report on ad interim actions authorized to appoint a committee to study undertaking as is possible, provided that of the Executive Committee of the Board the requirements of Chemical Abstracts this action involves no financial obligations. of Directors be received. This involved 13. It was moved, seconded, and carfor office space and to make recommendathree matters connected with award adtions concerning ways in which the needs ried that the Executive Secretary b e inministration and a statement on 1IR 5426 structed to inform the American Institute can he met. (see p a g e 3090). 10. It was moved, seconded, and car- of the City of N e w York that the Board of 4 . I t was moved, seconded, and carried that the proposal from t h e American Directors of t h e ACS, although recognizried that the ad interim reports of t h e ing that science fairs as conducted in many Society for Metals for the establishment Executive Secretary, Controller, Treasurer, of an International Journal of the Science cities create an interest in science among and Chairman of the Finance Committee of Metals and for the participation of the the youth of our country, can n o t provide he received. the funds to finance this undertaking in ACS therein be tabled. New York. Committees Manpower For almost a year, persons in various Financial 5 . I t was moved, seconded, and carried that t h e reports of the following scientific disciplines have been working 14. It was moved, seconded,, and carcommittees, printed at t h e e n d of these on the development of plans for a Scientific Manpower Commission. Early in ried that the unexpended balances remainminutes, be received: Advisory to t h e 1952 these had reached a point warrant- ing in previously authorized appropriations Chemical Corps, Corporation Associates, ing a meeting to discuss implementation. for the Atomic Energy Exhibit, National Exchanges, Frasch Foundation Awards, Manpower, Merck Graduate Fellowship in T h e Board of Directors "authorized ACS Meeting Equipment, Organization Survey, participation in such a conference. and Treasurer's Office Move be closed into Analytical Chemistry, Paper, and ScienOn May 15 a meeting was held attended surplus at the end of 1952 after paying tific Aids for Literature Searching. C It was moved, seconded, and car- by representatives of the ACS, AAAS, and from these balances t h e bill o f Williams ried that the report of t h e Committee on four institutes, each involving several so- & Wilkins Co. for printing extra pages in Clinical Chemistry be referred back to the cieties, in the fields of biology, geology, the 1951 Volume of the Journal of Physicommittee with a request for clarification and physics. After extended discussion, cal and Colloid Chemistry, amounting to of one statement and that t h e Executive three subcommittees were appointed to $3848.46. VOLUME

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ACS OFFICIAL REPORTS 15. It was moved, seconded, and car­ ried that the 195:2 budget of t h e Executive Secretary b e amended b y the addition o f $15,000 to cover the expense o f a complete reorganization of headquarters' files a n d the installation of a modern system more adequate for current needs. 16. It was moved, seconded, and car­ ried that the 1952 budget he amended b y addition of $10,000 to meet expenses of the Committee on Manpower and of a c ­ tivities flowing from its recommendations. 17. It was moved, seconded, and car­ ried that not to exceed $500 of the 1 9 5 2 budget of the Journal of the American Chemical Society be used to pay for sort­ ing documents of possible historic value from the old files of the journal and tliat the Executive Secretary work out in c o n ­ junction with the Editor means by which several interested parties could participate in this undertaking. 18. It was moved, seconded, and car­ ried that, in accordance with Regulation I, 3, the Board of Directors approve t h e schedule of advertising rates for C&EN, t o be effective Jan. 1, 1953, recommended by the Executive Secretary after consulta­ tion with the Editor.

ried that enacted :

t h e following

resolution

bo

W H E R E A S , t h e Journal of the Ameri­ can Chemical Society, during t h e 3 2 years of his editorship, grew in stature and prestige to become the outstanding journal ot pure chemistry of the world, and W H E R E A S , this attainment in large degree resulted from t h e wisdom, char­ acter, integrity, and ability of its long-time editor, and W H E R E A S , h e gave unselfishly of him­ self to students, associates, and organiza­ tions devoted to the welfare of humanity, therefore be i t R E S O L V E D , that the Directors of the AMERICAN CHEAIICAL SOCIETY, o n hehalf

of all chemists, pay tribute to t h e memory of ARTHUR BECKET L A M B acknowledging with gratitude the debt which all members of the profession o w e to him for t h e many benefits flowing from his deep devotion to his fellows and to the science t o which h e dedicated his life.

2.5. It was moved, seconded, and car­ ried that a resolution addressed to the Board o f Directors b y t h e Mobile-Pensacola Section in regard to professional and economic problems b e referred to the Council's Standing Committee on Pro­ fessional Relations and Status for con­ Awards sideration and recommendation. 19. It was moved, seconded, and car­ 2 6 . It w a s moved, seconded, and car­ ried that each sponsor of a n award f o r ried that the Board of Directors express its which administrative responsibility is a c ­ sincere thanks and gratitude to Charles cepted or extended by the ACS in t h e A. Thomas for the excellent facilities pro­ future be asked to bear a part of the e x ­ vided for this meeting of t h e Board of pense of administration and that only t h e Directors and to Dr. and Mrs. Thomas for Board of Directors have power to grant the delightful entertainment provided as an exception. a supplement to the business sessions. 20. It was moved, seconded, and car­ T h e meeting adjourned at 4 : 4 5 P . M . ried that the Board of Directors express its ALDEN H. E M E R Y , Secretary willingness to continue administrative r e ­ sponsibility for another five years for t h e COMMITTEE REPORTS Fisher Award in Analytical Chemistry, the Fritzsche Award, the Paul-Lewis Lab­ Executive Committee oratories Award in Enzyme Chemistry, a n d On March 28, the Board of Directors the Precision Scientific Co. Award in accepted administrative responsibility for Petroleum Chemistry. T h e Kendall Co. Award in Colloid Chem­ istry. T h e Executive Committee, in ac­ Miscellaneous cordance with t h e procedures of Regula­ 2J. It was moved, seconded, and car­ tion II, 1, has set the following rules: ried that a list of corporation associates of The Kendall Co. Award the AMERICAN C H E M I C A L SOCIETY b e p u b ­ In Colloid Chemistry lished on or about Sept. 1 with no indica­ tion of the amounts paid. Purpose—To recognize and encourage out­ £2. It was moved, seconded, and car­ standing contribution to the science of ried that the Board of Directors approve colloid chemistry in the United States the reemployment lor a period of one year and Canada. of Robert f. Baldwin, Bertha H. Good­ Nature—The award consists of $1000 and rich, Elmer Hockett, Nellie G. Mahaffey, a certificate. A n allowance of not more and Bertha Reynolds, all o f whom a r e than $150 is provided for traveling ex­ scheduled to retire on Nov. 1, 1952, upon penses t o the meeting at which the terms satisfactory to t h e Board and to award will be presented. each of the said employees. Rules o f Eligibility—A nominee must b e a 23. It was moved, seconded, and car­ resident o f the United States or Canada ried that the Board of Directors express to and must have made an outstanding Harriet L. Durand, Drucilla B. Hallam, contribution t o t h e science of colloid and Nell A. Parkinson, all of whom a r e chemistry. Special consideration will be retiring from the staff of t h e Society in given to the independence of thought 1952, its thanks for their faithful service and t h e originality shown. and its best wishes for the future. In April, the committee considered the 24. It was moved, seconded, and car­ advantages and disadvantages of the

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rapidly expanding practice of broad e n ­ dorsement b y individuals and sections of nominations £or awards. Some letters pro­ vide information or evaluations not i n ­ cluded i n the nominating documents; these are valuable- Most are simply signature endorsements, a form o f voting without knowledge oE the entire slate. Indeed, t h e same persons often support several nomi­ nees in this way. This practice has i n ­ creased materially t h e work and expense of sponsorship of a candidate and of head­ quarters administration. It is a form o f pressure on t h e selection committee which antagonizes s o m e and favorahly'influences others. Therefore, t h e Executive Commit­ tee has added the following to the general rules:

CHEMICAL

Seconding letters that do not provide factual information about the nominee n o t included in t h e nominating documents, o r an evaluation of t h e nominee's accom­ plishments w-ill not b e m a d e a part of t h e file transmitted t o the selection com ι η il lee. In nominations by petition, the person whose signât itre is first will b e considered as the nominator and t h e endorsements which follow will b e eliminated. I n considering award matters, t h e Executive Committee voted to provide somewhat more flexibility in selection o f panels for screening nominations for t h e ACS Award £n Pure Chemistry. Previously, the field of the three panels w a s set a n d no deviations were permissible. These panels now are suggestions only, t h e passage being reworded a s follows: For this purpose, a panel shall he set u p for each specialized field represented i n the nominations. Logical combinai ions o f fields in a single panel are permissible i n order that t h e r e b e no more than four panels. A possible grouping for normal operations is as follows:

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( 1 ) analytical and inorganic chemistry ( 2 ) biological and organic chemistry ( 3 ) physical chemistry. The Committee also authorized a temporary change in t h e screening procedure for the current selection in order t o m e e t a unique situation. During the interim b e t w e e n the meetings of >lareh 2 8 and June 19, the Executive Committee also helped in drafting the statement o n HR 5 4 2 6 which was presented b y President Britton on May 2 7 before the Senate Committee on Armed Services (se« C&EN, June 9, 1952, p a g e 2396). A L D E N H. E M E R Y ,

Secretary

Advisory -to the Chemical Corps The committee has had one meeting during 1952-at Buffalo on 27 March. N i n e committee m embers and six representatives of the Chemical Corps w e r e present. Reports w e r e given or* t h e latest d e velopments i n the research and Sevelopment programs of the Corps. T h e I n Service Training Program of the Chemical Corps was d-iscussed and recommendations were made. This program has been car-

AND ENGINEERING

NEWS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MINUTES cied o n for four years in cooperation with die University of Maryland and provides opportunities for special courses and gradu­ ate training i n chemistry, physics, and mechanical engineering for military and civilian personnel. A n e w program has been started at D u g w a y Proving Grounds under the supervision of t h e University of Utah. T h e utilization of enlisted m e n w h o are trained as chemists and chemical engi­ neers as specialists by the Chemical Corps was also discussed. This program has received many favorable comments and is doing much to utilize to the fullest extent the special abilities of these men. A report was received from the Subcom­ mittee on Publicity and Public Relations. Three additional subcommittees were es­ tablished on educational problems, indus­ trial relations, and research. T h e members of these subcommittees have been invited to visit the Army Chemical Center. A list of competent speakers from the Chemi­ cal Corps, w h o are willing to give talks of broad interest before the ACS local sec­ tions, has been prepared. H. F . JOHNSTONE,

Chairman

C o r p o r a t i o n Associates T h e corporation associates program is well under way. It got off to a late start because of m y coming in cold w h e n R. L. Murray had to drop out and I did want to be thoroughly grounded before getting into action. I h a v e had no formal com­ mittee. Dr. Volwiler has helped me with the pharmaceutical industry and Dr. Thomas with some of t h e larger chemical companies. I w a s unable to get satisfac­ tory assistance i n some of the related in­ dustries and in t h e interest of time, have made most of t h e contacts myself. The response s o far has been veiy sat­ isfactory. W e h a v e raised over $100,000 to date, with many of t h e companies, in­ cluding most of t h e larger ones, still to re­ port. All companies reporting to date except two have signified support of t h e general principle. I feel personal followup will change t h e thinking of these par­ ticular companies, and unless there is a marked change i n sentiment of those com­ panies left t o report, I think w e can feel the principle is well established. I d o know that some of the larger companies still out feel that the straight yardstick will mean for them too large a share of t h e cost and I think w e will not be able fully to reconcile the differences of opinion until w e have them all at hand and can give them proper consideration. Though I have tried to keep the princi­ ple confined to a fair share of tha cost of publication of t h e nonrevenue producing journals as proper payment for value re­ ceived, it has been impossible to keep some companies from bringing u p the rela­ tion of their payment t o the over-all Soci­ ety budget and to specific areas in t h e Society's operations. W i t h the help of t h e Executive Secretary's office, we have answered any such questions t o the best

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of our ability, always endeavoring to make our point that the support of the journals was being asked only for value received. There is one technical point that per­ haps should b e clarified by Board resolu­ tion, though b y n o w it m a y not b e of too much importance. The Bylaws n o w indi­ cate a maximum associate enrollment of $1000. If this could be modified t o indicate that multiple associate memberships are considered in order for larger companies, I think it would clear t h e record. I will make every effort to have the cur­ rent campaign wound up in time for a final report at t h e next Board meeting. T h e job is taking a good deal more time and thought than I h a d anticipated and while I have been very glad to do it and to see this first campaign through, I do think some simpler approach should be established for follow-up in forthcoming years. ROBERT B. S E M P L E ,

Chairman

Exchanges The work of t h e Exchange Committee is continuing in normal fashion. I give no further information because it is t h e cus­ tom for this committee to make a detailed report only at the time of the December meeting of the ACS Board of Directors. E. J. C R A N E ,

Chairman

F r a s c h Foundation A w a r d s A "Terminal Report on Research Proj­ ects Supported b y t h e Herman Frasch Foundation for Chemical Research During the Five-Year Period from Jan. 1, 1947 to D e c . 3 1 , 1951," a 13-page summary of many voluminous reports, has been pre­ pared. Copies can be obtained on request from the office of the Executive Secretary in Washington. In addition, C&EN has summarized this summary in its issue of June 2 3 , beginning o n page 2626. Β. Ε. PROCTOR,

Chairman

Manpower Since the committee was organized in March, it has held three meetings—March 17, April 2 8 , and May 2 6 . T h e scope of activities is so broad that much prepara­ tory work must be d o n e b y subcommit­ tees. T h e following subjects have been considered by such groups in their own meetings and recommendations subse­ quently made to the committee: 1. Future demand for chemists. 2. Program t o interest young people in t h e chemical profession. 3. Utilization of technical abilities of chemists in the Armed Forces. 4. More efficient utilization of chemists in civilian assignments and t h e utilization of "marginal" employees. 5. T h e ROTC program. Much of the time of the committee at its meetings has been given t o discussion of pending legislation because this has

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been the most currently pressing matter. All of one meeting and about half of the odiers were spent in discussing U M T , the Reserve bill, and ROTC. T h e Board of Directors on March 2 8 implemented as follows a series of committee recommenda­ tions on this subject: On recommendation of t h e Committee on Manpower, it w a s moved, seconded, and carried that the Board of Directors adopt the following position on current military legislative proposals: a. No stand on U M T will be taken at this time. b. T h e ACS will request time at all hearings on U M T and Reserve bills in order to present the principle of selective recall of reserves and the needs for a continuous and unin­ terrupted flow of students necessary to preserve our civilian economy and to meet the requirements of the military for trained personnel. c. Until such time as a National Sci­ entific Personnel Board or its equiva­ lent is created, the ACS will advo­ cate the selective recall of reservists through national, state, and local civilian boards such as those of the Selective Service System. It also will advocate that any system for selective recall shall include com­ petent civilian appeal boards which shall weigh the relative needs of the military and of the supporting civilian activities. Subsequent consideration by the com­ mittee of "c" in the foregoing action and of the Board's proposal for amendment of HR 5426 led to a more specific statement. The committee members felt that there must be a mechanism for immediate recall of some reservists in time of emergency without the delay which would b e inevit­ able in the careful screening proposed. T h e following was suggested: Whenever it becomes necessary to order reservists, except those in the active or­ ganized units of the Ready Reserve or in the National Guard or Air National Guard, to extended active duty, such individuals shall b e recalled through a civilian agency such as the Selective Service System under uniform regulations t o be prescribed b y the President, in such a way that there shall be the least possible disruption to civilian activities essential to the national strength and security. In addition, the involuntary transfer of reservists to such active units also shall b e subject to selection through the same agency. This was approved b y the Executive Com­ mittee of t h e Board with elimination of "such as the Selective Service System" and was incorporated in the statement made before the Senate Committee on Armed Services. f The Manpower Committee is deeply concerned about the ROTC situation, especially the disproportionate numbers of science and engineering students enrolling for it and the legislation now proposed for the very great expansion of the program. T h e proposal is attractive to students and parents under present conditions but it seems inevitable that it will affect adversely the future supply of trained chemists.

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ACS OFFICIAL REPORTS Discxission of the problem is continuing since no constructive proposal for solution has been developed. In the meantime, the following opinion has been sent to organizations favoring the expansion of HOTC: It is suggested that in any discussion of legislation for the extension of KOTC, those concerned bear in mind that implicit in t h e plan is a great reduction in the num­ ber of young men who can enroll for ad­ vanced academic training, since the most highly qualified will be selected for HOTC and will go into military service upon receiving the bachelor's degree. T h e Committee has considered and kept in touch with developments in the pro­ posal for the creation of a Scientific Man­ power Commission as a joint undertaking of scientific societies. It has recommended that the ACS participate and the Board authorized the appointment of representa­ tives to a meeting to draw up an organiza­ tion and operating plan. T h e Committee has endorsed a proposal of i t s Subcommittee on Full Utilization of Technical Abilities in Civilian Assignments for a survey. This will be made soon. A n interesting report from the Subcom­ mittee o n Demand Studies has been con­ sidered. Opinion on the soundness of its conclusions is divided. More reliable data on some phases should b e available soon and revision of the report, possibly for publication, has been requested. T h e committee recommended, and the Board approved, that the Office of Educa­ tion be asked to assume future responsi­ bility for supply studies carried out b y the ACS this year. A subcommittee has presented recom­ mendations for steps to increase the sup­ ply of well-qualified chemists. While no complete program has been approved, certain parts have been authorized. Plans for distribution of vocational guidance literature have been laid and are being implemented. There has been discussion of the place of t h e local sections in the manpower pro­ gram. T h e committee has voted t o ask each local section to appoint a committee to cooperate with the ACS Committee on Manpower. Some attention has been given t o the public relations aspects of the committee's assignment but only in an incidental manner. The program of the ACS Mews Service prepared for the Board of D i ­ rectors w a s endorsed in principle. A t t h e request of the committee, its chairman wrote to Arthur S. Flemnvng, Assistant to the Director of ODM, urging greater activity by the Committee on Specialized Personnel.

cellent. Donald Lloyd Petitjean of the University of AVisconsin was unanimously selected the recipient of the fellowship for 1952^53. The value of fellowship projects such as this becomes apparent only after the re­ cipients graduate. The committee has been pleased with t h e progress of former fel­ lows as judged b y the quality of their publications. PHILIP W . W E S T ,

Chairman

Paper The committee continued its usual func­ tions during t h e year. No changes were made in the specifications, although one supplier, on coated cover, has made objec­ tion to sonic of t h e requirements. This supplier made suggestions as to changes in test methods and also in requirements. Dr. Scribncr was ill at the time, so the two other members of the committee met with the supplier and Mr. Fleck to discuss the suggestions. Because of the subsequent death of Dr. Scribner, no action has been taken on the matter. The committee has made a recommenda­ tion t o the Board as to a successor to Dr. Scribner, and-^ill await its action before doing more on the above suggestion. As has been the custom for years, the chairman had the committee luncheon during the TAPPI meeting in February. W e were fortunate in having Mr. Stenerson with us at that time. B. L. W E H M H O F F ,

Chairman

Scientific A.ids f o r Literature Searching

The Committee on Scientific Aids for Literature Searching met on March 24, in Buffalo, Ν . Υ., with seven members present. The following is a condensation of the minutes. "Punched Cards. Their Application to Science and Industry/' edited b y Casey and Perry, has enjoyed excellent sales. The first printing of 3000 copies is sold out and a second printing has been ordered by the publisher. A second edition of the book is being planned for late 1954. Sug­ gestions for n e w chapters include : ( 1 ) a review of the application of punched cards by the American Society for Metals; ( 2 ) possibilities of a tie-up between punched cards and microfilm and microcards; ( 3 ) the latest development of punched-card techniques at the Patent Office; ( 4 ) a description of the new IBM electronic scanner; (5) the research on indexing medical literature being conducted at the Welch Medical Library; ( 6 ) a definitive R A L P H CONNOR, Chairman decision on internationally adopted nota­ tion systems for structural formulas (the Commission of the IUPAC meets i n Stock­ M e r c k G r a d u a t e Fellowship holm in the summer of 1953). In A n a l y t i c a l Chemistry In the study of scientific and technical T h e number of applicants for the fellow­ terminology being conducted at MIT with government support, under the guidance ship this year was less than previously but the quality of the 10 candidates w a s ex­ of an advisory committee headed by Dr.

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Scott, about 15,000 terms have been col­ lected and entered on McBee cards. For many of these terms definitions have been recorded on the cards, while for others definitions are being entered at present. A preliminary categorization of the terms as to type and field in which used has been accomplished in order to facilitate their further analysis. At the moment chemistry has been covered much more thoroughly than the other branches of science and technology, but efforts are being made to cover other fields fully. Practical as well as logical considerations are being applied to the analysis of these terms. Interrela­ tionships existing between them will fonn a basis of systematizing them and develop­ ing a machine indexing system. The n e w card-scanning machine de­ veloped by the IBM Research Laboratories has been equipped with a hold-over de­ vice to permit cards to be handled as a group. Thus, with this device, a group of cards pertaining to some one document will be scanned as a unit and moved as a group either to the "selected" or "rejected" pocket. The scanning machine is also be­ ing equipped with counters which can be used to indicate how many cards—or groups of cards—passing through the scanner satisfy a certain criterion or com­ bination of criteria which might b e set up to define the scope of the search. Thus, on a single pass through the scanning ma­ chine, cards pertaining to a broad generic search could he selected out, and, at the same time, the number of cards which would satisfy each of several more specific searches could b e counted. These new features of the scanning machine promise to enhance its usefulness considerably. Another recent IBM development is a coding system which involves a self-check­ ing feature. In this system, the basic coding symbols are two-letter syllables each of which is built up by a consonant followed by a vowel. The letter q is dropped and, in this way, twenty conso­ nants in combination with five vowels pro­ vide 100 two-letter syllables. The possi­ bility of errors due to transporsition of ad­ jacent letters is much reducecl by compari­ son with similar transposition of two suc­ cessive digits in multidigit numbers. The organization of teams of volunteers who wish to study notational systems for organic structural fonnulas has moved rapidly. At present, 115 volunteers have been organized into fifteen teams on a regional basis, covering the country from Massachusetts to California. T w o volun­ teers who wrote in from the Netherlands West Indies are undertaking a study of all four systems at present under considera­ tion. It is anticipated that the results of this study by vounteer workers will be ready for review at the fall meeting of the ACS in Atlantic City, and it is hoped that these results will be helpful to t h e Com­ mission of the IUPAC when it meets again in Stockholm in the summer of 1953. J. W . PERRY,

C Η Ε A ' ! C /* L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G

Chairman

NEWS