Local activities and opportunities - ACS Publications - American

Hobart College, gave a very intereating paper on. "Ammonia as a ... Southern California Section of the A C. S. ..... best fitted to represent that sch...
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Local Activities and Opportunities New England Association of Chemistry Teachers. The ninety-second meeting of the N. E. A. C. T. held a joint meeting with the Bmwn Teachers Association a t the Metcalf Chemical Laboratory, Brown University, Providcnce, Rhode Island. Prof. R. and Mr. H. W. Rice, of Hobart College. gave a very interesting Paper on "Ammonia as a Solvent." Prof. H. p. Daviron, of Blown University. read a paper on "Safety Firat in Storing Chemicals." W. C. Johnson. University Research Pellaw, demonotrated the "Elements of Glass Blowing." Visits were made to various points of interest abovt the University. These visits were in charge of " Simmons and H' B. Pray of the Department of Chcmi=try and ineluded trips t o the Chemical Laboratory. John Hay Library, John Carter Bmwn Library. Engineering Building and Paculty Club. of The Report of the Eighty.Ninth the Association has been published and m p y may be by a by

sion features of the w e e p program are unique. You are t o be entertained from sea level to 6000 feet altitude. There will be special trains out of all large cities where the fare will be less than one-half the usual fare. Iowa Association of Sdenre Teachers. The Iowa Committee of chemical ducati ion formed to look out for the of the teachers of the ~ ~have ~ tz,,tive piece of work in creating a bureau f, i,,formation, T,, bureau any teacher the rtste may refer problems with their teaching, with which they may wish help or information. It phovld be of ar3irtance to the experienced It is t h a t the questions of general interest together their answers may their in the of JOVnNaI.,

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University of Catifornil. Dr. Gilbert N. ~ e ~ i s . Dean of Chemistry a t the University of Caliornia f been '' the year i825-26 to give the Silliman lectures a t Yale University. Chenaisd Society of England. The Council writing H. Card, Secretary, 40Svmmcr St., of the Chemical Society of England have elected Holbrook, Mars. the following officers:Dr. A. W. Crmsley, PresiOf Pharmnccutica' Chemists. dent; ~ r T. S. Price. ~ e e r e t a r y ~ ; r P.. G. onAlready more than MOO.WO has been secured in nan, pomign Secretsry, and for the Home Of the The annual meeting was held on March 28 and Pharmaceutical Chemists. The Committee which an dinner was held in the evening, is carrying forward the work and of which Dr. H, A, R . Dunning, of is chairman is University of Minnesota. Dr. L. M. Hendu.ow for the favorable for son who has been holdins the wsition a= &sta n t pmfessor of Physical Chemistry a t the Unibe this home and the type of bvilding versity of Minnesota has resigned to accept n by mail this put up. The site in to be on position as research chemist with the Atlantic fall, The pueeesrful city will be fort,,nate indeed, Company of Phiiadelphia' for i t rail1 bemme a t once the national headquarters of ~ k ~ i rand t s chemical m ~ n v f a e t ~ e r s Equation of Co5peration. The Business and will be the scene of far-reaching scientific Chemistry recently published the "Equation of r-nrch work. Cobperation" ns follows; ~ c e o r d to i ~~~ r ~.u m m i n gthe building will IF two men work separately, the value of their work is be artistic, getting away from the usual straight1 + 1 = 2 upand-down lines of business establishments. It will be used for developing educational PropaIf they work aginst each other of ganda of a modsort, will include a complete their work will be seientifie library and will house several research 1 1 0 laboratories where scientists can delve into pharmaeevticai and chemical problems. If they work together, the value of their work is Southern California Section of the A. C. S. (1 lp = 4. The California Section wishes to extend t o the Universi*. P. T. walden who chemistry teachers of the United States and other c,,untrier their heartiest invitetion for the p ~ ~ the - poritian of prohsnor of chemistry a t y a k Univcrrity has been appointed Dean of the freshA,,gvst to 8, in ~ ~ hi^ ~in a chance ~ to j ~ ~ man . year a t the University. Thin type of an plesisure, The pmblam has organization is somewhat new in educational eirdes and is belng watched with mvehintecest. nliled this, and hence have planned to not bore YOU with hea7y all-day meetings. The Ex-Eloctticd Measuring Instruments. Teachers f

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VOL. 2. NO. 4

LOCAL ACTIVITIESAND OPPORTUNITIES

interested in measuring instruments will want to rend for bulletins Nos. 533 and 984 which have just heen issued by Leeds & Northrup Co.. Philadelohia. Pa. Wear Allia H ~ g hSchool. A moa live Chrmierl Sneiety has hcrn formrd under the lendership of 11. 1. W . I'h#llit,r, . . hcad of the rhem8ilrv . dennrt. ment. You do not have t o be in a chemistry r l a r s in order to loin this o e a r v r i c t y . All that ir rvqturcd 13 interest and activity an chctntrtry. I t alrcadv ha3 thirtv mcmbcrr nnd it is r m . i pated that this membership will be doubled in the near future. The main features of the Society thus far have been the programs. I t is planned t o have men of great prominence in the chemical field give talks before the Society. The society meets once a week on Tuesday a t 3.45. The interest in chemistry is further demonstrated a t West Allis by the greet number of A. C. S. Prize Essays submitted-127. Some one is surely alive in West Allir. cornell university. At the last meeting of the Cornell Section of the A. C. S. n very interesting program wan given on Optical Chemistry. Reversal of Electrodes in Spectrum Analysis, 1.. P. Audrieth; Spectroscopic Identification of Fluorine, W. E. Snec; Miuoxopic Identifieatioo of Paper Fillers, K. P. Geohegan, reported by C. Curchot: Microscopic Tests for the Acids of CI, Brand I , C. W. Mason. Mills College. The course in American Ideals or Civic Education, required for the Secondary School Certificate in Califoroia, has been offered this year interdepartmentally a t Mills College. prui. Gibbonl nud Awocialr Prulr~sarGraham of the Department of Chemistry haye contribvted two lectures dealing with public problems io the field of Chemistry and the conservation and deve1ooment ot the chemical re.a,1rees of the United State*. Dr. R. E. Swain. Head of Chemistry Department, Lelmd Stanford, gave a most interesting lecture before a recent assembly of Mills College. Chicago Association of Chemistry Teachers. At the February meeting of the Chicago Annoaiation of Chemistry Teachers in connection with the Chicago Section of the American Chemical society the objeetiver in teaching first year chemiltry war discussed by secondaryachoal teachers, college teachers nod industrial chemists. There was unanimity in the opinion t h a t such a course should be generally cultural and deal with the chemistry of dally life problems. There is no reanon for different treatment of pupils notwithstanding that some will ethe study of formal "hemistry funher in some x h w l , or take extended study a t college. or undertake the profession of chemistry. It 3hould afford thinking from data according t o scientific method and develop nppreeiation of the values of the service of reicnee. Columbia Unipersity. Dr. H. C. Sherman hcad of the chemistry department of Columbia

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has mmpleted a very extensive tour, under the auspices of Scientific Associations, through the wentern states where he spoke principally before crowded local section. of the A. C. S. on such subjects as "Vitamins in Life and Health" and "Enzymes from the Chemical Point of View." Rochester Section of the A. C. S. Mr. Harry A. carpenter, contributing editor of the Jownal of Chemical Education for the Rochester Section has appointed the following committee t o eo6perafe with the New York State Committee on Chemical Education (THIS JOUBNAL. a, 221 (1925)): Dr. Y. 3. Chambers, University i f Rochester, Rochester. N. Y.; Dr. H. T. Clarke. Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y.; Mr. Herbert Comfort, Batavia, N. Y.; Mr. C. C. Edgett, Genesee Wedcyan Seminary. Lima, N. Y.; Mrs. Jane English, East High School, Rochester, N. Y.; Mr. Ralph Helmkamp, University of Rochester, Rochester, N. Y.; Dr. J. E. Lansing, Geneva, N. Y.; Mr. L. G. Smith, West High School, Rochester, N. Y. Gerry's Tests of High-School Chemistry. ''Thmc f e ~ t sarr d..\i~necl to drtcrrninr. ar arcuratrlv as r l n be dons in a romuararivclv short time, the relative a-mplishments of students of general chemistry. They yield objective rmres unioflueneed by the variable standards of teaeherr and make porrihle an seeuraeg, in comparing the work of individuals or of groups, s e a t e r than can he derived from literal or per"entile description. nwarded upon the judgment of a single teacher These tests, by the very nature of thcir origin and construction, not t o he considered as indicators of what should he fsvghf under ideal modition.. They do not intend t o specify the things that shovld he especially emphasized. Rather their pwpose is t o give a comparative measure of the g r w ~ e s u l t s of teaching the kind of ehcmi~trythat is being taught, on the average, in the preoeot-dry American 3eeo"dary school. Furthermore, they make it pwrible for teacher t o compare his d a s a with other c1a.nes an to the degree of mastery of some of the phases of chemiotry commonly taught." There tests are printed by the narvsrd university press. Cambridge, Mars.

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Rhode Island State College. Plans are now being made for the Second Annual Chemistry Exbibif and Contest a t the Rhode Island State College, Kingston, for the week.of May 4th. while the genera1 scheme is similar to that of last year, there are rev-1 innovations p r a p ~ e d which promise t o add considerable interest to the events of the week. As for the exhibit it may he said that an attempt will be made this yea. t o make the individual displays of a symbolic natvre and arranged in as beautiful and artistic a manner as possible. Those manufacturers who fare t o enter exhibits and the college students taking chemistry courses who arrange uhibita, will he a&ed to build up their displays on this basis.

Prizes wit1 be oEered for the two best exhibits put on by students from each college da.9 and if is quit. possible t h a t special prizes wili be offereda . well. The iist of thore companies and friends of the college offering prizes is o m being compiled and wiil be announcd later. The Rhode Island section of the American Chemical Society has aeeepted an iovitntioo t o hold its May meeting a t the College on Mny 8th. and its members wili not only have a n opportunity t o see the exhibit but will also be addressed by Mr. J. C. Hostetter, of the Corning Glass works, on the .'Properties of Optical GI-.'' Mr. Hostetter has had a wide experience during and since the war on the preparation and properties of such giaos and a most interesting talk is anticipated. On Saturday. May 9th. the day of the Interseboianfic Field Meet a t the College, there wili be held the Second Annual Chemistry Contest for the high-school pupiir of the state. It will be conducted along the same lines and practically under the same conditions ar iast year3 competition. A definite announcement of the mien of the contest wili be published shortly. T h e n has already been some degree of interest manifested by both high-school teachersandpupils nnd inquirie~arehcelnning to come to the rollwe in rcpard to the eontc5t. One texhcr h-fir .,rated t h a t he e.,,rct.. to aivc tests to hi3 . .,mi19 . in order to be able to choose those individuals who are bent fitted t o reprerent that sehwi in the conteat a t the college. Another teacher has stated that some of his pupiir are anxiour t o compete not only in the track events but also in the "hemistry examination. That particular possibility was anticipated last year and wiil be sgain this year by having the chemistry test take piace early in the mornina and comdeted before the athletic events. Some interesting results followed iast year's contest, and a few t h a t have come t o the notice of the College are as follows: A student from one of the competing high schools became so interested in the subject of chemistry that he conriders making it hi3 i i h work. He also entered the Garvan prize essay contest in this state and carried off one of the prizes of that affair as well as one of those a t the s t a t e College Chemistry contest. The students a t one of the high schools formed a chemistry club within the year and have extended their study of chemistry and their interest in the subject by making revernl trip* to industrial plants. Several citizenn of Newport, whose high school won the trophy last year, expressed their satirfaction t o the teacher of the team that their boys could win a contest of brains as well a . brawn. Chemical Trearnren of the Porest.

By Dr.

L. E. Wise, Professor of Chemistry. N. Y.State College of Forestry, Syracuse. A bound reprint of seven articles by the author which appeared in su-ssive issues of American F-sts and Forest Life during 19234. Twenty-eight pages,

9 in. x 12 in.. 38 illus.. N.Y. State College of Barcstry, 1924. Titles of the various chapters arc ( I ) Wonder Burners of Wood. (2) Knights of the Paper Trail. (3) Spinners of Wood. (4) Twilight of the Natvrai Dyes. (5) Trees as Oil Producers. (6) Alcohol via the Woad Route. (7) Our Oldest Industry. Each article is in itself a chemical treasure, from the angle ol bath content and expression. They represent a most ~ueeessfuiattempt to carry t o the i a r miad the scientific and technical side of forert productr; for the man with chemical interest, they bring together and correlate forest produets with industry in a thought-provoking way. Dr. wise begins with chaning proce.res, contrasting the older and the newer methods in a very happy manner. stressing the matter of the distillates and therefore modern equipment. Next follows a chapter on Knights of the Paper Trail in which the author is at his best. The historical development is very sppealing and the treatment is adequate. As we a n deftly led through chapters dealing with artificial *ilk. dyes and oils from trees, alcohol and naval stores. we feel the satirfaction of having been per30nally conducted. The dress of the work is in keeping with the standard set by the author. The iiiustrations are well-chosen, really modern, and are an outstanding feature. The net result is very satisfying and will leave a deep impression e$peeially in the non-technical mind for whom it was primarily written. The industrial methado cannot fail to appeal and, of course, every one is more impressed than ever with the mnjesty of the forest. The College oi Forestry has seen the wisdom of coiiecting this rerie. of papers under one cover and is dintrihutins copies t o the various school centers of the s t a t e as a part of its educational program. C. C. S PENCER. renowship stipends. TI,^ foliowing views arc expressed by President Butler of Columbia University in his Annual (1924) report (page 37): "The holder of a Miowship is a young student, making his way a t every sacrifice, and gaining on the lower steps of the academic ladder that experience and training which will one day enable him t o mount well to the top. The annual stipend of a university fellowship war fixed a t $500 by the Trustees of Columbia University when in 1872 they established the fellowships in letters and in science that were awarded annually for some years. This same amount wa. adopted by the Johns Hopkinr University when it erta1,lished twenty fellowships in 1876. As feiiowships multiplied. both here and elsewhere. 5500, or ssm pius the amount of tuition, was pretty generally accepted as a n appropriate stipend. What was sufficient in 1872 and 1876 is not sufficient in 1924. Fellowships of this type should earry a stipend of $1500, or the Felioa. should be supported by loan funds that would give them an available income of that amount.

VOL. 2, No. 4

LOCALACTIVITIES AND

Scholarship and scholars are slowly but steadily coming to their own, and there is no possible reason why either scholarship or scholars should be starved while those whore orrupation is with far less valuable and far less important instrument. of ciuiliration, are deemed worthy of every comfort and luxury. Science Teachers of Arizona. During the s t a t e Teachers' Association, the science Teachers' Asmcirtion of Arizona was called t o order by the President. Sanford Sweet. at 10.30 on Saturday mmning in the Science building of the Phoenix union High School. The following officerswere elected for the coming year: Ralph B. Dixon, President, Phoenix; E. C. Anton, vice-President Mesa; P o m s t Bredon, Secretary. Tempe. The .roer .ram consisted of a talk bv Mr. Lloyd C. Elliott, head of the Seienee Department of the Phoenix Union High School, on "Directed Study and Teoto a n Used in the Phoenix High School." and a . oaoer . hv . Dr. Prank M. Life. head of the Physics Department, University of Arizona, and a member of the Royal Academy of arts, on "TheSdenceTeaeher's Oppoctunity." Pollowing is a resume of the talk by Mr. Lloyd C. Elliott. "The Science DepMment of the Phoenix Union High School has changed from the 45minute recitation period and 90-minute laboratory period t o the 60-minute period for everything. Each class meets 60 minuter, five days a week, this year, whereas they met three times for 45 minutes and two timer for 90 minuter last year. The shorter time is rompensated for by better preparation for the laboratory, 1- 1 0 s of time at the start and finish, and writing up notes out of class. The present arrangement is very safi*factary. The general idea now is t o eliminate the rocalled 'recitation' period and to replace it with laboratory, reading. demonstratioq and discussion and explanation. The student i l drawn out, encouraged t o express his own views and directed in getting correct views. Science lends itself very much to thore methods for the laboratory is there t o prove or disprove the ideas and theories. Theold method wa. t o assign =lesson and then spend most of the time seeing whether the stud e nt mastered it. The present method piaeer the emphasis on the students acquiring the information by the right methods. when a topic is completed a 'written lesson' is held t o test the information and ideas the pupil has gained. These are mimeopphed sheets in which several of the modern methods of terting are used. There include the plus and minus (in which the statement is marked right or wrong), the completion test in which a word is omitted and must be written in by the student, and tests in which several statements are given and the stvdenf choores the one. he thinks are correct. Problems are also used and n blank left lor the answer." [Ah erumination in Chcmistry is ine1oncd.l

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Georgetown Unlseralty, Wahington, D. C.. has started a campaign for an initial endowment of $5.000,WO for the establishment ol a chemical laboratory for the Arts and Science School and to contain a ehemical-medied research Eminent specialists in the various dcpartmentr of chemistry, pathology, bacteriology. pharmacology and bioehemi~trywith the assistance of associates and graduate students will find here ideal eonditionl to promote researehen in method. 01 pro~onginghuman life, health, end prewntiog di.ease. It in expected to have this laboratory in operation within four yeam. George L. Coyle, s. I., head of the Department of Chemistry, is on a two months' trip conferring with men who are ~upportiog this movement.

Dr. E. W. Gtwrnoeg of the Pixed Nitrogen Laboratory. American University, will have charge of rhembtry in the newiy organized College of Liberal Arts of the American University located at M-achusetts and Nebraska Avenues. N. W., Washington, D. C. A t a m e n t meetingof the Washington Chapter of the Society of S i XI, held a t the Bureau of Standarde, Mr. C. Francis Jenkins, well known Washington inventor, gave an illustrated talk on "Radio Tran3missioo of Photographs, Photograms, and Moving Pictures." Applications lor the Qrasselli Graduate Fellowship in Chemistry e t Oberlin College for 1925-26 should bemadeat once. This Pcliowrhip carries a "ashstipendof $500 with free tuitionand fees, a total wlue of about WOO. Candidates must have the A.B. degree, about four years of mder gmduate chemistry, a reading knowledge or French or German, and a year of college physier. Research may be elected under Prot W. H. Chapin on beryllium or on thermal methods of analysis: under Prof. 1.C. MeCdlough on mdallography or on alloy structure: or "rider Prof. A. P lothrap oa organic or physiologic problems. No work in colloid chemistry will be offered became of the absence of Prof. H. N. Holmes, in Europe. University of Nevada. The Robert I,. Fultoo lecture foundation recently established a t the university of Nevada, for the purpose of obtaining prominent lecturers t o speak before the student body and faculty is the means of bringing D~~ . o b e r fA. Millikan to the Univenity this for a series of three Lectures. He will take for his subjects "The Electron," "Light Waves." and "Stripping the Atom." The terms of the bequest establishing the foundation make pmvirion for or group of icctues each year. University d Virginia. Prafe-r Hall Canter. Chairman of the Vkginis Section of the American Chemical Society, and Professor of Chemistry at ~ a n d o l p h - ~ w c oCollege, n gave a talk entitled

" ~ ~ s e a r e ahn d the Public" to the p d u a t e students a t the University of Virginia on March 25th. T h e Virginia Section of t h e American Chemical Society will meet a t the university of Virginia, in pisee of Richmond, on April 17th.

T h e f r e s h m a c l a s at the University of Virginia has this year established a semi-monthly Chemical Newspaper. Students present abstracts of articles of a chemical nature which appear in the daily papers or current magazines. a n d receive credit for each abstract accepted.