Chemistry for the Concerned Citizen
With the kind permission of Dr. Robert Parry, Chairman of the Committee on the Teaching of Chemistry' and Convenor of this meeting, I propose that we dedicate these papers to the late Dr. Richard Wolfgang, Professor of Chemistry at Yale University, who drowned June 19, 1971, while boating off the coaqt of Connecticut. Dick was Chairman of the panel on "Chemistry for Citizens" of the Snowmass-at-Aspen Conference held July, 1970. The other two members of thin panel were participants a t the Snowmass-atAspen Conference: Sir Ronald Nyholm2 as Co-Chairman of Panel I, "The Structure of Chemistry," and Professor C. N. R. ao as Co-Chariman of Panel 11, "Graduate Educatio and Beyond." They will agree with me that Dick's contribution to the success of that International Conference on Education in Chemistry was penraqive and enormous. Dick's reputation among peer scientists stemmed from his pioneering work on mechanism of nuclear reactions, for which he received the ACS award for Nuclear Applications in Chemistry. Thus he takes his place among the minority of contemporary research chemists who are willing to jeopardize the prestige which accrues from additional research publications and training of graduate chemists to devote time to making chemistry a relevant, vital, and inspiring humanistic study for students not ordinarily turned on by science--in fact, who may be tuned-out from science. Richard Wolfgang wrote the report of Panel IV of the Snowmass Conference. I recommend it rts required reading for all of you. I can give no more fitting introduction to these papers than to quote briefly from Dr. Wolfgang's report of one year ago and list the recommendations of the Panel which, as its final action, "directed" the Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society to "constitute an effective panel to implement and further develop" recommendations of the Panel. The concluding sentence of the Panel report is, "Until such a group is opera-
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The committee members me: J. A. Campbell, USA; D. Chisman, Great Britain; R. Nyholm, Great Britain; M. Oki, Japan; R.W. Parry, USA; A. F. Plat& USSR; C. N. R. Rao, Mdice; G. M. Schwab, Germany; P. Sykes, Great Britain. * I t is with regret that we note Professor Ronald Nyholm was killed in an automobile accident an December 4, 1971. His work constitutes a monument to him and these papem are also dedicated to his memory.
tional, we of this committee assume that our responsibilities are not ended." I now quote from the report of the Panel on Chemistry for Citizens We are coming to the realimtion that at this time the furtherance of science itself is no more important than its wmrnunicstion to humanity ss a whole. Yet as we go out to proselytize we recognize the time is Late, for the world is on the verge of turning against us. In the past we have relied, though perhaps not consciously, on awe in the works of science to instill a. fsith in science in every man. There is a kind of justice in the fact that faith is proving an inadequate mesns of gaining acceptance of that which at the outset rejects faith. The harder road of education is the only one left. Millions of college graduates who were required to take a single, general science course to win their degrees now form the backbone of public opinion. Many of them, in this one contact with science, came away with a feeling of boredom, if not antagonism. The spark of inquisitiveness, without which science is meaningless, was extinguished. We must persuade the nonscientist that science can he regarded as one of the humanities in that it enahleles him to see himself and his place in the universe in a way that nothing else can. We must show him that ~ciencecan tell us what may be rationally known, and that it can then provide a clear basis for many decisions in the running of his and the world's affairs. This is more important and more difficult than attempting to instill "facts" and abstractions which seem to have no relevance to life. At all levels of instruction, it is crucial that the highest priority be given to the presentation of science as a human discipline, thorougly interwoven into life as we know it. Science as an extremely creative exercise of the discipline imagination would be an important part of this presentation. While this is important at all levels of instruction, it is especially critical in elementary school since it is there that attitudes toward learning in general and science in particular are usually formed.. .In order to reach the largest possible audience, it is imperative that a wider and more varied range of course materials be developed. This is a particularly acute need in the secondary schools.
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Professors Rao and Nyholm will report factually about programs of chemistry for general students in India and the United Kingdom. I will report plans which the Division of Chemical Education has developed to implement the recommendations from the Snowmass Conference. I do feel that this committee has responsibility to develop a report on international activities in this field.
William B. Cook
Volume 49, Number 5, May 1972
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