1240
ISDUSTRISL . W D EXGINEERISG CHEMISTRY
\-OL. 28, ’40. 10
CORRESPONDENCE Future Chemists SIR: I should like to comment on some of the factors contributadministration almost to the year. Certainly the impression is ing to t’he predicament mentioned in the editorial, “Future Chemvery different from that obtained on visiting a department filled AND ists,” on page 753 of the July, 1936, issue of INDUSTRIAL with the best men that can be found for the particular parts of the ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY.Although it may indicate a reprework to which they are assigned; here there is an interest in prohensible condition, it is none the less real and is not the exception moting the department rather than that of self-selected indito the rule. viduals, and nobody feels any restraint, in doing his best. There Gnfortunately, the excuse that there are not sufficient men of have been, are, and probably always will be, departments in which the first rank to fill all the positions, or even head the departthe outstanding man is not the administrative head of the dements, in the colleges and universities is correct, but the claim partment; to be the responsible head and outstanding man in a that the colleges obtain the best available cannot be substantipoor department of any size should suggest condemnation rather ated. Industry will generally attract the men who are primarily than commendation. However, the worst feature of the system interested in the economic return for their efforts, as well as those of definitely choosing mediocre men is that, even though the head who have a particular interest in that type of work. However, of the department may be an outstanding man himself, he is many men are interested in teaching and academic research, and succeeded by a less capable one who is evcn more inclined to perhave pursued their graduate work with that in mind; they will petuate the system. Often the less capable members of the accept much lower compensation for an academic position than staff are those who do not move from such a department to better industry will offer them. Where the salary offered is sufficient to opportunities, and after a time by virt,ue of longevity one of them live on, the low compensation for academic positions is probably becomes head of the department. Thus, matters may gradually least responsible for the fact that capable men are not being become worse, and hundreds of students may suffer from the properly employed in the schools; the responsibility for the existfault before it is corrected by importation. After experiences ing condition may be more correctly considered the result of igwith some of these students, even from the largest schools where norance, indifference, or intent of those who employ the members they have come in contact with only the “lesser lights,” one is not of teaching staffs. surprised at the shout which has been raised for academic standI n some cases the employer seems to be unaware of how to ardization. contact available men. Although this ignorance may be the Often a friendly relation with some member of the school, from least t’o be condemned of the causes mentioned it is just as dethe president down, is of more consequence than professional structive as the others as far as the result is concerned. qualification when vacancies are t,o be filled. I n fact, vacancies Frequently the employer is satisfied with a reasonably satishave even been created by some sort of manipulation, and the factory teacher and will not make the effort required to find the “spoils system” is by no means a stranger in academic circles. best; he often merely accepts an acquaintance of one of his There is also a t’endency for ambitious but incompetent or uninfriends. The agitation for high school teachers to be trained in formed members of the university administ’ration to override the the subject which they are to teach should be extended to the recommendations of competent’ department heads, and to force colleges and universities, where men “teach” both undergradudepartmental affairs according to their fancy rather than the ate and graduate courses in a branch in which they have never wisdom of the man who holds his position because he is a specialist had any graduate work, research, or practical experience. It in that field. This condition is particularly noticeable in the scimay be true that, by the time he has received his Ph.D. degree, a ence departments where the administration is made up of men man should know more about any of the fundamental branches of with no background in science and consequently with no idea of chemistry than he can get a student to learn in an undergraduate the purpose, methods, or requirements of science courses, and course. But it seems both unnecessary and indefensible to have also in those schools where administrative positions are filled by him teach a branch of the subject for which he has not had special “efficiency experts” instead of scholari. training, experience, or interest when properly qualified men are During a depression there is also a tendency for the head of a available. Nearly always such a teacher does no research in the department to recommend the poorer students when he is ai)field in which he teaches and frequently none a t all. He does not proached for available men, because he believes that his best read the publications or attend the meetings of the AMERICAN graduate students will be able to obtain positions somehow. The CHEMICAL SOCIETY, and in some cases he is not even a member. employer frequently places more weight on the recommendation Such conditions are by no means the exception. than the academic record, which he often never uses for compariThe most unbelievable cause for poor departments is the inson; as a result some of the more important positions are given to tentional action of certain employers. Heads of departments, the poorer men, and the best men get what is left. even in the large universities, have been accused, and apparently I n short, the condition exists but is the result of so many fuctors that it seems almost hopeless of solution. The AMERICAS not without foundation, of deliberately seeing t’o it that none of the men under them is sufficiently prominent professionally to CHEMICAL SOCIETY may be able to certify certain institutions as diminish their own preeminence; the saving of money is not the places where men can really be trained, but it will be almost only reason for hiring young men rather than experienced ones. impossible to certify them as places where all the graduates are On going into such a department one soon senses something really trained; the larger the institution, the more difficult it will wrong. The reactions of the staff members and the appearance be. R. D. COOL of details about the laboratory and departmental library give evilence of the fact; in certain cases a visitor may go into the deBRIDQEWATER. VA. .\ugust 10, 1936. jartmental library and determine the change of departmental
