AlC Award
Arthur Bueche: technology's spokesman He began with fundamental contributions to polymer physics that earned him election to the National Academy of Sciences. He uncovered leadership resources within himself to reorganize his firm's research effort, turn around a sour management attitude toward research, and become a good shepherd to his scientific staff. Most recently, he has become the spokesman of the technical community, increasingly called on to advise the President of the U.S. and science-oriented agencies. These achievements led the American Institute of Chemists to award its gold medal to Arthur M. Bueche, senior vice president for corporate technology at General Electric Co., Fairfield, Conn. He is indeed a person, according to the dedication, who has been of service to chemical science and the chemical and chemical engineering professions. Bueche received the medal at AIC's annual meeting last week in Washington, D.C. Bueche obtained his Ph.D. in 1947 at Cornell University and did three years' postdoctoral work there with Nobel Laureate physicist Peter Debye. With Debye, he developed the mathematical relation between the angle of light scattered from solid polymers and other materials and the distances between regions of heterogeneity. This equation finds wide use in materials science today. Joining GE's Schenectady, N.Y., research laboratory in 1950, Bueche studied effects of electron beam radiation and fillers on silicone elastomer strength and elasticity. This work led to new understanding of rubber elasticity. His research into effects of radiation on polyethylene resulted in cross-linked polyethylene. Bueche also began work on the then relatively new science of fracture and crazing in polymers. These beginnings formed the basis of the hundreds of papers published in this field annually. He rose into management, becoming chief of polymer research in 1953 and head of the chemistry department in 1961. Throughout his Schenectady years, Bueche roamed the labs continually, getting to know the people, always looking for ideas. 'Our fundamental job is to spot the kind of person who at least demon-
strates the potential for being the one in a hundred—one in a thousand— one in a lifetime—who may have the flash of true genius," Bueche says. "Then our job—above all other tasks—is to give these people, and their ideas, a chance to survive and grow." "He constantly asks: 'What's new?,' " says one associate. "What's the new idea? Why can't we get this done faster? What are the obstacles? Let's get moving. He pushes, directs, stretches, challenges people to do what they thought they couldn't do themselves." "It's tough to match his effort on the job—seven days a week," remarks another coworker of Bueche's methods. "He sets an example that's difficult for his people to follow, and this inspires them. "He won't take a casual no for an answer—not until the scientific work has been done to prove it." Once he identifies a project that promises a big payoff, he insists that resources be rearranged to pursue it. When persuading the operating side of the company to commercialize technology developed in research, Bueche informs himself completely on the subject to counter any arguments. He persistently presents these projects again and again until he has made operating managers as enthusiastic about the program as he himself. "He wants to understand everything," comments one associate. "You can never give him too much detail." GE named Bueche a vice president in 1965, with the task of merging the research and engineering laboratories. He succeeded dramatically in an atmosphere of severe troubles for the company. GE was going through a period of having to pay out a large amount of money, perhaps $2 billion, resulting from a criminal antitrust conviction, repairs on turnkey nuclear plants, and heavy investments in computers and commercial aircraft jet engines. The engineering lab was funded by in-house and outside contracts at a time when contracts were becoming scarce. The research lab had developed the reputation of excellence in science but indifference to short-term
company problems. There was talk of abolishing it. As one tool to join the labs, Bueche involved all his managers in planning. They had to work together to agree on unified future courses. Bueche also shifted almost all resources to applications and development to meet GE's short-term needs. His success was such that the research center gained a new reputation of being helpful to GE, weathered the 1970-71 recession with almost no cutbacks, and finally got to redirect much of its effort to basic science. Bueche became senior vice president for corporate technology in 1978 and moved to Fairfield. In this post, he integrates and represents all of GE's technical effort to management, of which the research center does only about 10%. In the 1970's, Bueche played increasing roles outside GE, becoming a statesman of science and technology. He was a member of the U.S. President's advisory group that reestablished the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy—a move much desired by scientists everywhere. He chaired the advisory group on the effect of regulation on innovation. At President Carter's request, he consulted with the Department of Commerce in its recent policy review of industrial innovation. In advisory work, Bueche applies the same insightful, methodical approach that works for him at GE. Steve Stinson, New York May 12, 1980C&EN
25
