U. S. A. FAILS TO SCORE IN NOBEL PRIZES FOR 1935 HARRISON HALE University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas F O R t h e first time since 1928 n o American is awarded a Nobel prize. Usually five prizes, one each in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology a n d Medicine, Literature, Peace, are given annually. One or more of these m a y h e omitted, there being n o awards this year i n Literature o r for t h e furtherance of Peace. Last year of t h e four awards made, two were won b y Americans. T h e recent record is: 1929 1930
Peace
1932 1933 1934
Chemistry Physiology-Medicine Chemistry Physiology-Medicine
1935
No award to Americans
Literature Physiology-Medicine 1931 Peace
Frank B. Kellogg Sinclair Lewis Karl Landsteiner Jane Addams Nicholas Murray Butler Irving Langmuir Thos. H. Morgan Harold C. Urey George H. Whipple George R. Minot William P. Murphy
These eight prizes (1929-34), o u t o f a total o f 23, caused t h e United States t o gain steadily on other countries. Notwithstanding t h e 1935 failure, in the seven years, 1929-35, more prizes h a v e come t o Americans t h a n t o citizens of a n y other one country. T h e awards for 1935 go (in Physiology and Medicine) t o H a n s Spemann, a German, (in Physics) t o James Chadwick of England, a n d (in Chemistry) t o Frederic Joliot a n d Irene Joliot Curie, his wife, i n Paris. This removes the immediate possibility for bettering t h e relative position of t h e United States, now a rather poor fourth. T h e first five countries rank: Germany 35 prizes, England 21, France lgl/*, U. S. A. 16, Sweden B u t there is hope i n t h e years ahead.