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was followed by a short talk from Dean George B. Frankforter, of the University of Minnesota, after which the meeting stood adjourned. The Chairman’s address, the presentation address and the address of acceptance by Dr. Baekeland are herewith published in full. [EDITOR.]
CHAIRMAN’S ADDRESS By JULIUS STIECLITZ
LADIESAND GENTLEMEN:
“pure chemists”-in fact, I know it is so from a recent correspondence with a gentleman in Salt Lake City intensely interested in a shoe-polish. Dean Angel1 sent us a request from this gentleman for the analysis of a sample of shoe-blacking, which all the analytical chemists of Salt Lake City had been unable to manage-so he sent it to the chemists of “the great University of Chicago.” Professor McCoy replied briefly that we do not accept commercial work. A prompt reply came from our friend: “ I am sure that if I slipped a fiver into the hands of Professor Stieglitz or Professor McCoy, they would come down out of the clouds and jump a t the chance-of what good is their star-gazing anyhow”-or other words to the same effect.
Perhaps the most significant feature of our gathering here this evening to witness the bestowal of the Third Willard Gibbs Medal upon our honored guest lies in the fact that for the first I need not remind this distinguished gathering that after all time in the history of the medal it is to be bestowed upon an the work of Willard Gibbs in pure chemistry was of the greatest eminent investigator in the good to the greatest numfield of applied chemistry. ber-work that can draw Svante Arrhenius and Theofrom an Ostwald the words dore W. Richards, our first “He has given form and contwo medalists, were among tent to chemistry for a hunthe highest in the ranks of dred years” has surely done what for want of a better this good. But if Gibbs were name we are wont to call here to-day, he would be the “pure chemists.” Willard first to endorse the wisdom Gibbs himself was Simon of the wish of the founder of pure-in his best days he our medal, Mr. William A. did not soil his hands even Converse, and the wisdom of the provision of this Section, with the grime of a laboratory, with nitric acid, perwhich has accepted the honor and duty of awarding the manganate or anilin dyes, medal, that the Willard Gibbs and he did not carry home with him any of the lurking Medal shall be bestowed annually on some chemist who odors of the laboratory a t which every< good hausfrau has been preeminent in research and that advisedly no turns up her little nose-no trace of hydrogen sulfide, distinction as to the field of phenyl isocyanide or carbon work, whether in pure or in applied chemistry, was made. disulfide could linger in his If time permitted I could beard and be commented on dilate on the fact that both when he reached home-for fields of labor have as ultiGibbs’ great work was done mate fruits results of highest in his study, developing the practical importance as well great mathematical generaliasof highest theoretical value. zations of thermodynamics We owe the contact process underlying all of chemistry. of manufacturing sulfuric No doubt, if he had been acid, we owe the recent summoned by some anxious methods of securing inexwould-be client, a great haustible supplies of fertilmanufacturer, p e r h a p s a izers, ammonium salts and trustee of Yale University, nitrates, from the atmoshe would have had exactly phere, to the work of chemists the same experience that Dr. applying the processes of Jones, Doctor of Philosophy reasoning of t h e o r e t i c a l and Professor a t the UniverDR. L. H. BAEKELAND chemistry-and on the other WILLARD GIBBS MEDALIST. 1913 sity of Michigan, tells on himhand, we owe the theory self. One day the telephone a t his house rang vigorously; his housekeeper answered of color and dyes in organic compounds to a technical it and Dr. Jones overheard the following dialogue: “Is chemist, Otto N . Witt, and many of the fundamental theories of organic chemistry of to-day grew out of Baeyer’s Dr. Jones in?” “Yes, he is.” “Then tell him to hurry work on the synthesis of indigo. I t is altogether fitting rightbver to X and Y street to help a boy that has hurt himself then, in view of the common results in all branches of chemistry, very badly.” “Oh,” replied the housekeeper, “Dr. Jones is that the Chicago Section of the American Chemical Society not that kind of a doctor.” But the party persisted. “What’s should bestow its medal, named after the greatest chemist t h a t ? H e should come right over, we need him a t once”-and the housekeeper peeved and unable to explain that a doctor -4merica has developed, on great investigators in all the varied fields of chemistry-they all contribute to the happiness and of philosophy is not a doctor of medicine, replied rather too emphatically, Prof. Jones thought, ‘ ‘ 1 . 0 ~don’t &ant hzm-he is welfare of the human race. We are fortunate indeed that so the kind of a doctor who has never done any one any good.” early in the history of the medal we are able to bestow it on a chemist who has enriched, not one, but a number of branches I am very much afraid that is the kind of comment a n average of service with the work of his genial brain. I shall leave it man, perhaps even among chemists, is inclined to make about
June, 19x3
T H E J O U R N A L OF IXUr;STRI.AL A N U ENGIIVEERING C H E M I S T R Y
to Mr. Richardson to tell you a little of all that Dr. Baekeland has done-&. Richardson has himclf given heed in the field of applied chemistry to the insistent demand for original thinking, the prying out of Nature's secrets by scientific endeavor. I shall close my remarks by refcrring only to the one fact, that through his invenlion of Velox photographic paper, Dr. Baekeland not only opened up an entirely new and great field in photography hot has enriched tens of thonsands of lives. Dr. Baekcland has gone so far beyond Velox that be claims i o have forgotten all ahout it, by now, but no doubt Mr, Richardson will give us a n up-to-date, as truly complete and artistic a picture of Dr. Raekeland's services to chemistry, as Dr. Backeland's Velox gives Mr. Richardson faithful and artistic reproductions of his own beautiful work with the camera. __ ~PRESENTATION ADDRESS B y W. D. R r c - w ~
Dn. BASKELAND, MR. CHAIRMAN, LADIESA N D GGNTLBMBN: We have gathered here to-night in recognition of the cervices of onc who has materially aided human progress, and in adding to the sum 01 knowkdge has increased the sum of human happiness. To eniphasize or memorialize this recognition, we w e to present our guest of honor with B medal, founded by Mr. Converse, and named in honor of Willard Gibbs, who although known as B mathematical physicist was, in fact, one of OUT most illustrious chemists. The man who accepts a medal takes upon himsclf a heavy responsibility. Like the man in the story he places himsclf in the hands of his friends in a most absolute way. There is no relief or rcst for him from the time he arrivcs in town until he is safely aboard a train and on his way home. Them is every likelihood of his being overentertained and overfeasted. But worst of all, pcople inquire what he has done to mcrit the award and look up his record as though he were a politician of another party. And by accepting the mcdal and placing himself at the mercy of his friends he may even have to sit patiently and listen lo a recital of some or all of his scicntific labors and results and appear to be at ease. I)=. Barkeland, I hope you will he able to hear the ~l'oistthat is to come with fortitude and a smile. Where tlie record is clear, ,There the work has been wcll done and pennanently done, there should be no embarrassment to the doer in the admiration of his friends. I n such work a man may most properly show his pride without fear ol the charge of egotism. The nceds of the world increase with the age of the world. I t was not long ago that people got along very well without railroads and steamships, automobiles and airships, p o t long ago that they got along without tungsten, arc, carbon filament and mercury vapor lamps: without gasiight and krroscne light-indeed. it was only one hundred years ago that there was no stearic acid candle! and the animal and vegetsable fats and oils were nsed for illumination. The chemical inventor of to-day fills a new want as oftcn as he does an old on?. Or he may even create a want where there was nom before. Following after the time when he was student and professor in Belgium, Dr. Baekeland came to this countiy. His first inventions were in the field of the chemistry of light. Prior to 1893 the photographic paper in common use was of the kind known as printing o u t paper-the kind that requires sunlight if no mention and much watching to produce rcsults-vcn is made of the after-trcatment known as "toning." The results with these papers were good in some rcspects, full of detail and gradation but the labor involved w a ~ i enormous. Dr. Baekeland, by his invention of the developing-out papcr or gaslight paper, revolutionized photographic print-making. "Velox" was the very felicitous name applied to the inventionthe same Velox made by the Zastman Co. to-day and known to all photographers. From ' 8 9 3 to 1899. Vclox paper was
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manufactured by the Nepera Chemical Co. undcr Dr. Baekeland's dircction, when the Eastman Co. purchased control. It was the forerunner of all the gaslight papers which are in universal use to-day. His next work was in the field of electrochemistry, and consisted in perfecting the Townsend cell for the manufacture of electrolytic alkali and chlorine. Undcr the Hooker Electrochemical Co. thc cell was put into practical operation at Niagara Falls. At the prrsetit time 34 lons of caustic soda are msniifactured daily in this plant and a-ithin a year the capacity is to he increased to 64 tons per day. Recently the Parbeniabriken of FJberfeid has adopted the Townsend cell in its works. His last, and as he looks upon it, his most important work was in the field of organic chcmistry, and consisted in the invention and nianufacturc of condensation products of phenol and formaldehyde. On this subject Dr. Baekeland d l speak to us to-night. This work occupied his attention for several years and the scientific work alone connected with it is even at the present timc engaging thc attention of seven chemists in this country, and, indeed, many chemists in all parts of the ruorld. His patents, mnie fifteen or twenty in number, and his publications on the subjrct n ~ r eiqsued in 1909 and succeeding years. At present the product, "Bakelile," a substance of most interesting properties as yon can see by lhese exhihits, is worked up in tn~cnty-fourdifferent industries. In the button industry alone about IOWworkmen arc employed on the product.
T w s WILLARD Grsss Meoar.
But if I were asked to sum up in a few wards the genius of Dr. Backeland I should say that it is comprised in his ability to follow an idea to ils conclusion. I n the case of each of his discoveries he has not becn satisfied with the mere discovery, howeucr important it was; but in every instance he has carried his m r k to a practical conclusion-from the lahoratory to the factory and from the factory to Ihe public. Let US see what this entails: In the first place a man must have faith in his idea; not only that but faith in himself. Then he must have the scientific knowledge and technical skill necessary to carry his discoveiy through the laboratory stages and to the small manufacturing stage. Following this the larger factory initst be built and started in operation. In the meantime, if the invcntor's future rights are to he protected, the inventions must be carried through the Patent Office--a matter of no small importance, and rcquiring no small amount of information. Thcn the company must be organized and capitalized and directed. Finally, if the inventor is to be completely successful, he must be a. good piiblicist in order to bring his discovcries belore the great consuming public. In all thcse departments of activity Dr. Raekeland stands presminent. And now, having exposed.rhus briefly the splendid record of our guest, in this barefaced fashion, before him and you--an ordeal which he has borne with the utmost fortitude--I have only the duty lcft of prescnting the Willard Gibbs Medal.
DE. 1 3 n s t t E ~ a ~ ~ : This medal can add nothing to your achievcments. Your mark and your inventions hare already received their merited
