ACS Division of Farrington Daniels University o f Wisconsin Madison
I
Physical and Inorganic Chemistry Golden Jubilee
The American Chemical Society for its first 30 meetings had only one session a t a time. There were no divisions. By the 31st meeting in 1904, in Philadelphia, the society had grown so large and was coveriug so many epecialized fields that the meetings mere divided into sections including one for physical chemistry and one for inorganic chemistry. Between 10 and 20 papers were given a t most meetings of the Physical Chemistry Section, but a t the last one before the divisional merger, there were 43 papers, including papers on electrochemical researches by G. N. Lewis and by Hulett, radioactivity by Boltwood, iodine and potassium iodide by Charles L. Parsons, catalysis in flowing gases by Langmuir, solutions of metals in liquid a.mmonia by Kraus, hydration of ions by Washburn, and contributions by many others. I t was an interesting program, even as viewed by sophisticated chemists half a century later. On Decemher 30, 1908, a t a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Baltimore, plans were drawn up and nominat,ions made for the newly authorized Division of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry. Two days later on January 1, 1909, the first meeting of the Division was held. In February, 1909. I joined the American Chemical Society as an undergraduate student and in 1910 I presented a paper before the Division of Physical and Inorganic Chemistry. So, I have been privileged to know the Division throughout practically its whole existence. The success of any organization depends on the men who lead it. The chairmen of this Division are shown here. The gallery is complete. Two-thirds of them are still living. These men were not mere figureheads occupying honorary positions. They were active, producing scientists and since 1920, with only two exceptions, they came to the chairmanship after strenPresented at the Golden Jubilee Celebration, Division of History of Chemistry, at the 134t,h Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Chicago, September, 1958. G. N. Lewis I908
C. H. Herty I909
E. C. Franklin 1910
uous service as secretary. All of them would testify to the agonizing times preceding the semiannual, national meetings when just before the deadline the manuscripts pour in. G. N. Lewis was the chairman of the Division when it was organized. No person has done more than he to advance physical chemistry. He developed chemical thermodynamics, invented the concept of the electron pair and laid the foundations for atomic and molecular structure, and he founded a school of chemistry a t the University of California which has produced many creative leaders in physical chemistry. The membership of the Division for the first year, 1909, must have been around 150. Five years ago it was 1531. I n 1958, it was 1900--even after three ncw divisions had been split from it. At the 43rd meeting of the American Chemical Society in Minneapolis in 1910, the minutes, as puhlished in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, report that a committee was appointed to study the best means of raising $20 to $25 for postage and printing for the d i v i s i o n a t present paid for by the secretary. At the 44th meeting, an assessment of $1.00 per memher was voted. At the 45th meeting the secretarytreasurer reported that there was $50.93 in the treasury but that only one-third of the members had paid their dues. There has been a steady rise in the number of papers presented a t the Division meetings. As a very rough rule, the number is not too far from being equal to the number of meetings which the American Chemical Society has held since the beginning. At the 4211d meeting in San Francisco in 1910, there were 44 papers, a t the 43rd in Minneapolis in 1910, there were 48 papers, a t the 77th there were 72 papers, and a t the 78th there were 62 papers. Recently there have been about 150 papers a t each meeting. We have looked in a t the first meeting when the Division was formed. Three years later a t Washington, we find on the program: Langmuir, Hildehrand, H. P. Tolbot
W. 1. Miller
1911 6 1917
I912
S. 1. Bigelow 1913 6 1918
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Volume 36, Number 9, September 1959
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G. A. Hvlett 19148. 1915
I. Longmulr
W. E. Henderson
W . D. Harkinr
1916
1919
1920
i ~ l l : nI ; l i ~ ,I - r i ~ rs ~ . A,. i s , 1. A. Noyes, and ,John Johnson and others contributing papers. The subiccts included among others an active form of hydrogen, ammonia compounds, viscosity, rare earths, perchloric acid, ionization theory, electrode potentials, vacuum pumps, and physical-chemical concepts. At another meeting nineteen years later in Indianapolis in 1931, we read in the symposium on Mathematics ill the service of chemistry, u ~ h ~ chemist does not fully realize the tremendous advances that have been made recently through quantum theory and related fields. Advanced mathematics is such a valuable tool in Chemistry now that the alert chemist can no longer remain in ignorance of it." The program had Randall on Thermodynamics; Fowler on Statistical Mechanics; Dushman on Quanturn Mechanics; and Urey on Atomic Structure. Other papers were given by Rodebush on Chemical Equilibria from Band Spectra; by Andrews on Chemical Applications of Raman Spectra; by Mulliken on Electron Quantum Numbers; by Hogness on Strength of Carbon Bonds; by Villars on Band Spectroscopy; by Eyring on Quantum Mechanical Calculation of Heats of Activation; and by H. L. Johnston on Precise Calculation of Specific Heats and Heats of Dissociation to 5000" for Or and NO. The Division has held over 200 symposia. Of these, 14 have been isolated symposia held a t a different time R. E. Wilson
G. Edgar
A. E. Hill
1923
1924
1925
H. N. Holmer I921
S. E. Sheppmrd
1922
: ~ n dp I : ~ etlii~nt h .~\ I I I C I ~ C : I I I C'heniiwl Society ~ n w t , ings. They hare heeu the sole business of the participants for three days, without other distractions. Titles are given here. Special Symposia >Ialeeular Structure Princeton Cleveland Less Familiar Elements R~~~~ IntermoIecuIar Brtion Iiinetirs of Gas Rw,ction~ Wisconsin Atlantic Cit,y (June) Tools of Analptirnl Chemistry Columbia Struetur? of Molcculcs and hggre(December) gatps of \-lolecule8 Recent development,^ of the S o n Ohio State Metals Northwentrl.n Color and Elertronir Structure of Complex Ahlecui~s Pittsburgh T h e Solid State Minnesota Anomalies in Reaction Kinetics yotreD~~~ Electron Transfer and I ~ o t o p i rReart,ions y:'ytady Solutions Impurity of P hEl~etrolytes ~nomena wisconsin Valrnry and Chemical Bonding Northwestern .\lrrhanism~of Inorganic Reactions in Solution
1936 1937 193s 1939 1940 1940 1941
1946 1049 1950 1952
1956 1958
The titles of symposia a t the regular nieetings show that the Division has been prompt to h d p in the development of new discoveries. Representative Symposia at ACS Meetings I013 1015 1920 1921 H.
Phot,ochemistry Industrial Chemistv Colloids Contact Catalysis
B. Weiser 1926
G. S. Forbes
1927
G . 1. Clork 1928
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438 / Journal of Chemical Education
N. H. Furmon
1. W. Witliomr
1935
1936
H. 1. Johnston 1937
I)istiIIation I'rntrins .4tomir St.nwture and Valenre Chemical Activation hy Light and Ionizing Radiation* Xlsbhnmnties Clwmiral Thermodynamics Druterinm; Qumtnm me char lie^ and Reaction Kinetics High Polymers; Dipole Moments; Low Temperature Chemistry; Grorhemistry Dropping Rlcrcury Electrodes; Nuclear Chemistry Tool8 of Analyticxl Chemi~try; Fluorine Chemistry Magnetism and Malccular Structnre Hydrngm Bonds; Tracer Isotopes Free Radicals; Semi-conductors Co-polymrrs; Radiation Chemistry Chemi8try of F i & m Products; Ion Exchange Separations; Rinctics of Propdlnrrts Transuranium Elements; O~panometallicCampounda L'nlamilinr Vitlenrr States; High Temperature Reactions; Actinide Elrmmts S u r l r s r and I'nramagnebic Resonance Air Pol1ut;tnts
Philosophies and innovations of the Division
Believing that there is strength and influence in numbers, the Division has tried over the years t o hold together physical a i d inorganic chemists of widely differing interests. I11 spite of this it has been a fissioning division. Colloids splitting off in 1927, Microchemistry and Analytical Chemistry in 1940, and Inorganic in 1957. 4 s a matter of fact, within the first year of the marriage hetween the physical and inorganic divisions, half a century ago, there was agitation for a divorce. A commit,tee was appointed t o study t,he s~pamtion. The fnllowing year hy a 4 to 1 vote,
H. 5. Booth 1938
G. Scatchard 1939
G. F. Smith
1940
the committee recommeiided against sepamtionpointing out that it mas difficult t o classify and distinguish hetween the investigat,ions and the investigators in the two fields and suggesting suhdirisions in the program when the crowding of the program should become too severe. There were several M e r agitations for separation. but the Division stayed together until within a year of its fiftieth anniversary. K ~ I Vt,he old division is the Division of Physical Chemistry, and the ilew Division of Inorganic Chemistry is starting out rigorously and useful[y, The idea of two or more simultr~neoussections was not implemented until the meeting a t S\%.ampscott, Massachusetts, in 1928, and it has been maint,ained ever since. Often the Division has rim three different meet,ings simultaneously. Aiiot,her innovation, the fixed time schedule, with 15 minutes for each paper, was started by the Division in 1929 a t the 77th meeting. In 1930 a t t,he 78th meeting in Minneapolis, 20 minutes each were allowed for the papers. According to the minutes, "the new time schedule was entirely satisfactory and at no time was the program more than 5 minutes hehind schedule." How can we continue t o serve the development of physical chemistry and remain strong mhen there is the urgc for greater specialization and more splinter groups? We should always arrange for narrower activities within the larger group, as me hal-e done so
H. Eyring
M. Kilpatrick
J. C. Boilor. Jr.
M. Burton
G. T. Seoborg
F. A. Long
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
Volume 36, Number
9,
September 1 9 5 9
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J. W. Kennedy
1954
F. 1. G m k , Jr. 1955
P. W. Selr 1956
su~~;r!ssfullythus LII.. \ZTc ought to IF ingeniws enough to invent new wilys t o meet changing conditions in the future. The American Chemical Society with its large influential membership and centralized administration, and yet with its internal specialties and its democracy, has an extraordinary record of achievement. Biological sciences and other professional groups are less effective in science because they have not incorporated the specializations of the small divisions into one large society. What new problems are likely to arise? Chemical physics is an important and growing field which belongs
110th to the ;\nicrican C h e n i i d Swiet. :~ndthe ;\nwrican Physical Society. Thr .Jnwnal qf ('hrmical Physics is an excellent journal, but it has been somewhat of an orphan. I n the future perhaps more cooperation can be established between chemists and physicists, just as there is now such fine cooperation between chemists of different interests. Finally, when new ideas and new laboratory findings are born they will he brought together promptly for information, evaluation, and application by a still stronger and constantly growing Division of Physical Chemistry.
Chairmen of the Division of Physical a n d Inorganic Chemistry Research Peld Laboratory 1908 G. N. Lewis U. Cslifornis Thermodynamics, molecular struct,ure 1000 Charles H. Herty Physical Chemistry North Carolina 1910 Edward C. Franklin Solutions in liquid ammonia Stanford 191 1 Henry P. Tnlhot Analytical chemistry .MIT Physical chemistry 1912 W. Lash Miller Toronto 1013 S. L. Bigelow Capillary action Michigan Electrochemistry 1014 George A. Hulett, Princeton Eleetrochemi~try Princeton 1915 George A. Hulrtt 1016 Irving Langmuir Surface energy; molecular structure Gen. Electric Co. 1917 Henry P. Tslhot Analytical chemistry MIT 1918 S. L. Bigelow Capillary action Alichiyan Physical chemistry Ohio State 1919 W. E. Henderson 1020 William D. Harkins Surface phenomena; nuclear structure Chicago Colloids 1921 Harry N. Holmes Oherlin 1!122 Samuel E. Sheppard Photography Eastman Kodak Co. 1R2.7 Robert E. \Vilfion Physical chemistry Standard Oil Co. ]!I24 Graham Edgar Kinetics Et,hyl Corp. ]!I25 Art,hur E. Hill Phase diagrams Yale 1028 Harry B. Weiser Colloids, hydrous oxides Rice Institute Photochemistry 1927 George S. Forbes Harvard 1928 George L. Clark X-rays Illinois Kinetics; colloids 1929 Victor K. LaMer Columbia Physical chemistry 10:10 Ward V. Evans Xorthwestern Chemical kinetics 1!131 Farringtan Daniels Wisconsin 2 Hobart H. Willard Analytical chemistry Michigan Photochemistry, (editor J P C and JACS) 1933 W. Albert Noyes, Jr. Brown (Rochester) 1934 D. H. Andrews Molecular vibrations Johns Hopkins Analytical chemistry 1935 N. Howell Furman Princeton Dipole moments; colloids 1038 John W. Williams IVisconsin Thermodynamics 1937 Herrick L. Johnston Ohio State 1038 H. S. Booth Inorganic chemistry Western Reserve 1039 George Scatchard Solutions MIT Inorganic chemistry ]!I40 G. Frederick Smith Illinois 1941 John G. Kirkwoad Theory of solutions Cornell (Yde) Conrad Ferneliur Inorganio chemistry 1042 UT. Ohio State (Penn State) Phy~icalchemistry, propellants 3043 R. E . Gibson Carnegie Institution (Applied Physics Lab.) 1944 Oscar K. Rice Kinetics North Carolina Thermodynamics, solutions Chicago 1045 T. Fraser Young Thermodynamics, solutions Chicago 1046 T. Fraser Young Phyfiieal chemistry 1947 Paul M. Gross Duke 1948 Henry Eyring Kinetics, theory Princeton (Utah) 194CI Martin liilpatrick Kinetics of solutions Penn. (Ill. Inst. Tech.) Inorganic chemistry 1950 John C. Bailar, Jr. Illinois 1051 Milton Burton Radiation chemistry Notre Dame Nuclear chem., transuranium elements California 1952 Glenn T. Scaborg Physical chemistry; polymers 1053 Frank A. Long Cornell ]!I54 Joseph W. Kennedy Rsdioehemistry tirashington Uoiv. 1055 Frank T. Gucker. Jr. Calorimetry Indiana 1950 Pierce W. Selwood Magnetochemistry Xorthwcstern 5 John E . Willard Radiation chemistry Wisconsin 1058 David P. Stevenson* Ion-molecule gas reactions Shell Dev. Ca. 1959 Robert L. Burwell* Physical-organic chemistry Korthwestern * Chairmen Division of Physical Chemistry Jlivision; Division of Inorganic Chemistry is separate division.
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