letters Correction to Calculations for .'Solubility of Lead Bromide in Nitrate Media" To the Editor: The integration of the concepts of solubility, ionic strength, activity, ion association, and homogeneous precipitation is interestingly accomplished in J. N. Cooper's experiment entitled "Solubility of Lead Bromide in Nitrate Media" [J.Chem Educ., 49, 238 (1972)]. However, there is one point within the article that I have found causes trouble for several student and secondary school teacher readers. The use of the term Q,. in eqn. (3) is incorrect or at best misleading, after its use in eqn. (I),because in eqn. (3) it is the activity product, Q., that is really intended, i.e., QOP
= Q a o ~ , S = 4S3yE3
George T. Cochran Rollins College Winter Park, Florida 32789 Faculty Origins in Organic Chemistry To the Editor: Robinson has recently published an illuminating study of the institutional origins of the faculty at the most prestigious universities in the United States [J. Chem. Educ., 50, 586 (1973)l. I would like to share with the readers of the Journal a similar study performed concerning the origins and mentors of organic chemists a t the 37 leading institutions named in the 1970 ACE survey. Since organic chemists comprise the largest segment usually of any faculty it seemed to he a good focal point for this investigation. Of the 259 faculty who listed themselves as organic chemists in the latest Directory of Graduate Research, 240 obtained their doctorates in the United States. The foreign doctorates belonged to persons almost exclusively in the higher ranks who have been long-time residents here. The 240 breakdown by rank was 142 full, 43 associate, and 56 assistant professors. In terms of the origins of their degrees, 15 institutions contributed 82.1% of the faculty. In order these are Harvard (22.5%), Illinois (7.7%), Columhia (6.3%), MIT (5.4%), Caltech (5701, Cornell (5%), Yale (4.3%), Berkeley (4%), Michigan (3.6%), UCLA (3.3%), Northwestern (3.3%), Wisconsin (3.1%), Stanford (3%), Chicago (2.9%), Minnesota (2.9%). A more realistic guide to students contemplating an academic research oriented career is to look a t those who have most recently entered academia, the assistant professors. Of the 51 listed assistant professors, 33 (64.9%) received their degrees a t six institutions;Harvard (19.6%), Columhia (11.9%), Stanford (9.9%), Berkeley (9.9%), Caltech (7.8%), and Illinois (5.8%). At the above-named institutions these persons took their degrees with the exception of Haward from no more than two of the organic faculty. The findings are in agreement with Robinson and show the variation in strength of individual departments according to specialty. Students considering graduate study would be well advised to examine Robinson's paper before making their applications. Martin D. Saltzman Providence College Providence. Rhode Island 02918 (Continued on page 144) 142
/ Journal of Chemical Education
