November, 1931
I.VDUSTRIA L AND ~ ~ e I N ~ ~CHEXISTRY R I ~ ‘ e
1317
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARIES Frank Berton Carpenter
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RANK CARPENTER, of Richmond. years later the Virginia Section of the AXERIVa., intimately associated for more than CAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. whose chairman he was ! a third of a century with the chemical in its formative years. life and activity of the old Capital of the ConHe had been B member of the AMERICAN federate States and of the South at large, is a CHEMICAL SOCIETY since 1898, and in the same transplanted New Englander of that unadulyear began his annual attendance on its mectterated old English stock that gave Virginia ings, which he has kept up with almost unand Massachusctts certain fundamental characbroken regularity. O c c a s i o n a l papers have teristics i s common, despite later divergencies. been contributed to the programs of the DiviWilliani Carpenter. his immigrant ancestor who sion of Fertilizer Chemistry of which he was the came to Weymouth, Mass., with the good ship secretary from 1913 until his elevation in 1918 Bmiiis in 1638. traced back to John Carpenter to the chairmanship-an honor conferred upon of the parish of Dilwyne, head of the ancient him for nine successive years. Throughout family of Herefordshire in the early thirteen its existence he was an i n t e r e s t c d member hundredlong line of f a r m i n g a n c e s t r y . of the Virginia Committee of awards in the Frank Berton Carpenter Frank was born in the little town of Leyden, AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY Prize Essay ConMass.. in the foothills of the Green Mountests. tains, and grew UP on his father’s farm. This healthy country Doctor Carpenter is also a fellow of the American Association boy life largely determined the direction of his habits and in- for the Advancement of Science and a member of the Society of terest. After going t h o u g h the district school, he attended Chemical Industry, the Association of OEcial Agricultural Chemists, the American Oil Chemists’ Society, the chemical control Powers Institute. in the adjoining township, and was prepared for the Massachusetts State College a t Amherst. where he committee of the National Fertilizer Association, and the honormajored in agriculture and agricultural chemistry under the ary society of Phi Kappa Phi. During the World War he served guidance of Charles A. Goessmann. as associate member of the U. S. Naval Consulting Board. There was a year’s break in his college work while he was On its nonprofessional side also this chemist’s life has Bowed recouping his finances and gaining experience, to be valuable happily. After his 6rst year among the Tar-heels he brought later, by teaching a Country school. After graduation he took to the Nortli State as his bride, Elizabeth Kirkland, of Huntingtwo gears under Gwssmann and Wellington at the Massachusetts ton, Mass. Their children are seven. Both sons have gone into Agricultural Experiment Station. broadening his technical southern chemical industries. Frank B.. junior, is supcrintraining in analytical processes and in methods of agricultural tendent of the Phosphate Products Corporation in Charleston. research. S.C., and Dwightholdsasimilarpositioninthesamecitywith the Herbert B. Battle, director of tlre North Carolina Experiment Chemical Products Division of the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Station, where pioneer work in southern agricultural problems Corporation. was getting under way, wrote to Doctor Goessmann for a good Like every true scientist, Doctor Carpenter is a man absolutely man to be assistant chemist. Goessmann sent him young Car- devoid of affectation and ostentation, simple in his tastes, direct penter, whose chemical Career dates from his southern migration. in his dealings, systematic in his habits, quiet, steady, and effecSeven fruitful years were spent at Raleigh. A succession of tive in the output of his energy. His calm temperament cames bulletins embodied the results of his researches, notably those on him u r n f l e d thmugh incidental disturbances, but “they do say” “The Marls and Phosphates of North Carolina,” “Analyses of that on proper provocation he can display a righteous wrath. He Tobacco Cured by Leaf Cure on Wire and the Stalk Processes.” has a Upafity for friendships that endure, a devotion to his house, love for his garden. deeply rooted interest in agricultural and “Types of Tobacco and Their Analyses.” i n 1895 the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company was or. life. He has been for a number of years a member of the Board gallized under the skilful @idance of its president, S. T. Morgan, of Stewards of the Unitarianchurch and vice president of its Conof Durham, who offered Carpenter the position of chief chemist. gregation, and is a Mason. So he moved to Richmond and alongside the general offices in In seniority and accomplishment he is dean of our Richmond the old “Crenshaw warehouse,” set up his control and research group, which holds him in high honor and affection. laboratory. This grew with the expansion of the company GARNETTRYLAND which rapidly developed into one of the largest produccrs of fertilizers and their subsidiaries. He became not only an authority on all phases of fertilizer chemistry and a contributor New Books to its analvtical technic. but those farming and teaching.~ experilansashire Coslfield. The Buraiep, Accrington, Daraen. and Bacvg &e*. a c e s of his youthful years equipped him for the successful The lower Mountain Mine. Fuel Research. Phyeical and Chemical dkection of aGv,-c,~? EOmpany~S educational work amang Survey of the National Cos1 Resonrces, no. 19. DRPIBTXBNI. 01 Screw~
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the through its Service Bureau. Numerous popular pamphlets and various authoritative articles in the Marwfacturers’ Record, the American Fertilizer. the Sugar Plaaters Journal, and like publications have come from his desk. One Doctor the group Ivho O r e n i z e d The Virginia Chemists’ Club in 1907. Out of this evolved a few
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