THE CHEMICAL WORLD THIS WEEK "The utilization of agricultural products as raw materials for the synthesis of new chemical products offers a n e w a n d challenging field," D r . Reid declared. "It is a field of science that requires a large amount of fundamental research, as well as industrial development a n d application. "I wish to pay tribute to the leaders of the chemical industry w h o did such an Outstanding job during World W a r II, and are repeating the performance during the present emergency. In t h e last war many expansions were started in the industry in 1940, previous to t h e great demand, and as a result there was no time during this war period when there was any critical shortage of chemical products. " T h e chemical industry during this period carried out its expansion, for the most part, without recourse to government funds. If w e exclude those products used solely in explosives, chemical warfare, and synthetic rubber, over 90% of all financing was supplied b y the industry itself. This was done because the industry had the firm conviction that the postwar demands for chemicals would be much greater than t h e prewar demands, and wc have seen this conviction borne out by facts. Certainly, a modern war could not be carried on n o r could the modern weapons of war be built without a strong and virile chemical industry "Industry is again called upon to accomplish t h e same results, and with greater production facilities available, it can accomplish t h e same thing as it did in World W a r I I , b u t undoubtedly in a shorter period of time if such is required. Some change in t h e implements of war has taken place, and it requires somewhat different manufacturing facilities than we used in W o r l d W a r II. These facilities, for t h e most part, are more complicated, requiring more technical skill, not only to design and build but to operate. As is usual, this apparently is not fully understood by t h e Armed Services; consequently, they have b e e n very reticent in permitting the proper utilization, not only in industry, but in the Armed Forces, of technical men and engineers. It is certainly to be hoped that every effort will b e m a d e by the chemical industry to endeavor to convince the Armed Forces that t h e policy that they are n o w pursuing is not a sound one, and cannot b e continued if they expect industry to develop, design, and build the highly technical new instruments of war." Dr. Weidlein said that Reid's service in Washington was outstanding. Fits broad knowledge of chemistry and the chemical industry, and his excellent evaluation of men m a d e the Chemicals Division one of t h e best organized bureaus in the W a r Production Board. He was m a d e director of the commodities bureau, covering other industries besides chemicals, later was elevated to t h e post of d e p u t y director general. H e was a real leader, Weidlein said, and has t h e courage and vision always to look ahead.
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Ernest Welcome Reid REID, recipient of this year's E RNEST Society of Chemical Industry M e d a l , is one of t h e growing n u m b e r of executives w h o are chemists b y training, a n d w h o h a v e made significant contributions t o b o t h science a n d industry t h r o u g h their technical a n d administrative ability. D r . Reid was born in 1891 o n a farm near Chase, Kansas, p a r t of t h e "nation's breadbasket," w h e r e t h e crops were w h e a t , corn, and "milo maize." His father was a grain farmer w h o later b e c a m e a grain buyer, a n d differed little from other farmers of t h a t d a y , who believed t h a t their sons should rise before dawn for t h e day's chores. T h e medalist is u n a b l e , even now, to explain w h a t brought him into chemistry at Southwestern College, where he got his A.B. in 1916. Mellon Institute of Industrial Research at Pittsburgh has, through the years, been a constant source of contributions to industrial chemistry and the workshop of many outstanding researchers. Reid came to Mellon, after he g r a d u a t e d from Southwestern, a s a junior research fellow, and through a fellowship became associated with the Carbide and Carbon organization, an association that was t o last 2 5 years. With George Oliver C u r m e he worked on t h e research program that was to establish Union C a r b i d e in the aliphatic and fine chemicals field. F r o m ethylene and other components of natural gas were derived, within a few years, several h u n d r e d chemicals, most of which attained commercial production. H e became, successively, superintendent of the Carbide and Carbon Chemicals plant at Clendenin, W. Va., director of sales development, and its European representative. T h e medalist was still able, while at \U lion, to continue with his studies at the University of Pittsburgh, w h e r e he obtained his M.S. -And Ph.D. in chemical engineering. He had labored with distinction for two Union C a r b i d e units, Linde Air Products and Carbide and Carbon Chemicals, when h e terminated this connection to go with the Council of National Defense, OPM, the first supply controls agency of W o r l d W a r II. T h e chemicals branch of O P M had been organized before Pearl Harbor by E . R. Weidlein, Director of the Mellon Institute. T h e O P M later became the W a r Production Board, and Reid was placed at t h e head of its chemicals branch, which was charged with the vital task of providing chemicals for the war effort. Ultimately h e was m a d e D e p u t y Director General of W P B .
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T h i s responsible post was relinquished to other capable h a n d s in 1943, w h e n h e again was to b e occupied with t h e products of the farm, not as a farmer, b u t as a vice president of C o r n P r o d ucts Refining Co. Here he organized t h e Chemical Division, including a research and development staff w h i c h utilized corn as a source for such m o d ern miracles of chemistry as t h e highpolymer protein zein; inositol, a factor in life and g r o w t h ; phytates, removers of trace metals from acid foods; a n d glucuronic acid, important in the d e toxification of foreign substances in the body. Dr. Reid credits these achievements not to himself, b u t to the research groups who w o r k e d under his direction. T h e development of m e t h o d s for t h e commercial production of zein might be cited as an example. Use of this product, w h i c h is obtained from the gluten of t h e corn kernel, enters into the manufacture of Vicara, a protein textile fiber m a d e by the VirginiaCarolina Chemical Co.; in varnishes and other coatings; printing inks, adhesives; p a p e r and textile sizes. O t h e r p a r t s of the corn kernel are starch and oil-bearing germ. Reid and his staff gave t h e s e much study and obtained modified starches and dextrins. T h e value of inositol as a p h a r maceutical will b e seen in its established status as a B vitamin, and as a factor related to t h e metabolism of fats a n d cholesterol. I t is one of six bios factors primarily responsible for the growth of yeast. Experiments have shown that inositol decreases the body's cholesterol content, which is believed to b e associated with atherosclerosis. D r . Reid w a s made president of C o r n Products Refining Co. in April 1951, on t h e same day that D r . Charles A. T h o m a s , B o a r d C h a i r m a n of the AMERICAN C H E M I C A L SOCIETY, assumed
t h e presidency of Monsanto Chemical Co. Dr. Reid's d u t i e s at Corn Products Refining m a k e his residence in N e w York almost mandatory. Still, if it could b e arranged, h e probably w o u l d comm u t e b e t w e e n N e w York a n d a farm in Kansas, w h i c h he prefers above all else, so strongly rooted are early environment and leaning of those w h o live close to t h e soil. This preference is shared w i t h h i m by Mrs. Reid, t h e former Leila E . English, w h o is also a native of Kansas. T w o hobbies which get the attention of t h e medalist, when his work p e r m i t s , are farming and fishing.
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