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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
MAY,1926
IS A MEETING OF COLLEGE CHEMISTRY STUDENTS WORTHWHILE? ROBERT M. LINGLE, PUBLICITY CHAIRMAN, INDIANA SECTION AMERICANCHEMICAL SOCIETY Four years ago the members of t h e Indiana Section of the American Chemical Society conceived the idea that they should he of assistance to the chemistry student who is about to enter commercial life. Accordingly invitations were sent out to the colleges and universities within close range of Indianapolis asking junior and senior chemistry students and their teachers t o come to Indianapolis for one day to take advantage of inspection trips through manufacturing plants and to listen to worthwhile speakers. Committees were appointed to arrange for inspection trips through the manufacturing plants, to get speakers and to arrange exhibits. About one hundred visitors were entertained in 1922. In 1924 the second meeting of this nature was held. This time we arranged t o have the students here for two days instead of one because in the previous meeting it was found that one day did not allow the students time enough for the inspection trips. Cards were sent out about two weeks in advance for registration so that the plants could be advised of the number of visitors which would be present. There were two or three optional groups of trips each day. A special afternoon program on chemical education was arranged for the teachers. After the banquet which was held in the evening of the first day, there was the usual introduction of local officers and committees, and of the visiting faculty members, followed by an address by a nationally known chemist. The last afternoon was devoted t o a discussion of the chemist and his job. About 130 visitors attended this meeting. These opening paragraphs have given a brief history of our two previous meetings. A rather comprehensive report of the meeting which has just ended, follows. Arrangements for the 1926 meeting began in the autumn of 1925 with the appointment of a general committee of three, Wm. Highurg, F. G. Jones, and R. N. Harger, who were to select such suh-chairmen as seemed necessary, to arrange a date suitable to the visiting students, and to be responsible for the whole meeting, leaving the local officers free t o carry on the regular business of the Section. As you may know, the Section has a noon luncheon every Tuesday as well as the regular monthly evening meetings. The following suh-chairmen were next chosen: Arrangements, H. I%. Cory; Attendance, F. F. Havey; Inspection trips, J. H. Waldo; Publicity, R. M. Lingle; Exhibits, C. K. Calvert; Registration, Neil Kershaw; Guest Reception, H. A. Shonle. A full two days' program was arranged for April 2nd and 3rd, giving the most emphasis to inspection trips. The speakers were selected for their ahil-
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ity to help the student find himself after graduation. A special speaker was invited in for the afternoon faculty session of chemical education. As in the past the visitors were charged a registration fee of $1.00 merely covering the cost of the dinner, while the local members agreed to pay $1.25 for registration. Through the courtesy of Eli Lilly & Co., and the Van Camp Packing Co., complimentary luncheons were served to the guests
0ifict.r~of Indiana Section and Student Meeliog Committee.
Back row, left to right: R. N. Harger; F. F. Havey; Robert M. Lingle; Cecil Calvert; J. H. Waldo; F. G. Jones. Front row, left to right: E. L. Keeler, Editor, Accelerator; H. E. Cory; Neil Kershaw. Sec. and Treas.; Horace A. Shonle. Chairman of Section; Wm. Higburg, Chairman of Studcnt Meeting; Paul Smith, ViceChairman of Section.
and members. The Local Section paid all other expenses, somewhat less than 6150. Colored posters, prepared for the bulletin hoards of the schools, letters were sent out a t regular intervals to the students, several weeks hefore the meeting, advising them of the inspection trips, exhibits, and speakers. Cards for advance registration of trips were also sent out. This is necessary since the students arrive during the early morning, registering between 7 :30 and 8 :30 and leave for the inspections by S:45. Copies of the Accelerator, the monthly publication of the Section, were sent each student
who had expressed a desire to attend. The issue a month prior to the meeting contained general information, while the "Student Meeting" issue which contained the complete program, was mailed one week before the meeting. Two hundred and twenty-five students and teachers registered from seventeen different colleges and universities in addition to some seventy members of the 2ection. One hour was taken up in registration a t the Chamber of Commerce, this place having been chosen as the headquarters of the meeting. From there the various groups in charge of a guide were loaded into busses and started on the inspection trips. While waiting for registration, an opportunity was given to view the exhibits which had been prepared during the earlierpart of the week by various firms of the city and state. These had been placed in a prominent position a t the Chamber of Commerce and the citizens of Indianapolis became so interested in them that they were exhibited a t the public library the next week. At noon, Friday, the visitors were assembled a t the plant of the Van Camp Packing Co. and given a complimentary luncheon. After luncheon OP CHEMI; a short talk was given by Dr. Neil Gordon, Editor of the JOURNAL CAL EDUCATIOK. Then followed an inspection of the Van Camp plant which consumed nearly the entire afternoon. At three-thirty the facultymembers adjourned to the Chamber of Commerce to hold their meeting on Chemical Education, Dr. Neil Gordon presiding. Dr. Gordon presented to the meeting the &estion of the type of course best suited to the needs of the high school. Some forty professors and a few high-school men with several interested industrial chemists composed the audience. The meeting was unanimous that a not too comprehensive course, containing a modest number of fundamental laws and theories, together with basic principles and a fair number of useful facts would be best both for the student who was to follow up chemistry in college and the student who might not go to college. The college professors were emphatic in deprecating any attitude of "knowing it all" on the part of the college freshman who had had high-school chemistry. Where such an attitude results from high-school chemistry the professors were a unit in saying they would rather the student had not had high-school chemistry. The lack of suitable preparation on the part of teachers of chemistry was blamed by many of the professors as the primary cause of many of the unsatisfactory results in the high-school product. Friday evening a banquet was held a t the Chamber of Commerce. Wm. Higburg, general chairman of the meeting presided. Governor Ed. Jackson was present and gave an address of welcome to the guests which was followed by remarks from a faculty member of each college represented. The principal address of the evening was given by Mr. William Hoskins
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of Chicago who spoke on the subject "The Genesis of an Industry." This address was of special interest to students in that Mr. Hoskins pointed out the failures that occur in the research experiences of young chemists just starting out from college and showed them that it was only by constant application that they could expect to succeed. Saturday morning the plants of the Indianapolis Paint and Color Co. and Eli Lilly & Co. were inspected, the latter company senring a complimentary luncheon. Immediately after the luncheon, Dr. Otto Eisenschiml of Chicago discussed the "Chemist and His Job." He gave the student an idea of how to look for a position, how to get started on his work in order to make the best impression, and how to win promotions. As a conclusion to the regular program Mr. Calvert conducted an inspection through the Indianapolis Sewage Disposal Plant, about fifty people taking advantage of this opportunity. The active and professional members of the Alpha Chi Sigma fraternity concluded the week-end program by having a banquet a t the Columbia Club. As far as can be learned this is the only meeting of its kind held in this country and the Indiana Section is desirous of seeing other Sections follow a similar plan. The student in the average college does not have the opportunity to inspect commercial laboratories and plants and as a rule does not know what to expect after graduation. The success of a meeting of this kind depends on the active cooperation of the committees appointed. The students must be impressed with the fact that it is worth their while to see exhibits covering all types of industry; to see plants in operation under chemical control; to be addressed by men who have had years of experience in chemistry as applied to industry; to come in contact with men in the profession who are ready and willing to meet and help them; and to meet and exchange ideas with fellow students from other schools. It is also necessary to get the faculties interested so that they will give encouragement to their students to attend. The speakers on the program should be balanced by giving the student both sides of chemistry as applied to pure research and to commercial work. Each meeting that has been held has been better in attendance and interest than the preceding ones. Are they worthwhile? Ask any faculty member in Indiana or any member of the local section of the American Chemical Society and you will certainly receive an affirmative reply.
