PACIFIC SOUTHWEST ASSOCIATION O F CHEMISTRY TEACHERS PERSONALITIES AND TRENDS PERSONAL ITEMS
The need for keeping experienced teachers in chemistry was evidenced on the return of G. Ross Robertson from his year of world travel. He was immediately called upon to forego thoughts of retirement and to reenlist in teaching organic chemistry a t U.C.L.A., where he has taught so well for many years. Kenneth Trublood has been absent on sabbatical leave from U.C.L.A. while pursuing research in England a t Oxford University. At Pomona College Martin E. Fuller has joined the chemistry st&, after completing his Ph.D. at M.I.T. He replaces John Mooi, who left Pomona for research with the Sinclair Oil Company near Chicago. Caltech's first woman Ph.D., Dorothy Semenow, who took her B.A. at Mt. Holyoke, has been teaching a t Pomona College on a National Science Foundation Fellowship. Before this she held a postdoctorate fellowship at U.C.L.A. Donald Noyce of U.C. has been in England and Switzerland on a Guggenheim fellowship. The Educatlon and Manpower Committee of the California Section of the A.C.S. has chosen Leo Brewer of U.C. as its organizing chairman, with plans for a summer institute for high-school teachers. Both Leo Brewer and Kenneth Pitzer collaborated on a revision of Lewis and Randall's classical "Thermodynamics." Pitzer went to Europe as a Guggenheim fellow t o complete the rest of his sabbatical leave. Other Guggenheim fellows from U.C. last year included Henry Rapoport, Isadore Perlman, and Burris Cunningham. James Cason has r e vised his "Essential Principles of Organic Chemistry," g acting chairman of the chemistry dewhile s e ~ n as partment a t U.C. Me1 Gorman of the University of San Francisco spoke at Immaculate Heart College, Los Angeles, on the subject "The Impact of Modern Science on Religion and Philosophy." He is a member of the accreditation committee of the Western College Association. Herbert Prosser of the same institution guided organic research of students who presented papers a t the student affiliates meeting of the California Section of A.C.S. Sacramento State College hosted the local A.C.S. section's "Meeting-in-Miniature." F. Musselbaum and C. R. Hurley presented papers. Hal Draper wes elected chairman-elect of the A.C.S. section. An addition to the staff was Peter Duel, who received his Ph.D. from U.C.L.A. Additions to the faculty a t Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo are: Frank Young, with a B.A. from Colorado College and Ph.D. from U.C.; Omer Whipple of the University of Tulsa, with a B.A. from Dartmouth and M.S. from Columbia; and Gerard Franz of Texas Tech., with a B.S. from Heidelberg University and M S . from Columbia.
San Jose State College plans a summer institute directed by Wilbur Strain and supported by the National Science Foundation. Information on modern developments in science will be presented to high-school teachers for three hours of credit during the regular summer session. The fourth annual West Coast Science Workshop, under the direction of Arthur Williams, will be held a t San Jose State College from June 23 to July 6. A $1.5,000 grant bas been provided for this by the Crown Zellerbach Foundation. Dorothy Craig of Marlborough School for Girls in Los Angeles tells of the successes of her girls in western and eastern colleges. Those taking the rigorous eastern college board entrance examinations have come through with very high records. Mrs. Craig's fine work as secretary for various levels of the PSACT is equaled by her ability to inspire enthusiasm for our associat,ion in its members. Two staff members were added to the faculty of Frenso State College, George Kauffman and Jack Abernethy. Kauffman was elected treasurer of the local A.C.S. section. On leave this year was Warren Biggerstaff, who has been doing research at SloanKettering Institute. William Miller has substituted for Biggerstaff during his absence. Next year Robert Kallo will take a sabbatical leave, but the location is as yet undecided. David Clark received enthusiastic response to his appearance on TV in behalf of inspiring interest in students in the field of chemistry. A talk on the problems of water fluoridation was given to people in the Fresno area by Ray Bremner. Ennis B. Womack, chairman of the chemistry department, was appointed chairman of the nominating committee for state PSACT officers. He attended the meeting a t U.C.L.A. for this purpose. Also, he was elected president of the Fresno sub-section of the A.C.S. The Srience Fair program has received its needed drive and purpose through the leadership of Doris Falk. Harry E. Redeker will retire this year from San Mateo College and go into consulting and research work as a chemical engineer. His efforts in behalf of the PSACT, particularly his photographic work, will be long remembered. MEETINGS AND ELECTIONS OF OFFICERS
A northern section meeting was held in October on the campus of Sacramento State College. The principal speaker was Leo Brewer of U.C. who spoke on "High Temperature Chemistry (2000' and Up)." Much of the session was concerned with various aspects of science fairs. Speakers included Franklin McPeak, Paul R. Kurtz, Norman Abraham, Louis Alcorta, Herbert A. Young and Melvin 0. Fuller. Later, Richard Eastman spoke on the subject "Keeping Chemistry Teachers JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
Up-to-Date." A. H. Batchelder and Paul Gakle discussed the problem of "The Undergraduate Chemistry Training that Industry Wants Its Employees to Have." Arrangements were made by Norris Rakestsaw for a southern section meeting in November a t the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla. Earl P. Wadsworth of San Diego State College talked on "Organic Qualitative Analysis-Its Place in the Undergraduate Curriculum." The subject of "The Chemical Industry of China before 1937" was treated by George Bieu, Assistant, Marine Chemist at the Scripps Institution. The state PSACT meeting took place a t U.C.L.A. on February 23. The speakers and topics were: George Beadle of Caltech, "Radiation Damage in Heredity"; I. Arthur Marshall of U.S.C., "Psychopharmacology of Tranquilizers"; Gladys Emerson of U.C.L.A., "Some Human Aspects of Nutrition"; G. Ross Robertson of U.C.L.A.. "An American Professor Looks at Chemical Education in the Orient"; Charles A. West of U.C.L.A., "Gibberellins and Plant Growth." A panel discussion on "Meeting the Future Manpower Needs" was moderated by L. Reed Brantley of Occidental College, with these panel members: Ernest Levens of the Southern California A.C.S. Committee on Education; Gretchen Sibley of the Southern California Science Fair; R. Nelson Smith of Pomona College; and Stanford Melbourne of John Marshall High School.
of the polarimeter was finally accepted. Accompanying the acceptance of this item of equipment was this statement to President Arnold E. Joyal from the Directors of Education and Fiance: Approving the acceptance of this gift does not imply the approval of faculty research as a function of the State Colleges. Approval is given because the project will be accomplishedduring the faculty member's o m time and will not conflict with his regular teaching duties.
A strong rumor has been fostered by certain elements in the State Colleges that the University of California is opposed to research in the State Colleges. In order to secure an official statement on this matter, because of its importance to all teachers in the PSACT and to taxpayers in the State of California, a letter mas directed to President Robert Gordon Sproul, from the author as an associate editor of the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION.His reply was, therefore, prompt on July 13, 1956: Dew Professor Ahernethy: The statement in your letter of June 29, 1956, that you have been informed that the University of Cdifornia is opposed to grants by private organizations to state colleges . . . came as a surprise to me. To my knowledge the University of California has not taken a position on this matter and I do not believe it i~ one on which the University should take a position. Sincerely yours, (Signed) Robert G. Sprod
Officers elected for 1957 are these: Southern Section Northern Sectin Clinton Trimble. . . . . . . .Chairman... . . . . . . . H . . C. Benedict G. Ross Robertson. . . . .Choi~manElecl.. . . . .James Ice Norman Kharanrh. . . . . .Secretam. . . . . . . . . . .Robert Bovdson Ruth Majot.. . . . . . . . . . . . T r e a s w i ~.. . . . . ~ r t h u rSm:t.h State Cheiman.. . . .Harold G. Reibcr, U.C. at Davis Secretory.. . . . Dorothy Craig, Marlborough School, Los Angeles T~easarer.... .Me1 Gorman, University of San Francisco
THE PROBLEM OF RESEARCH IN OUR STATE COLLEGES
William A. Woods, western representative of the R e search Corporation, cooperated with chemists and administrators in our California colleges and universities in establishing grants for these people in 1956: John Leo Abernethy, Fresno State College; Donald M. Balcom, S m Francisco State College; Edwin R. Buchman, Caltech; Robert H. Dewolfe, Santa Barbara College; Corwin H. Hansch, Pomona College; Rohert B. Henderson, Long Beach State College; Robert W. Isensee and Harold Walba, San Diego State College; Daniel Kivelson, U.C.L.A. ; Edward Leete, U.C.L..4. ; and John M. Prausnitz, U.C. Some state colleges have taken on grants through their local College Foundations. Fresno State is one example. Until this year, it was generally believed that the State would not accept research grants, particularly where equipment was involved, because of the vague position of research in the state colleges. Local state college president.^ do not have the authority officially to accept gifts. The law requires advance approval by the Directors of Education and Finance. Recently a grant was offered to the Fresno State College Foundation, including funds tor the purchase of a precision polarimeter. Although it took over three months for a decision to be reached, the gift to the State by the Foundation VOLUME 34, NO. 5, MAY, 1957
Those of us who teach chemistry in the State Colleges are aware of the liberal attitude of chemistry departments at both the Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses of the University toward almost any research that can be accomplished in the State Colleges. In the instance of the grant for work at Fresno State College, it was William G. Young, Dean of Physical Sciences a t U.C.L.A., who suggested in the first place that the Research Corporation and the iYationa1 Science Foundation be approached to secure a grant for this particular project. The real question, then, would seem to be: Can sound graduate work be given toward a master's degree in chemistry, without doing research? Furthermore, chemists should be the ones to determine this answer. It seems very odd that any sort of decision should be reached in these matters on a state level, without consulting members of the science faculties for advice. Not once has such advice been sought in a serious way. The topic for discussion at the last annual Fresno State College Faculty Conference at Asilomar, Thurs. day through Saturday noon, November 29-December 1, 1956, has a direct bearing on this matter. The topic was "The Master's Degree Program at Fresno State College." Dean Brownell of the School of Education of the University of California a t Berkeley delivered the keynote address. He urged the faculty to make a scholarly approach t o the matter, with severe intellectual demands on students who are permitted to pursue graduate work, and he stated further that a faculty engaged in research activities is required for such a graduate program. After various stimulating group discussions, the faculty convened on Saturday to draw up resolutions to be relayed to appropriate authorities in the state. Some of the principal points of the resolutions were these:
1. A policy on research should follow the McConnell report which states: "At least some faculty memhers in all college institutions may wish to carry on a modest program of investigation or creative work. This should not only enrich their teaching hut strengthen the intellectual climate of the institution as a whole." 2. Faculty members directing graduate theses or projects should he granted one unit of teaching credit for each two students and this credit should he reflected in the teaching load. 3. Use ought to be made of graduate assistants, in strengthening a graduate program without sacrificing the undergraduate program. Consideration should be given to additional support from both state and private sources. 4. The continued trend toward centralized control of the state colleges a t the state level is undesirable. Therefore, he it resolved that an independent hoard of regents be set up by legislative enactment to administer t,he state colleges. President Joyal stated, a t a discussion group of the science faculty, that me are fighting a winning battle
with regard to the graduate program. Dean Brownel of U.C. made the suggestion to a small group that thc National Science Foundation should he 'pproached. A committee could be organized, perhaps including interested persons like Glenn Seaborg, to meet with authorities in Sacramento for a frank presentation of certain problems pertaining to the present attitude in approaching the problems of science. In view of the stern competition apparent in Russia today, a manpower shortage could result, severely endangering our national security, from a continued indifferent attitude in Sarramento. Dean Dallas Tueller closed the conference xith a firm note of responsibility and optimism. He stated that the state, so far, has given inadequate support to the graduate program. Also, he stated, "Our graduate problems will grow, not lessen, and we \rill have to consider seriously, now, the appropriate measure to improve our long range program."
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
