The art of electrodepositing thin films of rhodium (8) has become very important due to the many desirable properties of rhodium surfaces. Not only do these films show exceptional adhesion to the supporting material hut they are extremely hard and possess a remarkably high reflecting power. Rhodium is said
to he the only metal which retains its reflectivity unimpaired for any length of time under atmospheric conditions. Because of these properties rhodium is used for surfacing reflectors for floodlights and searchlights and for the preparation of mirrors in scientific apparatus.
LITERATURE CITED More detailed treatments of 'the coardination theory can be found in the following books (in English): EXELBUSAND ANDERSON, "Modern aspects of inorganic chemistry." D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc.. New York City, 1939, Chap. IV. E ~ R A "Inorganic ~ , chemistry," THORNBAND WARD, Editors, 3rd English ed., Nordemau Publishing Co., New York City, 1939, Chap. XI. MORGAN AND BURSTALL, "Inorganic chemistry, a survey of modern developments," W. Heffer and Sons, Ltd., Cambridge. England. 1936, Chap. I. ~ ~ ~ A S , " C ~ m p ~ e ~ ~ a l t ~ , " B l a ~ k ~ e ~London. n d S ~ n1924. ,Ltd.,
MERRY,"The chrome tanning process," A. Harvey, London, 1936, Chap. VI. Sc~wrmzAND BASS,"The chemistry of the inorganic camplex compounds," John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York
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Citv 1072
DAHLEN, I d . Exg. Chem., 31,83947 (1939). MILLSAND QUIBELL,I.Chem. Sac., 1935,83946. AND MILLS,ibid., 1939, 1751-9. LIDSTONE WELLS.2. K v i ~ t .100, , 189 (1938). MANN.I.Cltem. Soc., 1933,412-19. A c d . Sci. Amsterdam. JAECERAND ZANSTRA,PIOC. 610. 787 119321.
GLEANINGS FROM A CONFERENCE FOLLOWING are some of the comments made a t the round table discussion on The ModChemistry Curriculum, held at the National Chemical Exposition recently in Chicago. 'A considerable number of repreSentativeS from industry and the universities took Dart. been edited to ensure either ~h~~~ remarks have continuity or consistency. If the shoe fits, wear it. Failure in an industrial organization is seldom due t o technical weakness, hut much more often to personal eccentricities and ability to "fit in." A surprising number fail from simple inability t o write and speak English adequately. I n judging of "personality" one organization reports that the rule followed is: Take his chemistry away from him and see what he has left. "Misfits" stand a hetter chance of being successfully absorbed in the larger organizations. New applicants should he passed upon by the group with which they will work, rather than merely by a personnel officer. A conscious effort should he made t o make our graduates not only competent in their chosen fields but also potential leaders in whatever fields they may finally e n t g . I n other words, an effort a t personality development. Graduates, somewhere in their training, should he given a proper appreciation or description of the many applications of chemistry to the various specialized branches of industry, medicine, and agriculture, in order to help them choose their particular life work and avoid aimless efforts in several directions. The first quality looked for in an applicant is character, which includes: alertness, enthusiasm, initiative, imagination, amhition, industry, loyalty. logic, and judgment. A badly needed quality, which comes by inheritance rather than training, is imagination. Without it a research man is merely a pair of hands. The most difficult thing to get young people to do is to tell what they are doing; to "sell" their work to others. Desirable as it may he, we have no right t o expect the chemist
to be a salesman. Chemists in a research laboratory do not, in fact, need to be salesmen, hut do need to have enthusiasm. tempered by cold logic and facts. Only the director, who sells the management, needs that extra qualification. we try to crowd the chemist with too many things, men industry wants a specialist the man must he picked to fit the ioh. I t is then the resp&ihility of the arganizatian t o round the &an out to meet the demands made upon him. Many graduates lack ability t o study and interpret their data, and often have not been taught how. I t should he part of their training t o write reports on data they collect. In addition to general training, however, some organizations have their own special methods of reporting, which they teach their own men. There is reported a general la&of ability to think and an overemphasis onpernary of the questions and answers. Companies which have had little to do with research tend t o look far men who have experience in that particular field. Slowly. however, they are convinced that it is better t o get men who know fundamentals. We need physical chemists who are better trained in organic chemistry and organic chemists hetter trained in physical chemistry. The"Ph.D." has often been kept toolong on thenursing bottle. He may have been kept under the professor's wing, rather than allowed to spread his own. He often expects to he fed with ideas, and in industry this is impassible. The college man is not necessarily an educated man. Home and cultural hackgrounds of students have changed and the science of chemistry has grown so much that the ability to read and write good English has waned, its place having been taken by more chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The larger organizations must further the education of the men they hire, perhaps by seminars and contact with experienced technical men. (One large company reported doing this.) In answer to the question whether the M.S. degree has any value or standing, the opinion was expressed that it was a definite help and was "worth" twenty-five to thirty dollars a month t o the holder.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERS NEEDED FOR NATIONAL DEFENSE WORK QUALIFIED persons are urged by the United States Civil Service Commission to file their applications for the position of chemical engineer. Applica-
tions will he rated as received a t the Commission's Washington office until further notice.
