JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
THE EXPERIENCE OF A TECHNICAL SUMMER EMPLOYEE IN INDUSTRY FRANK X. SUTMAN West Orange High School, West Orange, New Jersey
LAST summer I had an opportunity to work with the Standard Oil Development Company in their Esso Research Center a t Linden, New Jersey. The Standard Oil Development Company has, from time to time, conducted a limited program of summer employment for science teachers a t the Esso Laboratories. While this has been confined mainly to teachers from universities having specializations pertinent t o this company's activities, the program has also included hieh-school teachers. The Standard Oil Develoument Company is the central research, development, and engineering unit of the Standard Oil Company (New Jersey). Obviously, the highly specialized nature of the activities limits the scope of the work which can be performed during a summer experience. I t has, however, been possible to provide stimulating short-range projects. This permits a summer employee to do an entire job, giving him a feeling of pride in a completed work. An experience of this nature helps teachers under-
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stand the free enterprise system by showing them how it, works. Modern free enterprise is dedicated to serving people. By serving effectively it makes a profit, and the profit enables it to continue to serve. Teachers can be a powerful force in combating communism by explaining this philosophy to their students. Through the efforts of the public relations department and the company's operating divisions, the company has begun to answer the need for better understanding between education and industrv. THE WORK-TOGETHER PLAN
The company believes that it can help teachers to offer a more helpful type of school and university program by introducing them to the philosophy of modern industry. At the same time the company wishes to foster good relations among the schools, industry, and the general public. Teachers can sell the American way of doing things to the younger generation only if they themselves are completely familiar with it. In-
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dust,ry is a big part of our American way and must therefore do its part in keeping the puhlic informed concerning its operation; it believes that our method of free enterprise must be publicized if we are to combat its opponent, communism. Teachers can effectively do this, and industry is int,erested in helping . - them. PURPOSES OF SUMMER EMPLOYMENT
I n organizing the work for the snmmer employee, t,he Standard Oil Develo~mentCornpaw keeus a number of . items in mind. Some of the more important ones are listed below. (1) They want to help the teacher financially. (2) They want to give the teacher a type of job that will not be strictly routine hut rather one that will give the teacher a feeling of accomplishment and selfsatisfaction. (3) They want to introduce the teacher not only to company philosophy and policy, but to the philosophy of modern American industry in general. (4) They want to introduce the science teacher to the methods of modern scientific industrial research, with the idea that the high-school science classroom is the place where interest in a scientific career can be stimulated. (5) They want the teachers to contribute to the purposes of the company. (6) They want the teacher to gain as much useful information as possible. "
HOW IT HELPS THE TEACHER
Looking a t these items from the teacher's point of view: (I) The financial assistance enables the teacher to participate in this program, instead of working a t a job unrelated to his field of interest. (2) The teacher benefits by obtaining useful material concerning the mechanics involved in research and the philosophy of free enterprise. This material will be useful in the classroom. (3) He acquires a feeling for the basic philosophy of modern industry and can talk more intelligently about its organization and goals. (4) He gains experience that might he valuable to him in obtaining future snmmer employment. HOW IT WORKED
The work was planned so that the teacher was offered all of the tools of research. A specific problem was decided upon. It was left up to the individual to organize and carry out the experimental work needed to solve the problem. I n my case the problem was to determine the effect that com~ositionhas uuon various physical properties of sekisolid petroleum products. Literature describing past work done on the problem and the physical equipment needed to perform the desired investieation was eiven to the teacher. Su~ervisionwas not forced upon the teacher, but it was given graciously when asked for. As a science teacher I began to realize how valuable a person who can express himself, both in writing and orally, is to modern industry, This was realized by participating in the frequent reviews of the work, by writing memoranda and reports concerning the work, and by preparing and giving a final oral summary presentation of results, for the benefit of other technical employees. Several informal discussions introduced the teacher to the philosophy of modern American industry. A twoday orientation program (offeredas part of an indoctrination program to new employees) gave the teacher an over-all picture of the oil industry, and of the Standard Oil Company's organization and philosophy. The program stressed the transition of industry from the old fashioned type of "dictatorship" to the modern cooperat,ivesyst,em,where the employees work as a team. Management is just another part of the team, not the overseer. The company believes in America's free enterprise system. Its primary purpose is to help people by offeringgood products; by doing this it makes a profit so that it can continue to serve the people. An opinion survey made a few years ago by a national opinion research organization indicates that some teachers do not understand t,his new philosophy of big industry. By obtaining an over-all view of the industry and yet being able to work on a problem in one particular group, the teacher is able to return to the school with a clear, complete picture of just what the scientific industries have accomplished and what their goals are. The science teacher can more honestly and effectivelystimulate young students to continue in technical scientific training to prepare themselves for a field in which there is, andwill-be for some time to come, an extreme shortaee of nersonnel. The teacher is therefore helping himself and the industry, and of most importance, he is helping better to guide the future citizens of our country.
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An opportunity was afforded me to work in the company's Esso Laboratories-Products Research Division.
