MINUTES OF THE MID-WINTER MEETING OFh THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE D M S I O N OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION OF THE A. C. S. The meeting was called to order by the Chairman of the Division a t 10.00 A.M., January 3rd, in the office of the Chemical Foundation, Incorporated, New York City. Presefit: J. N . SWAN, Chuirmon; M. V. MCGILL,'Vice-Chairman; R. A. BAKER. Secretary; ROSALIE M. PARR, Treasurer; WILHELMSEGERBLOM, Past Clznirman; NEIL E. GORDON, Editor-in-Chi%. and Ww.W . Buram, Business Mnmger. Reports of Officers 1. Secretary's Report: The Secretary reported that through the generosity of the Chemical Foundation, Incorporated, he had been given the services of a full-time assistant. Since the Minneapolis meeting his office has been concerned chiefly with (a) correlating the work of the standing committees, (b) conducting a campaign for active and associate members, (6) renewing contacts with the Local Associations which have been granted representation in the Senate of Chemical Education, and (d) arranging the program for the Atlanta meeting next April. Notices regarding membership and application blanks have been published in recent issues of both THIS JOURNAL and T e Chemistry Leaflet. They have also been mailed to the secretaries of fifty-three Local Associations and to individuals whose names are on file. Up to December 31st a total of 104' had registered as active members, and 69 as associate members of the Division. Applications are acknowledged promptly and a copy of the revised constitution is mailed each new member. Associate membership cards also are being prepared for distribution. Of each $2.00 associate membership fee, $1.70 is designated as the subscription price of the JOURNAL OP CHEMICAL EDUCATION. TO assist Local Associations in their work in the interest of chemical education, a rebate of 15% is allowed for each associate membership forwarded through the respective associations. The Business Manager of the J O U R N A L grants an additiona1,sum of seventy cents for each new subscription. The Secretary outlined the plans for the Atlanta meeting. The snggested program was approved in form for announcement in the February issue of the JOURNAL OP CHEMICAL EDUCATION, pages 360-70, and in the January 20th News Edifion of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. 2. Treasurer's Report: The Treasurer presented the following report, which was accepted: Receipts: Cash on lland, January 1, l920.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Membership fees.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
$
Totals on February first wcre 180 Active members and ZG1 Associates. 624
G3.01 89.00
JOURNAL OF
CHEMICAL GDUCATION.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chemical Foundation, Incorporated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11.70 1300 .CO
Expenditures:
Executive Committee,1/5/29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Supplies and help in Secretary's Office.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Supplies and help in Treasurer's Office... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Incidental Expenses, Minneapolis Meeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reprints JOURNAL OF CHEMICALEDUCATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Committee on Preparation of Teachers.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Committee on Minimum Equipment.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Committee on Professional Spirit.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Committee on Order of Presentation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Expenditures incident to the meeting of the
Deficit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
181577.07 113.36
3. Editor-&Chief's Report: The Editor-in-Chief reported that all work in the editorial office is proceeding satisfactorily and recommended that changes suggested so far this year be deferred for consideration a t the Atlanta meeting. 4. Business Manager's Report: Business Manager reported that there are now 11,500 subscribers to the JOURNAL OFCHEMICAL EDUCATION and 5300 subscribers to The Chemistry Leaflet. The latter was taken over by his officein October and its subscription list is growing very rapidly. Every suggested method of bringing the JOURNAL to the attention of the high-school teacher has been tried, hut the cost of maintaining a revised list is so great that the Division should seriously study the problem. The financial statements for the JOURNAL and Leaflet will be published in a later issue of THISJOURNAL.
Reports of Committees 1. Naming and Scope of Committees: WILHELM SEGERBLOM, Chairman, presented the following report, which was approved. At the Minneapolis meeting "The question of revising the names of the Committees of the Division was referred to the Committee on Naming and Scope of Committees." Since during the past year the Division through its various administrative agencies has thoroughly revised the list of committees of the Division and of the Senate, deleting inactive committees, combining certain other committees which seem to overlap in their activities, and revising the names of several of the committees in order to make the name of each more definitely indicative of its work, the list of the
Division's nine committees as published on page two of the November CHEMICAL EDUCATION, was submitted to our committee for approval and correction. Our committee has officially approved the name of the nine committees referred to above, oiz.: Research Problems Women's Club Study Course i n Chemistrv Aids to Visual Instruction i n Chemistry Minimum Equipment for i-l&School Chemistr.v Naming and Scope of Committees Professional Spirit among High-School Teachers Preparation of High-School Chemistry Teachers Order of Presentation of Recitation and Laboratory Work Major Topic Organization of High-School Chemistry The question of Library Equipment, or better, of Chemistry Libmry, was referred to our committee. The opinion is that this question is of sufficient importance to warrant a special committee to study it. A list of seven aspects of the question which such a committee might profitably look into brought out some interesting suggestions. As one member has not been heard from yet, the committee thinks it better to defer making its report to the chairman until the returns are c ~ m p l e t e . ~ The question of Chemical Education by Radio was also referred to our committee, as a result of correspondence between Mr. Perry, Radio Counsel for the Committee on Education by Radio and the Secretary of the Division. Though this question opens up several possibilities the members of our committee are not so enthusiastic about this question as about the one on Chemistry Libraries. It is, therefore, even more desirable to have the opinion of the other member of our committee before making a final report. The appointment of such a committee will probably be recommended. The committee feels that, since the Secretary of the Division has more divisional contacts than any other person concerned and is necessarily conversant with all the details of matters referred to us, i t would be highly desirable and helpful to have him as a member of our committee. We, therefore, recommend that the Executiwe Committee instruct the Chairman of the Division to appoint the Secretary of the Division an ex-oficio member of the Committee on Naming and Scope of Committees. Following the adoption of this report the Secretary was appointed a member, ex-oficio, of the Committee on Naming and Scope of Committees. 2. Aids to Visual Instruction in Chemistry: M. V. MCGILI,,Chairman, presented the following report which was approved:
J OU R N AL OF
2 IJnder date of January 17th, Mr. Segeihlom wrote that all members have now been heard from and the report covering these two committees is being mad? t o the Division Chainnan
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The committee has corresponded by mail with practically all of the producers of visual educational material suitable for use in chemistry, particularly films, slides, and film-slides. A questionnaire was sent out in August with about a 60% response. A second questionnaire calling for specific data was sent out December 23rd to the companies which did not reply and to an additional list which we did not have in August. Replies are already coming in on these. A tabulated list of exhibits from high schools and colleges a t the Columbus meeting of the A. C. S. was published in THIS JOURNAL.^ We feel that considerable progress has been made and we believe thoroughly adequate material is available. We have had fine cooperation from the various companies. There is a possibility of talking pictures being developed and a film library being formed a t The Johns Hopkins University in connection with the Chair of Chemical Education. The committee aims to get a s much as possible of the available material on visual education before the teachers of chemistry. To this end a few articles will appear in THISJOURNAL preliminary to the tabulated report which will appear in the September issue. It is the aim of the committee that this shall be very complete, concise, and up-to-the-minute. The committee realizes that all visual education does not have to do with slides and films and so will consider other phases which will include demonstration experiments, exhibit material which can be obtained from manufacturing companies, charts, etc. We propose the following articles for the JOURNAL (I) April issue: A general article on visual education. This article will he written by Mr. Astell, reviewed by the committee, and published under the name of the committee as all our articles in the JOURNAL this year will be. (2) May issue: A one-page preliminary report of the committee to give a general idea of what is coming. ( 3 ) June issue: A paper on the mechanical side of visual education, which will be written by the members in Rochester and reviewed by the rest of the committee. ( 4 ) July issue: Special emphasis on the non-film and slide features of visual education with practical reference t o exhibits a t the American Chemical Society meetings. ( 5 ) September issue: A tabulation of the material on films, slides, etc. (6) November issue: Photographs of exhibits which have been worthwhile a t both the Atlanta and the Cincinnati meetings of the A. C. S. with an appropriate write-up. Starting next fall we propose to list regularly, in The Chemistry Leajet, films, film-slides, and other visual material which is available on each suhject, synchronizing as nearly as possible with the main topic in each issue. As many films and slides as possible will be reviewed during the next six months with an idea of expressing in our tabulated report what per 3 THISJOURNAL, 6,1153-5 (June. 1929).
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
MARCH, 1930
cent, for example, of each picture is suitable material to show a group of students in class time. The committee expects to promote a rather extensive exhibit of visual materials and school exhibits a t the Cincinnati meeting. The committee realizes that the program set out for this year is only preliminary but one which is a t the same time a foundation for very useful work which can be accomplished later. The Executive Committee voted to approve the expenditure of $100 by this committee during 1930. 3. Professional Spirit among High-School Teachers: The following report was received by letter from I,. W. MATTERN, Chairman: Exchange of views by correspondence within our committee and personally with others in the United States Bureau of Education bearing on a report to the Executive Committee in regard to two proposed projects, was followed by the approval of these projects, and has led to correspondence with all the secretaries of the Local Sections of the American Chemical Society, and some 260 high-school teachers of chemistry scattered throughout the United States. Our committee will have reports covering the results of these two lines of correspondence for the Atlanta meeting, and it is believed that these reports will be of sufficient value in the cause of chemical education to warrant their publication. During 1930 the committee plans to correspond with secretaries of local sections relative to technical programs for chemical education, with highschool teachers of chemistry in regard to certain phases of their replies to questionnaires, and with our committee in the exchange of views on our two proposed reports. It will be necessary to employ stenographic help in the preparation of these reports for the Executive Committee and the Senate of Chemical Education. This report was approved. 4. Preparation of High-School Chemistry Teachers: A. J. C URRIER , Chairman, reported by letter as follows: Two projects have been undertaken during 1929: first, a study of the curriculum requirements for secondary teachers of chemistry in the European countries (this topic was suggested by the Secretary of the Division earlier in the year) ; second, a questionnaire study of subjects taken by American chemistry teachers to be included in future curriculum requirements. This project is undertaken jointly by the Committee on Professional Spirit among High-School Teachers, of which PROPESSOR I,. W. MATTERN is Chairman, and the Committee on Training of High-School Chemistry Teachers. The committee has sent requests to some fifteen ministers of education in foreign countries, including the British possessions, for material hearing on curriculum requirements. These requests were sent out November 6, 1929. Replies have not been received as promptly as anticipated, but we
VOI..7, No. 3
MEETING OP EXBCUTIVE COMMITTEE
629
expect that we may have something wortliwhilc to report a t the spring meeting. Professor Mattern has not reported as to how many of his questionnaires have been returned. It is expected, however, that enough replies will be in hand to make a t least a preliminary report a t the spring meeting. Professor Mattern obtained a considerable help in connection with the study of training requirements in foreign countries from DR. JAMES F. ABEL, Specialist in Foreign Education, United States Bureau of Education, Washington, D. C. The personnel of our committee has been decreased by one member but i t seems that the three members can take care of the work a t the present time. The committee would be very glad to receive suggestions for additional studies from any source. This report was approved. 5. Women's Club Study Course in Chemistry: HARRISON HALE, Chairman, reported by letter as follows: Arrangements have now been completed for the publication in full of the Club Study Course on American Chemistry, in the JOURNAL on CHEMICAL EDUCATION for F e b r u a ~ y . ~Registration in this course will be made through the Bureau of Women's Clubs of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and reprints will be furnished to women's clubs who decide to register in the course. Through the active cooperation of the Chemical Foundation, books will be provided for this study a t a very low price. It is our hope to put an announcement of this course in the hands of every club secretary in the United States, so there will be some expense for clerical work and postage. At present it seems that this will be fully covered by the $1000 which the Chemical Foundation has already set aside for the work of the committee. This will be the main work of the committee during the coming year, in which we ask all the cooperation possible. This report was approved. 6 . Order of Presentation of Recitation and Laboratory Work: FRANK N. GREENLAW, Chairman, reported by letter as follows: Dr. Parr's investigation in Illinois was reported a t the Minneapolis session and will be published in detail in THIS JOURNAL.^ While it seemed inadvisable to repeat the work which she did so well, a somewhat similar experiment has been carried out in the Rogers High School, Newport, Rhode Island, utilizing material which I had intended for a wider testing. The more limited scope of the experiment, including 110 individuals, will perhaps be compensated for by the more rigid control and exclusion of variables. I shall hope to have a summary of this work ready for the Atlanta meeting. THISJOURNAL, 7,32540 (1930). See this issue, pages 57146.
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
MARCH.1930
I believe that the work of this committee presents some rather definite evidence that, judging solely from the standpoint of range of information and retention of learning, recitation first produces higher scores. Whether it will be possible to devise tests for other values which have been claimed for laboratory methods I am as yet uncertain. The matter of lecture-demonstration versus laboratory instruction is not conclusively established, in spite of a number of investigations, and this matter has more vital bearing upon the whole question of high-school teaching of chemistry than has the order of presentation. The work of the committee might well be continued along these lines. This report was approved. 7. Labels: JOHN M. MICHENER, Chairmaw, presented the following report by letter: We have written to all the laboratory supply houses in regard to their attitude toward the present label books on the market, also toward a proposal to put out a new one, if that should seem necessary in the future. Most of the houses are much dissatisfied with the label books on the market and would be glad to cooperate in putting out a new book. The committee expects to (a) make a survey of representative highschool and college instructors to see what labels should be represented in a label book, ( b ) try to get the publisher of the now most widely used label book to revise i t in his next publication which occurs soon, and (c) make public, through THISJOURNAL, some interesting information concerning some of the label books now on the market, also requesting opinions concerning the work. Miscellaneous Business Voted to approve the application of the Wichita Section of the A. C. S. for representation in the Senate of Chemical Education and upon the Board of Contributing Editors. 2. In view of the fact that there are a t present no Local Sections of the A. C. S., and no Science Teachers Association in the state of Mississippi, i t was voted to appoint the following to the Senate of Chemical Education representing that state:
1.
College Refiressntatiue, DR. A. E. WOOD, Mississippi College, Clinton. High-School Representntiue, MR. C. 0. HINTON.Perkinston, Miss. Industrial Refiresentntiue, M R .CHARLES A. LAMBERT, Hercules Powder Company,
Hattiesburg.
3. The Secretary was instructed to invite each of the Local Sections in the state of Tennessee to function in the interests of chemical education in their respective areas. 4. With reference to the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION, i t was voted to substitute for the line "A Monthly Journal Devoted to the In-
7, No. 3
MEF.'I'ING01: EXECUTIVE C O MMI T T E E
li.31
terests of Chemistry Teachers" the following, "Official Organ of the Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society." The Mack Printing Company has been holding plates for a number of articles which have appeared in THIS JOURNAL with a view to reprinting under one cover these articles and others, which were to have been collected by the Committee on. Research. Problems oJ High,-School Chenistry Instruction,. At the Minneapolis meeting it was voted to discontinue the above committee and to refer such questions as may arise to the Committee on Naming and Scope of Committees. The Executive Committee voted to instruct the Mack Printing Company to knock down the type now being held, and to refer to the Committee on Naming and Scope of Committees the question of abstracting or collecting these articles. Voted to refer to the Committee on Naming and Scope of Committees the question of establishing a Committee on Teacher Exchange. Voted that the lists of the Division officers, committees, and members of the Senate appear immediately after the Table of Contents and before the frontispiece in the JOURNAL, the pages to be unnumbered. Voted that each committee send advance copies of all questionnaires and general communications to the Secretary to prevent overlapping. I t was the opinion of the Executive Committee that only a limited number of projects be recommended for nation-wide study in any one year. The Secrekzry was instructed to circularize the Senate, calling attention to this recommendation and requesting an expression of opinion as to which committee project should be favored a t this time. The Secretary was instructed to send to members of the Senate copies oi the Minutes of the Division. The estimate of expenses for the current year was discussed and approved. Miss Parr was appointed a committee to express our apprcciation of the interest and assistance of the Chemical Foundation, Incorporated. Shc presented the following resolution which was adopted unanimously: The Executive Committee of the Division oJ Clienlird Ed7hralion of the American Chemical Society extends to the Chemical Fonnd~llion,Incorpornted, most sincere thanks for the continued interest. and help given to,~frrttrer the work o f the Diy'ision during the past year especir~1l.yi n relation to ,finanrinf the JOWRNAL OP CHEMICAL EDUCATION, and n nlrmber oJ proj~ctsheing deaeloped xnder the direction of th,e Division of Chemicnl I.~lz~cnl.ion. To MR. AND MRS. CARVAN, the Committee ertends greetings and a n evpression of ?nost enrn,est appreciationfor their personal intere,~lnnd their brond
032
JOURNAL OP CHEMICAI, EDU CA T IO N
MARCH, 1930
influence not merely i n the work of this Division but in the relation of chemical education to the bettevment of society throughout the world. Adjourned a t 12.00 M., having been in session as follows: Friday, January third, 10.00 A . M . to 12.30 P . M ., and 1.30 P . M . to 5.30 P . M .; Saturday, January fourth, 9.30 A.M. to 12.30 P . M . R. A. B A K E R , Secretary Question of Ether Again Confronts Scientists. Professor Dayton C. Miller has reported t o the Optical Society of America meeting a t Ithaca, New York, that he has during the past year laboriously repeated the ether drift experiments that he has been making during the last nine years in a Cleveland laboratory and on high Mount Wilson in California. Again he finds an observed effect in the light path of his apparatus such as would he produced by a relative motion of the earth and the ether of ahout ten kilometers (six miles) per second. This is the same result that Dr. Miller has obtained during the past few years. In 1925 his paper on this work won the annual prize of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. This continued ability to ohtain the same results over a period of years, whether the apparatus is a t normal level in Cleveland or on a California mountain, makes Dr. Miller's resultsall the more important. Nor does Dr. Miller feel that his experiments repudiate the famous MichelsonMarley experiments on ether drift performed in 1887. Prevalent opinion holds that this historic test showed that there h no ether drift, that there is no something filling all space, and it was upon this interpretation that Prof. Albert Einstein based his special theory of relativity when he enunciated it in 1905. But Dr. Miller, studying the results of his latcst experiments performed this year on the campus of the Case School of Applied Science, only about 300 feet from the location of the original Michelso~l-Morley interferometer of 1887, finds that his results showing the solar system moving thraugl~ space "fully agree with and confirm the original Michelson-Morley observations, although the present interpretation is different." In the 1887 Michelson-Morley experiment there was discovered a slight differencc in the time that it took light to travel over two paths, one a t right angles to the other. But this was attributed to experimental errors, to those slight deviations that enter into all observations. Dr. Miller, by performing hundreds of experiments and by improving the details of the ether-drift interferometer, has by his results demonstrated that the observational differences of the original experiments and his many later tests are real and not due to error in the apparatus. Such refinements as shock-absorbing pads an the supporting piers and extreme precautions to eliminate temperature differences were taken in this year's experiments. The interferometer uses the interference of light waves to measure far more accuratelv than any mechanical means. Dr. Miller's instrument gives numerical results reliable t o the hundredth part of a wave-length of light, although the length of the lipht path is 130,000,000wave-lengths. He can detect ~. a relative motion of earth and ether a twcntieth that which he actually ohscrvcd. The discovered motion of sir miles a second is not a mere earthly ohenomenon. hut ~. a cosmic one. It is fixed with relation to sidereal time, that is, it is toward a fined place in space. The earth and its millions and the whole solar system is rushinp. Dr. Miller declares, "toward the point having a right ascension of 17 hours." How are the scientists to reconcile with their theories this well-tested motion that the ether-drift experiments demonstrate? Dr. Miller says: "It seems impossible a t the present time t o account for a cosmic effect of this small magnitude and i t will he necessary t o continue these experiments and to coerdinate them with others before an acceptable theory can he propounded."-Science Senn'ce
