ACS News
Candidates answer C&EN questions-Part 1
James D. D'lanni Dr. James D. D'lanni and Dr. Albert C. Zettlemoyer are the candidates for ACS president-elect for 1979 in this fall's election. D'lanni is assistant to the vice president of research for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in Akron, and Zettlemoyer is provost and vice president of Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa. D'lanni is a councilor representing the Rubber Division and Zettlemoyer is a director-at-large. So ACS members can obtain a more detailed grasp of the
D'lanni I am grateful to have the honor of being a candidate for the position of ACS president-elect, and to be given the opportunity to express my views of the society's activities and goals in this highly respected professional forum. After 44 years of membership in ACS and much involvement in national committee work and division and local section business, I am quite familiar with the functions of the society and its present and potential value to members and the public. This is an appropriate time for me to be a candidate since I shall be retiring from Goodyear this fall after more than 40 years of industrial research experience in a wide variety of positions. I greatly value the help and friendship provided over the years by the society and now would like to devote my full time and energy to assisting ACS and its members. Our society has over 115,000 members, with more than 8000 new members enrolled last year. We are in a period of dynamic growth again, but we should do much more, since only about one half of the chemists in the U.S. are members. 50 C&EN Aug. 14, 1978
Albert C. Zettlemoyer candidates' views of the society and its operations, C&EN has posed 10 questions to each candidate and asked each for a general statement of his views. This statement and the first five questions and replies are presented here. The other five questions and replies will be published in the Aug. 21 issue. The formal election statements of D'lanni and Zettlemoyer, as well as those of the nominees running for ACS directors, will be published in C&EN in the Sept. 18 issue.
With more members and more income, the society can increase existing programs and develop new ones for the benefit of members. People who have studied our society know it is an incredibly complex organization. Our members are found in all areas of industry, government, and academia, and their needs and desires are quite different. The society, with its competent staff, effectively represents all segments of its widely diversified membership. The current demand for chemists fortunately provides good opportunities for employment, but ACS should continue the employment clearinghouse, confidential listing, academic openings, advertising, and résumé service, even though the unemployment rate for chemists is down to 1.5%. Supply-demand data and surveys of starting and current salaries also help in career guidance. The work of such committees as Economic Status, Professional Relations, and Professional Programs Planning & Coordinating Committee (PROPPACC) is very helpful in promoting professional activities. I favor more participation by younger chemists in ACS activities, to maintain and increase the organization's flexibility of outlook and operation. Also, there should be greater recognition of techni-
cians' problems and increased emphasis on upgrading technical skills and improving their work environment. The society's efforts in education, one of its principal objects, have been outstanding. High standards have been established for approved institutions, involving such committees as Professional Training, Chemical Education, and Chemical Education Planning & Coordinating Committee (CEPACC). I would encourage the study of chemistry and science by all students, for a better understanding and appreciation of modern science and technology. More emphasis on industrial chemistry would provide a better background for industrial careers. ACS has done a most effective job in the area of continuing education with short courses, audio programs, and computerassisted programs. These should continue to be strongly supported. Another principal object, "the increase and diffusion of chemical knowledge," is handled in a highly competent manner. Our journals and Chemical Abstracts Service set high standards for the entire scientific world. My main concern is that costs are getting too high for the individual, or for the small college or company. A partial solution for information retrieval at reasonable cost is to make the Chemi-
cal Abstracts data bases available to interactive computer networks. Changes in organization and governance should make ACS more responsive to member needs, and promote closer board-council working relations. We must evaluate the effectiveness of the new society committees on Budget & Finance, Publications, and Chemical Abstracts Service, as well as the experimental commissions on Science and Education. Costs of operating the new governance system should be closely scrutinized. Are the members willing to pay on a long-term basis the higher costs for more governance? The better balance in council representation between divisions and local sections has long been needed and should work to everyone's benefit. The divisions will be strengthened by the allotment of society funds to develop innovative programs for national meetings and other division objectives. Additional funds are also available for trying new ideas in local sections. Every councilor who wants a specific work assignment in some area of the society's activities should have the opportunity to serve. There are not sufficient openings on committees, but nearly every councilor could be profitably used in some organized activity, in committee, commission, staff function, or as Science Counselor. Our relations with the government on matters of public policy will continue to grow. We have the ability and the obligation to provide government bodies with scientific information for proper judgments on public issues. We have asked President Carter to provide funds to support more basic research in our universities. Congress' Office of Technology Assessment can use inputs from society bodies to help assess the impact of technology on society. In the nation's efforts to develop a strong energy program, we can help achieve a cost-effective balance between energy sources and environmental needs. We can work with government regulatory bodies to establish realistic goals on exposure to chemicals in food, air; water, and to attain safe environmental conditions in working areas. More input from the Corporation Associates Committee will ensure that industry views are adequately represented. The society has handled effectively many matters of public import through the board-council Committee on Chemistry & Public Affairs. It has sponsored such outstanding studies as Cleaning the Environment, Chemistry and The Economy, and Chemistry and Medicine. A study on Energy and the Environment is in preparation and others are under consideration. It has also spearheaded the formulation of position statements, for board approval, on many matters of public interest, most recently one on halocarbons and their effects on stratospheric ozone. The society should continue its activities in these areas as an impartial source
of facts so that public and government bodies can make correct judgments. We should continue educating the public on the good things chemists do for modern life—through TV and radio programs, exhibits, speakers, and other means. There is much merit in extending our influence worldwide by establishing an International Chemical Society, with individual memberships, which would associate us with other chemical societies. In summary, I have touched briefly on many of the society's current activities and my support of most of them. The next few years will be a trial period to observe how well the new governance structure works. I am anxious to increase membership and have younger chemists more active in ACS affairs, to involve every councilor in a specific assignment, and to have the society provide adequate input to government bodies making decisions on chemicals and their effect on health and the environment. The society is embarked on many exciting activities for its members and for the public generally, and I would like to be an active participant, with your assistance and approval.
Zettlemoyer I believe we have the most effective scientific society in the world. ACS is paramount in scientific literature through the 23 journals and publications it publishes and through the national (organized by the 29 divisions), regional, and local meetings it sponsors. Its educational programs including short courses, audiovisual media, and conferences are superb. Its professional programs have come a long way. It has started to be heard meaningfully in the public arena. Not that in each of these fields there is nothing more to be done. Indeed there is. In recent visits to local sections and regional meetings, my most disquieting finding is that many chemists do not know nor appreciate what ACS is doing. Somehow our ACS must communicate better. Communication problems are endemic to institutions and they must be worked at constantly. I welcome the opportunity to play a small part in communicating my thoughts through this statement and answers to questions provided by C&EN. I shall have more to say about communication itself in answers to two of these questions. I shall address each of the areas of ACS activities mentioned above to point out some important additional efforts I would strive for if elected president-elect. My exposure is broad because I have worked for ACS for 25 years, both at the local and at the national level. I am now a director-at-large and an elected member of the Science Commission. Besides being a university man most of my professional life, I have worked in industry, directed many industrial research projects, served as an industrial consultant, and am di-
rector of several companies. Before I make any suggestions for the ACS programs, I have a few words to say about women chemists and about younger chemists. • Some outstanding women have attained leadership roles in ACS—prime examples include our current president, board chairman, and two other directors. Yet women have not been used in leadership roles in proportion to their numbers (about 10,000). • Younger chemists provide the seeds for the future of ACS. I encourage the formation of a Younger Chemists Committee in each of the 176 local sections. These groups can help us formulate policy, first at the local level, and they can contribute to innovative programing. Furthermore, the younger chemists can help us sell ACS to nonmembers. Although our membership roll is at an alltime high, too many chemists do not belong to ACS. Now I return to the other issues that I believe need consideration and that are not dealt with in answers to the C&EN questions. • Updating and retraining our members need constant effort. Besides short courses, there are now more than 40 audio courses on wide-ranging topics from Business Aspects of Chemistry to Applications of Orbital Symmetry; there are many more in preparation. The annual rate of growth in sales averages 50%. Their usefulness for local section members, in programs and by individuals, has not been fully exploited. Local sections could provide a library of the more generally popular ones for use by its members. My further suggestion is that we develop clusters of courses, for example, in polymers or in surface chemistry with a laboratory course when appropriate, and recognize successful completion of the cluster with a certificate. This recognition would be a kind of ACS certification. • Chemical Abstracts Service deserves, indeed demands, our attention. Our society is the steward of an enterprise larger in dollar volume than the rest of ACS; we are stewards because R&D support from public monies, funds from overseas, as well as from our own subscribers, pays for CAS. No part of the dues dollar of our members flows into CAS, including administrative costs in our Washington, D.C., office. We are the custodian of a prime asset for the entire scientific community. I am one who believes we should continue this role even though cost may become an increasing problem. CAS needs to continue to receive the input of chemists. Furthermore, over the years it has benefited from the efforts of many members. I applaud the production of CA Selects, biweekly bulletins on selected topics to keep researchers abreast of the field. Currently, more than 20 topics are being covered with a special abstract service. We need more such member-oriented services. The new society committee taking over from the board committee on CAS may be able to suggest additional services for which a special need exists. Aug. 14, 1978 C&EN
51
Pricing is another problem. Colleges need more than the $500 discount. And small businesses can afford less than large companies. Would it be plausible to relate price to sales volume? I believe such a plan should be carefully studied. • We need a more adhesive industryacademe interface. Each has vested interests in the other. Yet the interaction is weak. Exchange of personnel should be increased: industrial sabbaticals for professors and visiting scientists in academe for industrial chemists. Lectures by industrial chemists, on such topics as patents, the profit motive, ethics, and the nature of industrial R&D, should be programed in academe. Industrial chemistry should take its rightful place as part of the
B.S. curriculum. Research project support by industry in academe provides one of the best methods to produce a more adhesive interface; it appears to be on the increase, although it remains a minor portion of research support in universities. A position paper for the federal government to provide tax incentives for industrial R&D already is being prepared by the American Chemical Society; those industrial nations with a favorable balance of trade have long had such tax incentives. I propose a society committee consisting of members from such areas as education, member relations, professional relations, and Corporation Associates to work continuously on problems of the
industry-academe interfaces. This committee would offer opportunities for contributions from a wide segment of our membership. I am proud to be a chemist and to be a member of the American Chemical Society. It is difficult to imagine our profession without ACS. Elected or not, I will work toward the development of the above programs and those suggested in answer to the C&EN questions. As president, I would be more effective. Finally, the ACS president's responsibility, indeed opportunity, is to be an effective spokesman to the members and for the members, to the nation and to the world. It would be a privilege and an honor for me to try to fulfill these needs.
Do you believe that the society's overall program is reasonably balanced among the major areas of scientific communication, education, membership affairs, and professional affairs? If not, what shifts would you suggest?
Zettlemoyer ACS enjoys reasonable balance among its major areas of scientific publication, education, membership affairs, and professional affairs. Any shifts should be made with great care. There may be an opportunity to streamline some operations; they should be under constant scrutiny. Two shifts, probably modest monetarily, would help in my opinion. The first has to do with member relations. We need to communicate more effectively with the membership. A vigorous attack on the communication problem should be made. Local section publications should be persuaded to carry opinion (op-ed) articles from society committees and officers using national contributions to pay for the cost. In my answer to another question I will address a different mode for C&EN for this purpose. The second has to do with our national meetings. Our national meeting programs are good, better than ever from my viewpoint, but both the hassle and the cost are increasing. Satisfaction with the big national meetings is decreasing, whereas interest in more specialized conferences is growing. Techniques are now available for having satellite meetings at several high-density areas with simultaneous interaction with speakers at the national meeting site. I serve on the Science Commission, which is beginning to look at such new modes for national meetings. Many chemists might enjoy a new type of meeting and benefit from reduced costs as well. Our national meetings really consist of divisional programs. I will continue to support appropriate funding for divisions 52
C&EN Aug. 14, 1978
needs of the individual chemist has greatly expanded the society's activities in the professional area, and I have approved and encouraged this trend as much as possible. The current balance is therefore more realistic and beneficial to the member than previously. The trend to greater emphasis on professional matters is compatible with the original objects of the society, since the national charter refers to "high standards of professional ethics" and "professional contacts." It is also significant that in 1972 the following object was added to the constitution: "To foster the improvement of the qualifications and usefulness of chemists, the society shall be concerned with both the profession of chemistry and its practitioners." The other three areas have traditionally been very strong ones for the society and will continue to occupy important roles in the society's future. However, as inflation continues, costs probably will rise significantly, and it will be difficult to do everything we want to do with the financial resources available. Concern already has been expressed about rising costs and almost automatic increases in annual dues, so we must be careful not to price ourselves out of the market as far as a significant number of our members is concerned. Costs are of particular concern in the publications area, even though excellent progress has been made in coping with the rapidly rising tide of chemical literature. How can the individual chemist maintain D'lanni competency even in a narrow field of endeavor, at reasonable cost? Perhaps ACS I believe that currently there is a reason- can solve the information retrieval probable balance in ACS among the four areas lem for its members by making available of scientific communication, education, Chemical Abstracts data bases for intermembership affairs, and professional af- active computer networks at a moderate fairs. In the past 10 years, concern for the cost per search.
to help finance improvements and for studies of new delivery systems for scientific and technical programs. I also support funding for imaginative improvement of local section programs. ACS can provide program material from its audio courses and from its numerous operations, such as slides on the Professional Employment Guidelines and talks by the Congressional Science Counselors on the positions being taken by ACS on public issues. There are many other improvisations that local sections can adopt on their own; some are doing so now. Considerable resistance to dues increases has arisen among our members, and particularly to these increases being pegged to the cost of living index. One suggestion is to relate the dues to the median salaries of chemists; any such different suggestion should be analyzed. New ways of bringing in money, other than dues, should also be tried. Thus, staff efforts to further develop expositions, perhaps with an internationalflavor,appear to be a step in the right direction. While I am on the subject of dues, the cost/effectiveness of lesser dues for younger chemists should be examined. Some organizations in the chemical arena have such reduced fees for chemists under 35. ACS should study different structures like this one and should examine how adoption could take place.
cieties. Besides news releases praised by
Specifically, what more do you suggest ACS might be doing editors, the News Service provides films, radio programs, and a planetarium show to improve public awareness of chemistry and the chemical (a new one is in the offing) seen by milprofession? In this regard, should ACS be more willing to takelions. The News Service provides local sections with advice on public relations. stands on public issues, especially when such issues involveThese are but a few of its many contributions. moral and political, as well as technical, aspects?
D'lanni
ACS already has done a great deal to promote public awareness of chemistry and the chemical profession by the issuance of position statements and by the preparation and broad dissemination of studies in areas where chemistry impinges on areas of general interest to the public. These activities should be continued and broadened as new matters of concern arise. This publicity should emphasize the good things that chemists do, to counter the bad publicity from the misapplication of chemistry by a few. Not all chemists and their employers are unconcerned about the public welfare. Recently, there has been much discussion in government and industry circles that the pace of innovation in this country has slackened, particularly when compared to such countries as West Germany and Japan. One likely reason is that industry, in coping with stricter government regulations relating to health and safety, has been unable to maintain the previously high level of effort normally devoted to new product and process improvements. President Carter has directed the Department of Commerce to start a study on why innovation is lagging and how to promote it. ACS could offer to help by screening members to serve on the various panels that are currently being organized. It is encouraging that ACS has organized a subcommittee of the Committee on Chemistry & Public Affairs that is preparing a position statement on incentives for research and development. It will de-
Just a few words on the impact some of the productions have had in arousing public interest and, by so doing, in imvelop information on incentives that other proving the image of the chemist. More governments have utilized with favorable than 5 million TV viewers have seen the impact on international trade, produc- film, "Baseline." Museum attendance tivity, and issuance of patents. Clearly, records all over the country have been ACS in the next year is in an excellent broken by the centennial exhibit, "Taking position to have its voice heard in the Things Apart and Putting Things Toappropriate government circles that will gether." More than 500 planétariums are be very influential in deciding what gov- breaking attendance records with the ernment incentives for R&D will be ap- ACS show, "The Loneliness Factor." proved. The decision could have a signif- Benefits for ACS members will surely be icant effect on the number of chemists reaped by the new film, "Chemistry and and chemical engineers employed in the Man," which depicts the importance of chemistry to everyday living; it already next few years. As for public issues that may be moral has appeared on television 324 times to an and political, rather than technical, I be- audience of some 7.5 million. The rate of lieve that ACS should speak up clearly so appearances of these public relations that its views may be widely known. This productions could be increased substanis particularly true of those cases, and tially to improve the image and underthere have been some internationally, in standing of chemicals and chemistry. I suggest we also initiate a Public which scientific freedom and human rights have been violated. Our voice would Speaker Program with the same level of be even more persuasive if we were a support and participation as the Conmember of an international association of gressional Science Counselor program. societies that could register a combined Volunteer speakers in all parts of the U.S. protest when scientific freedom or human could be identified and provided with a few model talks that they could adapt to and civil rights are violated. their own purposes. They could then offer their services to various clubs and organizations in their area. The talks could be geared to the importance of chemistry in its many aspects to our society. Zettlemoyer I also believe that ACS should take a stand on moral issues related to chemistry when consensus can be reached or is alI have one suggestion to help increase ready obvious. Thus, when scientists public awareness of chemistry and the abroad are oppressed, ACS should be chemical profession. Let me first state heard, as other societies have been. It is an that the ACS News Service and the obligation of conscience. Cooperation Committee on Public Relations do an with scientists abroad on mutually imoutstanding job. Many chemists are not portant projects is one way to keep aveaware of the many activities and successes nues open. I have been a director of two of the News Service. It is an old activity, such projects supported on our side by the and it is a leader among professional so- National Science Foundation.
In recent years considerable effort has been devoted to what many members perceive as a strengthening of the democratic basis upon which the society is run. Have such changes been beneficial? Does more need to be done in your view?
Zettlemoyer In the past few years we have adopted a set of fair election procedures that seem reasonable to me. Chief among these is the provision of easy access to ballots for petition candidates. To my knowledge, no one who really tried to become a petition
candidate in recent years has not become one. We want to be certain, too, that there is sufficient time for ballots to be returned. I voted for the petition that allows for seven weeks rather than four weeks for ballot return. Thus, we can still economize with third-class mailings. If slow mail still disenfranchises some of our members, then we will have to use the more expensive first-class mailing. We want to encourage voting as much as possible. I am
sure the Committee on Nominations & Elections will watch this matter closely. Another attempt at democratic change is the formation of the experimental commissions on science (where there was no similar body) and on education. The object is to share with members more responsibilities of the board of directors and to involve more members in the planning and the decision-making processes. I serve as a member of the Science Commission Aug. 14, 1978C&EN
53
and as chairman of its Subcommittee on Meetings & Expositions. Therefore, I will be able to see at first hand how this arrangement works. "Society committees" provide another form of restructuring. Five board and council committees have been consolidated into three society committees: Committee on Budget & Finance, Committee on Chemical Abstracts Service, and Committee on Publications. They are made up of board and council members and of members-at-large who have special expertise in the committee area. There are also "committee associates" who can learn about the operations and thus can provide informed appointments to the committees at a later date. The object of this new structuring is to provide a more effective mode of operation. This advantage seems likely to be achieved. We must be careful, however, to listen to associates and to members at open meetings and in correspondence. Otherwise, a disadvantage will be that we will lose member input and participation in the decisionmaking process. I should say that, in the short time I have served on the board, responsiveness to requests and needs of members has been quite evident. ACS enjoys the services of a host of dedicated and able workers on its board and on its many committees. And it should be noted that democracy is partly communication. In this regard, board and committee members must listen and be responsive to members and their specific needs and desires. We should use minisurveys, as already tried by the Committee on Membership Affairs, to examine the opinions of our members on various questions.
D'lanni There is no question in my mind that the society has moved in the direction of greater democracy as far is its governance is concerned. The council has always been an excellent forum for the expression of individual views, whether those of the individual councilor or his constituents. It's my impression that the board of directors has consistently given careful consideration to the recommendations arising from discussions on the council floor. The stronger voice that divisions now have in the council, by an increase of divisional councilors to 90 or 20% of the total, is certainly desirable from a democratic standpoint. The divisions constitute the scientific strength of the society and are therefore the basic support for the programs at the national meetings. We must continue to give divisions major support and ask .them to play an important role in society activities, otherwise there is the real danger of their drifting off into independent activities. A corollary matter is the encouragement of the formation of new divisions to satisfy new 54
C&EN Aug. 14, 1978
needs of our members, otherwise we face the possibility that independent splinter groups may develop. The new society committees on Budget & Finance, Publications, and Chemical Abstracts Service, as well as the experimental commissions on science and education, should also make ACS more responsive to member needs and promote closer board-council working relations. I don't see that additional changes in governance or policies are needed to make ACS more "democratic." The road is wide open for people to express their views and
initiate action through their local section and division councilor, or one of the numerous committees of the society. I would urge more members to get involved, if they want to see specific action by the society. One of the responsibilities each member should consider seriously is the right and duty to vote at appropriate local and national elections. It is disappointing to me that only 28% of our members voted for president-elect last year. Local sections and divisions should undertake a campaign this fall to Get Out the Vote.
Over the past 10 years, ACS has come a long way in what has become known as the "professionalism" area, in other words, in matters concerned with the welfare of individual members. Does more remain to be done? If so, what?
D'lanni The work of ACS in the "professionalism" area will never be completed, since we always should be concerned with improving the welfare of the individual chemist. Much progress has been made, but there is no reason to stop now. At the last council meeting, approval was finally given to the definition of a chemist. Although no definition will ever achieve universal approval, it is important, at least for legal reasons, that we now have a society-approved definition which seems reasonable, although it may not apply to 100% of our members. The recent strengthening of the Professional Employment Guidelines is also to be commended. We have reached the point, I believe, when a more active dialogue with employers should be initiated to make these guidelines more universally accepted. Publication of the conditions under which multiple terminations of chemists or chemical engineers have occurred has often disclosed situations that we hope can be minimized or eliminated in the future. It is unfortunate that more complete information is not always available from the employer, but it should be recognized that in some cases details were not disclosed to protect the employee's interests. We should also remember that these are guidelines, not rules of conduct, and we cannot expect every employee and employer to adhere to them in every detail. Although it has not been publicized a great deal, a most interesting symposium on Employee-Employer Relationships was organized last November by the Corporation Associates Committee. The report of this meeting contains a wealth of information on such subjects as the supply-demand picture for scientists and engineers, employment guidelines, and compensation for employed inventors.
Reading this report should be of considerable interest to members desiring an up-dating of these areas. The society also has done an excellent job in providing employment aids and should continue them, even though the unemployment rate of chemists today is only 1.5% and demand continues strong. These include the employment clearinghouse, confidential listing, academic openings, advertising, and résumé service. Supply-demand data, and surveys of starting and current salaries also help in career guidance at our universities.
Zettlemoyer Along with my dedicated colleagues on the Committee on Professional Relations, I have lived "professionalism" for the past six years, three years as chairman of that committee. I was also chairman of PROPPACC (Professional Programs Planning & Coordinating Committee), 1974-77, the overview committee on all ACS professional activities. During this period, the Guidelines for Employers were changed and added to; Guidelines for Chemists were formulated; together with staff we got working an effective member assistance program with thorough followup; three regional consultants (retired chemists) were employed to help adjudicate in specific cases, and local sections were engaged to study layoffs in their area. Much progress was made, but more remains to be done. The most important job to be done, I think, is to work with management of companies, probably through the Corporation Associates, to get greater acceptance of the guidelines. There is not one guideline that some companies do not adhere to; and some have avoided layoffs altogether. We should tell the story of the latter type of company more often than
we do now. The termination guideline least adhered to is the one on termination pay: "two weeks' pay for each year of service." Persuasion should be used to try to convince company management that it is enlightened self-interest to work with the committee on the problems chemists face. A strong campaign to seek formal endorsement of the guidelines by companies should be initiated; a start can be made with only a minor fraction of the companies agreeing to the endorsement. The "state of the art" is similar to that of the American Association of University Professors' 1941 Statement of Principles on tenure before they were adopted by most colleges and universities. AAUP also concerns itself more than ACS does with the individual, i.e. with the citation of the
college that has. treated an individual unprofessionally. Age discrimination and "unemployed" discrimination often go hand in hand. These nonprofessional treatments prevent some of our members from getting new jobs. Underemployment is another ill that some of our members face in seeking job satisfaction. We must find ways to remove these barriers to our well-being, and we must generate the cooperation among all concerned to do so. Right now chemical engineers are in short supply and students are being attracted to the field. Predictions are that those now starting college will be hardpressed to find jobs in four years. And so the cycle repeats. It seems to me that college and university associations, as well as ACS, should develop realistic projec-
tions and then disseminate the information widely. One way to achieve a proper balance between the supply and demand for chemists is to raise standards and maybe accredit graduate schools. Also, academe still trains most Ph.D.'s for academic positions; it is estimated that about one half are forced to take postdoctorates. Managements of industrial laboratories and of state and federal laboratories also need to be persuaded to do some long-range planning. These are matters that the Committee on Economic Status could take under its purview. In all of this, the dignity and prestige of the chemist should be nurtured. Also, perhaps we could find ways to reward chemists directly for patents and other innovations. I would welcome suggestions for practical formulas.
The ACS Board of Directors in June approved formation of a new task force to develop recommendations for an ACS position on the licensing and registration of chemists. Do you have recommendations in this area?
D'lanni In view of the increased emphasis these days on laboratory work related to governmental regulations, it seems appropriate that the board of directors in June approved the formation of a task force to help develop an ACS position on the licensing and registration of chemists. My position on such activities is consistent with the policy that ACS has enunciated in the past, namely, that licensing and registration of chemists should be limited to those employed in public health and safety. The board of directors endorsed such a policy in 1963, and at the Anaheim meeting this spring the Committee on Professional Relations voted to request the board to expand coverage to include chemists "who are in responsible charge and supervision of chemical work involving analyses of air, water, food, drugs, or other items of concern to the general public." I am in favor of such expanded coverage, in view of the fact that many additional testing laboratories are being established to cope with the increased volume of work generated by new governmental regulations. The public interest will be protected by the licensing or registration of chemists and the supervisory personnel working in such labs. To extend the concept of licensing and registration to chemists employed in other areas does not seem necessary at this time. I am not aware of either a need or desire for such a program now. The task force referred to earlier will be established by the board Committee on Public, Professional & Member Relations and the council Committee on Professional Relations. It will help establish an
ACS position in this area and recommend appropriate legislation. Any action taken should be on a national basis so that uniform standards can be applied to all states.
Relations, on which I serve, to form the task force to help establish legislation such as I suggest above. Of course, the task force also will work with the Committee on Professional Relations in formulating a model bill.
Zettlemoyer
The water-soluble petroleum sulfonate surfactant.
This question seems simple and straightforward to me. We do not need nor want compulsory licensing and/or registration; most chemists do not need it. Some do! The need arises mostly in the health and environmental fields, such as in water analyses. We do not want registered engineers signing reports that they have not prepared and cannot substantiate. In some states, M.D.'s certify the chemists'findingsfor fat fees. Protection of the public is the major issue with which to sell licensing to state governments. There are two bills being considered by state legislatures. One is in Ohio, the other in California where the most activity has taken place. I agree with a recent board action to provide an appropriation to support passage of the California bill. A further action ACS can take is to construct a model bill from the ones at hand. Then, this model bill should be offered to the appropriate committee of each state legislature. The board already took a stand and I voted for it. It added to its 1963 position statement that it endorses licensing or registration of those who are in supervisory charge of chemical work and analyses of air, water, food and drugs, and other items of general interest to the public. The board also voted favorably to adopt the recommendation of the board Committee on Public, Professional & Member
Pyronate® 40 surfactant offers many unusual opportunities for your product, process or operations. It is a completely hydrophilic, water-soluble, alkyl aryl petroleum sulfonate of dark characteristic color. Available in 40 percent sulfonate concentration. Typical uses are in froth flotation of non-metallic ores, demulsification, reverting and wetting agents in oil and waste emulsions. How can you use Pyronate 40? Sonneborn Division. For product or delivery information contact: Witco Chemical Corporation, Sonneborn Division, Dept. M1, 277 Park Ave., N.Y., NY 10017. Or call 212 644-6418.
Witco CIRCLE 4 4 O N READER SERVICE CARD
Aug. 14, 1978 C&EN
55
