CHEMISTRY AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY-RECENT DEVELOPMENTS AT WASHINGTON SQUARE COLLEGE In the year 1913 there arose a demand for courses in chemistry a t Washington Square College. No laboratories were available a t this center of the University and to meet the situation an appeal was made to the chemistry d e p h e n t of the University's Medical College for the temporary use of its laboratories. The generosity of Professor John A. Mandel, the head of that department, made it possible to offer courses in inorganic and organic chemistry there. Nineteen students enrolled for the two courses, which were given by Professor A. 0.Gettler and Mr. W. C. MacTavish. In the years following, the demand for courses has steadily increased to an astonishing degree, as a glance a t the chart below will show. New courses have been added and the constant increase in enrolment has called for increasingly greater space and facilities.
In 1922 a laboratory was built in the main building a t Washington Square College and more new laboratories have been added since then from time to time. The department is now making use of three full floors of the annex building, a total of 22,853 square feet. This space is divided into six large student laboratories, 14 research laboratories, 2 dark rooms, offices and storerooms, etc. The laboratories, both student and research, are splendidly equipped for teaching and chemical investigation. A working library of 500 volumes is situated on the new laboratory floor.
The staff has been increased from year to year and now numbers 59, ten of whom are women. In 1926 Professor Kendall, then of Columbia University, was invited to the department as Professor of Chemistry and Administrative Chairman for the particular purpose of developing graduate teaching and research. Last year he was appointed Dean of the Graduate School. The training of the present staff is indicated by the following degrees: Ph.D., 19; MS., 10; M.A., 7; B.Sc., 18; A.B., 4; andIndus. Eng., 1. Five memhers of the department received their doctorates from foreign universitiesthree from the University of Edinburgh, one from the University of Paris, and one from the University of Graz. Three other members of the s M have spent a year or more in European laboratories after having received a doctorate in this country. The literary and scientificcontributions of the staff are already numerous and are rapidly increasing in number. Recent books include "General Chemistry" by Professor Kendall and "Oxidation-Reduction Reactions" by Professor Jette. Among the recent journal publications from various members are: "The Alcoholic Content of the Human Brain in Its Relation to Intoxication," Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Feb., 1927, by Alexander 0. Gettler. "Uber die Quantenempfindlichkeit der Milchsaure-Uranyl-Sulfat-Zersetzung," Biochnnisch. Zeibchrift, 1926, by Ralph H. Muller. "Application of the Photo-Electric Cell to Automatic Titration" (to be published in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry), by H. M. Partridge with Dr. Ralph H. Muller. "An Attempted Separation of Hafnium and Zirconium by the Ionic Migration Method," by Dr. William West (in collaboration with Professor Kendall). "The Separation of Radium and of Mesothorium I from Barium by the Ionic Migration Method," by Dr. William West (in collaboration with Professors Kendall and Jette). Both published in the Journal of the American Chernicul Society. Up to 1926 the department was not very active in the graduate school of the University largely because the staff was heavily burdened with undergraduate teaching and in addition, the laboratory facilities were insufficient. The offering of graduate work now comprises all the fundamental courses and will be augmented as found necessary. The development of the department of chemistry as outlined above has been made possible in a large part by the keen interest and good advice as well as kindly encouragement of Professor John A. Mandel, head of the department of chemistry a t New York University's Medical College.
