Marvel is guiding selection of 5 5 area chairmen who will work with local section chairmen. Most areas include two or more sections. Of those w h o were asked t o take an area chairmanship,. Marvel says over 7 5 % have already accepted—a pretty good yield for an organic reaction. Each section is earnestly requested to b e patient and to await word from territory chairmen as to -what is desired.
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UOP Hearing in Third Week Pitzer a n d W a g n e r testify of increasingly important role of basic research in petroleum field
Western territory looks pretty big to Albert Elder, area fund drive chairman ( r i g h t ) . Robert Elderfield, University of Michigan (left), and Gordon Peterson, c h a i r m a n of ACS Chicago Section, were among the local section leaders w h o a t t e n d e d kickoff meeting in Chicago which s a w almost a 1 0 0 % turnout
Drive Gains Momentum N a i r , Marvel, and Eider meet with local section leaders in western area kick-off meeting JL H E ACS building fund campaign moved farther along this month with the first western territory organizational meeting. Councilors or other representatives from 31 local sections w e r e invited to a consultation conference in Chicago. O n a cold Friday night, the affair h a d almost a 100% turnout, marking an enthusiastic start for t h e fund drive at the local section level. Led by John Nair, Planning Committee Chairman, Carl Marvel, National Chairman, a n d Albert L. Elder, Western Territory Chairman, the kickoff meetings ought to acquaint local section leaders with the mechanics of the fund drive and set u p a schedule for section fund meetings. In an informal atmosphere, everybody had a chance t o ask questions and get ready for the task ahead. And t h e task is a big one, points out Nair. It's a nation-wide, once-in-ageneration campaign, with a large sum a s its goal. The Planning Cominittee •hopes t o m a t c h subscriptions from m e m b e r s of the Society with donations 88
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from industry. But while t h e campaign to reach industry will be h a n d l e d at the national level, individual members will be approached only t h r o u g h their local sections. Says Nair, "Local sections offer the only effective avenue of getting to all the members." T h e method of approach will be educational with no high pressure a n d will unfold s t e p by step. I n coming months, local sections will have get-togethers similar to the Chicago meeting with a representative from territory headquarters on h a n d to outline further w a y s by which section leaders may assist. Each local section will plan t h e fund drive according to its needs. A large section like Chicago will have about 700 members on the fund committee, and hold seven or eight meetings all told. In other sections, t h e size of the committee and the n u m b e r of meetings to b e h e l d will be m a p p e d out in proportion t o the size of the section. T h e national leaders of t h e fund program h a v e been planning a long time for this program. National Chairman
1 HE hearing o n Guaranty Trust Company of N c York's petition to sell any or all of the securities of Universal Oil Products C o m p a n y entered its third week on Nov. 12 (C&EN, Nov. 11, 1957, pages 2 8 - 9 ) . During t h e week preceding, witnesses included J. Luther Cleveland, Guaranty's chairman of the hoard, and Maynard P. Venema, president of UOP. This week, Cleveland was cross examined and Guaranty also put on Kenneth H. Rockey, a director of U O P and three New York bankers who testified as to the value of Guaranty's services t o the trust. As the third week of the hearing began, Arthur B. Hanson, attorney for ACS, called Kenneth S. Pitzer and Gary R. W a g n e r as witnesses for ACS, whose Board of Directors has approved Guaranty's plan to sell the U O P stock. ACS receives income through dividends paid from UOP's earnings a n d with them sponsors advanced scientific education and basic research in the petroleum field through The Petroleum Research F u n d . W h i l e on t h e stand, Pitzer, who is professor of chemistry and dean of the college of chemistry at University of California, Berkeley, and who served as director of research for the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission from 1949 to 1951, said that h e considers it of utmost importance to provide an expanded support for basic research and advanced scientific education in the petroleum field. I n this day of earth satellites, it hardly seems necessary to document the importance of basic research, Pitzer added, stating that it is necessary for national survival in the present world. Pitzer also stated that even though the restdts of basic research are nor-
