March 20, 1925
INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
American Ceramic Society Convention B Y ALEXANDER SILVERMAN Head. Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh
The twenty-seventh annual meeting of the American Ceramic Society was held at Columbus, Ohio, February 16 to 21, in connection with the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding of collegiate education in ceramics in America. The general session opened Monday morning, February 16th with Dean E. A. Hitchcock of the College of Engineering, Ohio State University, presiding. The program included a n address of welcome, by President Thompson of the University; an historic account of "The Founding of the First Ceramic School at Ohio State," by Dr. Edward Orton, Jr., its founder; "Thirty Years' Progress in Ceramic Education," by Dr. A. V. Bleininger of the Homer Laughlin China Company; and a picture of "The Future of Ceramic Education in America," by Dr. E. Ward Tillotson of the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, and president-elect of the Ceramic Society. The afternoon session started with "Reminiscences of the Science of Ceramics in America," by Dr. Karl Langenbeck. This was followed b y a short talk on "Needs for Ceramic Education in Eastern Canada," by Gen. C. M. Mitchell of the University of Toronto. In his remarks, General Mitchell intimated that an endowment would be provided shortly for the development of ceramic courses at the University of Toronto. The third address of the afternoon was delivered by retiring President R. D . Landrum of the Society, and covered in a thorough manner, "The Development of Ceramic Education in America," together with the prospects in educational and industrial fields. In connection with the afternoon session, a series of statistical slides were projected on the screen, showing the development in each of the ceramic departments of American colleges and universities. Of these departments there are now eleven, located as follows: Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Illinois, Iowa State College, New York State School of Ceramics, North Carolina State College, University of North Dakota, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State College, Rutgers College, University of Washington, and the University of Saskatchewan. Professor A. S. Watts, Head of the Department of Ceramics at Ohio State University, furnished the following information, which clearly indicates the growth of ceramic education during the thirty years which have elapsed: In 1895, America had one school, one teacher, fifteen students, a S2500 salary budget, and S5000 for maintenance and equipment. At present we have ten schools granting ceramic degrees and two training ceramic art teachers. These employ forty-one teachers, have a salary budget of $108,500, an annual equipment budget of $12,760, and teaching plants appraised at $500,250. The enrollment has increased from fifteen students in 1895 t o 536 in 1925. Of the graduates who have been sent out b y the various schools, four per cent are employed in the enamel industry, five per cent in glass plants, sixteen per cent in the heavy clay industry, twelve per cent in refractories manufacture, and eight per cent in the terra cotta industry, eighteen per cent in the manufacture of white ware, six per cent in research laboratories or teaching, and nine per cent in unclassified ceramic industries. It is striking to note that in thirty years America has graduated less than five hundred ceramists with a plant investment of $500,000, and an expenditure of $100,000 per year for teachers. This is hardly commensurate with an industry capitalized at $1,055,000,000, and with an annual output of products valued at more than $800,000,000. The fixed investment for the technical training for ceramic industry is 0.05% of the value of capital invested in the industry itself, and the salary investment for educational purposes is only 0.012 of one per cent of the value of the annual output. Space hardly permits of a detailed report concerning divisional meetings. The seven divisions of the Society met individually or in joint symposia on Tuesday and Wednesday of the convention week. Twenty-three papers were presented before the Art Division; twenty-two in the Enamel Division; an equal number of the Glass Division; twenty-eight on heavy clay products; thirty-three on refractories; eight on terra cotta; thirty-one on white ware. Of the papers submitted, fifty-three per cent came from ceramists employed in industrial establishments; the remainder were from the pen of those employed in ceramic schools, government bureaus, and institutes and associations. In addition there were numerous excursions to factories interesting the various divisions, and motion pictures pertaining to the ceramic industry were shown. A varied and interesting collection of exhibits made by American manufacturers was on display in Lord Hall and in the University museum. Eight hundred and fifty-seven members enrolled for the Columbus meeting of the Society's membership of 2000. Officers elected for 1925-26 follow: President, E. Ward Tillotson, Asst. Director of the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research. Vice President, F. H. Rhead, American Encaustic
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Tiling Co., Zanesville, O. Treasurer, H. B. Henderson, Standard Fyrometric Cone Co., Columbus, O. Secretary, R. C. Purdy. Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. The summer meeting of 1925 will be held in Toronto, Canada, and the February meeting of 1925, in Atlanta, Georgia.
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