CHEMICAI AND ENGINEERINB
NEWS AUGUST 2 7 , 1956
VOL. 3 4 , N O . 35
APPLIED JOURNALS, ACS Director o f Publications: C. B. I_arrab«e Editorial Director: W . J . Murphy Executive Editor: Jamas M . Crowe Production Manager: Joseph H . K u n e y CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEWS Editor: Richard L. Kenyon Managing Editor: Robert F. G o u l d EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS W A S H I N G T O N 6, D. C. 1155 Sixteenth S t . , N.W. Phone Republic 7-5300 Teletype WA 23 Associate Editors: Robert G . Gibbs, David M . Kiefer, George B. Krantz Assistant Editors: Kathryn Campbell, Helen H . Blunt, Irene G . Kiefer, Betty V . Kieffer, WhIIden W . Johnson, Morton Sal kind, David E.
Gushee
Editorial Assistants: Ruth C. Laubaeh, Betty J . Ccrdsy, Barbara R. Christie, Hanns L. Sperr Staff Artist: Melvin D. Buckner BRANCH EDITORIAL OFFICES CHICAGO 1 , ILL. 86 East Randolph St. Phone State 2-7686 Teletype CG 725 Associate Editor: A l b e r t S. Hester Assistant Editor: Chester Placek HOUSTON 2, T E X . 1918 Melrose Bldg. Phone Fairfax 3-7107 Teletype HO 72 Associate Editor: Harry W . Haines, Jr. Assistant Editor: Bruce F. Greek NEW Y O R K 16, Ν. Υ, 2 Park Ave. Phone Oregon 9-1646 Teletype WA 23 Associate Editors: Harry Stenerson, Howard Sanders, D. Gray Weaver
SAW FRANCISCO 4, C A L I F . 703 Mechanics' Institute Bldg. 57 Post S t . Phone Ex brook 2-2895 Teletype SF 549 Associate Editors: Gordon H . Bixler, Kenneth M . Reese EASTON, PA. 20th and Northampton Sts. Phone Easton 9111 Teletype ESTN Pa 48 Associate Editor: Charlotte C. Sayre Editorial Assistants: Fern S. Jackson, Lois J . Bennett, Joyce A. Richards EUROPEAN O F F I C E Bush House, Aldwych, London Phone Temple Bar 3605 Cable J I EC H EM Associate Editor: W i l l i a m Q. H u l l Advisory Board: Hazel Bishop, R. H. Boundy, A . C. Byrns, J . T . Cox, Jr., Maurice F. Crass, Jr., R. L. Ericsson, H . L. Fisher, Theodore S. Hodins, J . R. Hoover, J . Warren Kinsman, I. F. M a r k , Lloyd H . Reyerson, E. G. Roc how, Carl Setterstrom, Frank J . Sod a y -fAdvertising Management: R E I N H O L D P U B L I S H I N G CORP. 430 Park Ave., New York 22, Ν . Υ . (For Branch Offices see page 4 2 2 5 )
S
T h e American Chemical Society assnmes no responsi b i l i t y f o r the statements and opinions advanced by con· tributors t o its publications. "Views expressed i n the edi torials ars those o f the editors and d o not necessarily repre sent the official position o f the American Chemical Society.
C H A N G E O F PACE A T NEWS SERVICE BREAKFAST Clifford F. Rossweiler* Chairman of Board Commiiiee on Member and Public Relations, fo Present Views A N THE FALL OF 1947, T H E ACS N E W S SERVICE instituted t h e custom of
holding breakfasts at national meetings. T h e project was launched because t h e r e w a s real need to develop closer relations between the N e w s Service, operating at t h e national level, a n d the chairmen of publicity and public relations committees of local sections. There was fear a n d trepidation on the part of t h e director of the News Service a s to h o w many would attend a 7:30 A . M . breakfast. T o assure the best possible attendance, t h e eminent science writer, William L. Laurence of t h e New York Times, was asked to b e the speaker. T h e success of t h e first a n d subsequent breakfasts is now a matter of history. Everyone agrees contacts made a n d ideas a n d information ex changed a t the breakfasts have stimulated local sections to do more in the field of member a n d public relations. T h e News Service breakfast to b e held at Atlantic City on Tuesday morn ing, Sept. 18, will feature as the speaker the chairman of the Committee on Member and Public Relations of the Board of Directors of the Society, Clif ford F. Rassweiler. In his comparatively short period of service as chairman, Rassweiler has shown tremendous interest in t h e work of the N e w s Service a n d has given much thought to further improving a n d enlarging t h e Society's member and public relations programs. T h e general long-range objectives of the ACS News Service, first enun ciated in writing in 1948, were revised in 1955 a n d are set forth in the brochure "Public Relations for the Chemical Profession." This states, in part: "The AMERICAN C H E M I C A L SOCIETY News Service, as the p u b l i c relations
a r m of t h e Society, strives through public relations activities to attain the goals set forth in t h e Society's Constitution a n d National Charter. Advising t h e Society on public relations matters a n d providing counsel a n d assistance to the Society's divisions a n d local sections in their public relations efforts are essential functions of t h e News Service. As a primary part of its pro gram, in cooperation with t h e divisions, local sections, a n d individual mem bers of t h e Society, the News Service disseminates information about the chemical profession through the press, radio, television, and other media, with particular emphasis on these objectives: "1. T o increase public understanding of t h e meaning and importance of chemical progress. 2. To encourage - i u n d development of chemical science a n d industry, thereby promoting . j welfare a n d security of t h e nation. 3 . To improve t h e professional, economic, a n d community status of the chemist and cîiemical engineer; 4. To enhance t h e public recognition a n d prestige of the AMERICAN C H E M I C A L SOCIETY, its divisions, local sections, and individual members. 5. To acquaint well qualified young m e n a n d women with t h e nature of opportunities for careers in the chemical profession." In addition to long-range objectives, the Society, its divisions, and local sections are concerned also with short-term ones, particularly specialized public relations activities designed to advance its long-range objectives. Close liaison b e t w e e n the News Service, the divisions, a n d local sections is imperative if the A C S is to b e successful in its objectives. The history of t h e News Service can b e divided roughly into two eras: ( 1 ) 1917 to 1945, a n d ( 2 ) , 1946 to the present. In 1946, the N e w s Service became a full-time operation, under the aegis of James T. Grady, who h a d b e e n managing editor on a part-time basis since 1923. In 1948, h e was succeeded by t h e present managing editor, James H . Stack. The sharp rise in activities of the News Service is evident from examining t h e b u d g e t increases since 1946. Prior to that year, it concerned itself almost entirely with issuing publicity items on national meetings, actions taken by t h e Board of Directors a n d the Council, a n d with material in t h e journals. In the past decade, publicity has been b u t one of many facets of News Service public relations program. A natural questior is: w h e r e does the Society go from here i n publicity a n d public relations? W e know from frequent conferences with Rassweiler t h a t he has a n u m b e r of challenging ideas on this topic. T h e breakfast in Atlantic City should top ail previous ones b o t h in attendance a n d interest.
W^&^J-fyvyUy
