CHEMICAL RESEARCH IN LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES, 1952-56 JOHN R. SAMPEY Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina
A
CHECK of the 375,000 abstracts in Chemical Abstracts for the five-year period, 1952-56, will give as comprehensive a survey of research published by liberal arts colleges as is available. Not all abstracts in Chemical Abstracts, however, give the addresses of the authors, and some research published in borderline fields is not included (papers appearing in the voluminous medical journals particularly are often last to C.A.), but no other publication can make a more valid claim to the title, "Key to the World's Chemical Literature." An earlier survey of the pages of the Journal of the American Chemical Society for 192741 showed that liberal arts colleges contributed less than two per cent of the research published in this leading theoretical journal.' Only 62 liberal arts colleges published anything in the Journal of the Ameriean Chemical Society during the 15-year period. In contrast, a check of Chemical Abstracts shows that during the last five years 162 liberal arts colleges had 736 articles abstracted during the period 1952-56. The 7th Edition (1953) of the"Co1lege Blue Book" has been used
' S ~ P E YJ., R., J . Higher Edue., 20, 208 (1949).
' SAMFEY,J. R.,J. &EM.
EDuC.,27, 69 (1950).
to determine the liberal arts statns of the colleges. Institutions granting the Ph.D. degree, or that have professionalschools of engineering,medicine, pharmacy, etc., have not been classed as liberal arts. Chemical research in liberal arts colleges is concentrated in a relatively small number of these institutions. Only 38 colleges averaged one or more articles a year for the five-year period, and yet these 38 accounted for 531 contributions, leaving 124 colleges to total 205 publications. A list of the most productive institutions is given in the table. The geographical distribution of these 38 colleges is as follows: 18 colleges in the North Central states accounted for more than one-half of the total (242); New England states had 8 institutions publishing 149 articles, and the same number of southern colleges published 102 papers, leaving 4 western colleges the remaining 38 articles. This distribution offers some interesting comparisons with that noted for liberal arts colleges contributing to the Journal of Chemical Educution for the 15 years, 193448.% One-half of the most productive liberal arts colleges are denominationally controlled, and one-half are
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
supported by private endowments or state and municipal funds. The denominational group contributed 244 research reports, leaving 287 papers for the 19 institutions supported by private or public funds. Is there any correlation between the puhhcation of research by liheral arts colleges and the training of leaders in science? A study by Knapp and Goodrich3 showed that graduates from liberal arts colleges for the decade 1924-34 led all other types of educational institutions in the numher who continued their scientific training to the doctorate level. A comparison of their list of 50 most productive institutions with the tabulation of the present study shows the presence of 13 liberal arts colleges on both lists. These 13 are: Antioch, Brigham Young, College of Wooster, Grinnell, Haverford, Hope, Tehanon Valley, Miami (Ohio), Oberlin, Pomona, Reed, St. Olaf and Wesleyan (Conn.). Only 5 other colleges on Knapp and Goodrich's list of the 50 most productive institutions in the training of Ph.D's had any publications in the present study of research in liberal arts colleges. A check a t a much higher level of scientific achievement has been made by a study of the academic origins of members of the National Academy of Sciences.4 Fifty liberal arts colleges trained 75 memhers listed on the April 1956 roster of the Academy. Twenty-nine of these members received their undergraduate training in 11 of the liheral arts colleges with the most publications during 1952-56: Amherst 7 members, Brigham Young 2, College of Wooster 4, Furman 1, Grinnell 3, Haverford 1, Hope 1, Lehanon Valley 1 , Oberlin 3, Pomona 4, and Wesleyan 2. Twenty-three liheral arts colleges with from one to four publications in C.A. during the last five years account. for 28 more members of the National Academy. a
KNAPP,R. H., AND H. B. GOODRICH, Science, 113,543 (1951).
' SAMPEY,J. R.,in press. "AMPET,
J. R., J. CAEM.EDUC., 30, 256 (1953.)
VOLUME 34, NO. 7, JUJY, 1957
A study of the academic origins of the leadership of the American Chemical Society as represented by pastpresidents and recipients of the 11 awards administered by the Society: showed that 27 were graduates of liheral arts colleges. Five colleges listed in the accompanying table account for 8 of these A.C.S. leaders: Amherst 1, Grinnell 3, Haverford 2, Lehanon Valley 1, and Wesleyan 1. It will he more significant to note what leadership in science is produced during the next two or three decades by the 38 liberal arts colleges most active in research during 1952-56. Number of Abstracts in Chemicnl Abstracts, 195246, from Liberal Arts Colleges No. of abstracts
Institution
Brooklyn Col1.m 1 Amherst Bryn Mawr. Antiocha Furmanm Mount Holyokem
Canisiusm Oherlinm, 1 So. 111. State" Pornonan Fiskm, Providence ~ o s t o nCol1.m 1 Haverford" Coll. of Holy Cro& Reedm.
Institution
56 50 28
Richrnondm Centenary' Queensm.
14 13 12 12 11 11
St. Olaf Vasnarm ConnecticutS Hope Lebanon Valley Wheatonm
No. of a& stracls
1
'
5 5 5
m = Master's degree given by institution but not always in chemistry. I = Large enrollment of 2000 or more in 1953 "College Blue Book." s = Smxll enrollment of 10M) or less in 1953 "College Blue Book."
