HEADLINES of the Month Events of Interest to Chemists, Chemical Engineers, and Executives7 OCTOBER17. Esso Standard Oil Co. dedicates new catalytic cracking unit, world’s largest, a t its Baywag refinery.
Diesel Engine meeting in St. Louis, is told tests made in imerica, Britain, Germany, etc., demonstrate that diethyl ether is most convenient means of starting Diesel engines in cold weathei .
7 OCTOBER 18. Commercial Solvents opens $2,000,000 addition t o research center a t Terre Haute, Ind., more than doubling previous facilities.-~Burlington hIills opens new $250,000 Bur-Mil Laboratory at Greensboro, N. C., and announces launching of $100,000 advertising campaign t o stress its work in quality improvement.
7 NOVEMBER 3. Nobel Prize for Chemistry is awarded to William Francis Giauque, professor of physical chemistry, University of California, for his contributions in the field of thermodynamics, especially concerning relations between substances a t extremely lor\ temperatures.--Karl T. Compton resigns as chairman of the Research and Development Board of the Department of Defense for reayons of health.-NAnglo Iranian Oil Co. completes 40,000-bbl.-a-day crude oil distillation unit at its refinery in South Wales.
7 OCTOBER19. Congress votes to relax curbs on spending powers of Atomic Energy Commission so it can start construction of unbudgeted technical or production facilities if i t satisfies Budget Director they are necessary for national defense.
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OCTOBER21. At National Metal Congress and Exposition in Cleveland for first time research information developed by AEC is released t o experts in commercial manufacturing.
7 OCTOBER22. ACTH, hormone from pituitary gland, is most effective agent thus far found for control of asthma, ’hay fever, drug sensitivity, and other allergic ills, Special Conference on Research Progress with ACTH held in Chicago under auspices of Armour & Co. Laboratories, is told. 7 OCTOBER24. President Truman, a t laying of cornerstone ceremonies of permanent U S headquarters, urges UK atomic plan unless better one is offcred. -1Iinority members of Joint Committee on Atomic Energy say national security demands more effective development of oui atomic program.
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11 OCTOBER26. Elmer W. Pehrson, acting director foreign minerals region, U. S. Bureau of Mines, urges stockpiling of metals and minerals on security basis in address before American Tariff League in New York.--Soviet Union, it is disclosed, on October 6 insisted that since there is no longer any monopoly or secret about production of atomic energy, U. S. submit new plan for its control, but results of secret meeting of members of six countries reveal that the five nations stand firm on majority plan. --Power shortage in Pacific Northwest forces governmentowned Bonneville Power Administration t o announce curtailment of electrical energy supplied Northwest’s aluminum industry.--Reynolds Metal Co. launches $8,000,000 expansion program in its Alabama operations T; OCTOBER 2’7. -4.C.S. announces Herman E. Ries, Jr., Sinclaii Refining Co., has won the $3000 Ipatieff Prize in Chemistry for 1950 for his contribution to the knon~ledgeof catalysts.
7 OCTOBER20. Great Britain and Canada reassure U.S. they m i l l continue, and if possible improve, their shipments of raw materials such as uranium for making atom bombs.
7 OCTOBER31. Hercules Powder announces plans t o build a pilot plant in Klamath Falls, Ore., for study of chemistry of western woods.
11 XOVEMBCR 2. Oskar Wintersteiner, head of organic chemist r y division Squibb Institute for JIedical Research, is awarded Wm. H. Iiichols Medal of New York Section A.C.S. in recognition of fundamental contributions to insulin chemistry, steroids, hormones, antibiotics, and the first isolation in crystalline form of penicillin-G and streptomycin.--Chaim Weizmann, Israel’s scientist president, is honored by 3000 persons, including $op-ranking scientists from faraway countries, in ceremony (Eedicating science department Weizmann Institute on eve of his 75th birthday. --Society of Automotive Enginrers, National
-Reviewed b y the Editors
7 NOVEMBER6 . D u Pont announces it has licensed Olin Industries, Inc., t o make cellophane on terms involving a $20,000,000 minimum investment and that D u Pont will build a plant for Olin with estimated capacity of 33,000,000 lb. per year.” Abdul Hamid Azis, permanent delegate st UN from Afghanastan, says when UX’s new technical aid program for backward areas becomes operative, Afghans will ask for help.-NU. S. is selfsufficient in rubber, Leonard K. Firestone, president Fircstone Tire & Rubber Co. of California, tells section of A.C.S. m San Francisco. 7 NOVEMBER 8. Atomic experts of L. S., Britain, Prancr, China, Russia, and Canada hold secret conference after UN General iissembly President Romulo urges them to seek a “new approach” to world control of atomic energy.-NCourtlands plans to build two big rayon factories in Australia-one in Sydney and the other near Wewcastle-a spokesman for Court,lands announces. f KOVEMBER9. Walter J. Murphy, editor, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Analytical Chemzslry, and Chemical and Engineering News, and director A.C.S. Sews Swvicc, wins 1950 gold medal of the American Institute of Chemiits as “a great editor who has focused the world’s attention on chc.mists and their contributions as professional m e n . ” - - J J a m e s R. Millian, Jr., president MIT, warns that government subsiditls t o Kation’s technical schools would menace their independence and calls upon industry to aid such institutions, a t the opening in New York of AIIT’s nationn ide campaign for a $20,000,000 development fund to aid largest building program in institute’s h i s t o r y , ~ ~ W C.. Keeley, president Vanadium Corp., confii ms new uranium-bearing ore body has been discovered near Marysvale about 220 miles south of Salt Lake City and t h a t “it looks very promising.” f; NOVEMBER 11. AEC says Japan has been approved for pxrticipation in foreign distribution of radioactive isotopes.
7 KOVEMBER 13. lmerican Section, Society Chemical Industry, announces Eger V. Murphree will receive the Perkin Medal for 1950.--AEC says radioactive isotopes are being put t o peacetime uses by research and educational institutions in volumc triplc that of 2 years ag0.N-A group of Bonn politichns demands that I. G. Farben chemical combinc be restored to prewar power and that Allies’ antitrust laws be cancelled. 7 KOVEMBER 14. Canadian-Frenchplan backed by U. S. to have big powers and Canada continue private talks in attempt to break 4-year deadlock on International Atomic Control Plan is overwhelmingly approved in special political committee of UNGA.--Sharp & Dohme awards contract of $2,000,000 for construction of new chemical intermediates plant a t West Point, Pa., as part of its multimillion-dollar program. 2946
