May, J923
INDUSTRIAL A N D ENGINEERISG CHEXIXTRY
445
NEW HAVEN MEETING There had never been any question but that the 65th meeting of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY at New Haven during the week of April 2 would be upon an unusually high plane. It was also certain that the unusual features announced would be sure to attract many of our leading chemists, and these men themselves afforded an attraction which brought together an attendance well above 1500. d nurnber of chemists arriving on Thursday and Friday failed i o register. One of the very enjoyable outstanding features of the meeting was its delightful international aspect. Foreign chemists representing England, Scotland, France, Italy, Holland, Sweden, and Canada came at the special invitation of Yale University and delivered addresses of great interest to several special groups. These visits were made possible by friends of Yale, and it is hoped that a precedent has thus been established whereby friends of science in the various localities where our SOCIETY meets can make it possible for one or two prominent international scientists to attend future meetings. If the presence of foreign scientists at our meetings is stimulating, it is no less true that our own leaders owe it to the younger men and to the advancement of chemistry to attend SOCIETY meetings, deliver papers, and take a leading part in the discussions. Many of the men missed in recent meetings were in attendance a t Kew Haven. The State of Connecticut and the City of New Haven did all they could to contribute to the success of the meeting. With the presence of noted men and the unusually high quality of papers presented, there stands out as a feature of the meeting the dedication of the Sterling Chemistry Laboratory. This laboratory was described in the March issue of THIS JOURNAL. The dedication exercises were conducted in the industrial laboratory, and the procession of dignitaries, led by President James R. Angell and President-Emeritus Arthur T. Hadley of Yale, presented an impressive and colorful sight as they entered the auditorium clad in their academic robes. The Sterling Laboratory is a bold experiment in design and construction, which demonstrates that a monumental building can be adapted to laboratory uses. Remembering the epoch-making work of the early chemists of Yale, with little encouragement and meager equipment, with the facilities now available, chemistry can properIy look to Yale for accomplishments of the first magnitude.
The Council Meeting The Council, composed of 6 general officers, 8 past presidents, 8 chairmen of divisions, 6 councilors-at-large, and 112 local-section councilors, of which 31 were substitutes, met on Monday. On Wednesday a special meeting was held. Resolutions on the death of E. W. Morley were presented by 0. F. Tower and unanimously adopted. Certain historical papers in the possession of the SOCIETY were added to the historical collection of Edgar F. Smith. A. W. Brown, of Cornell, extended an invitation for the SOCIETYto meet in Ithaca in September, 1924. A new section, to be known as the Erie Section, at Erie, Pa., was granted a charter, and approval was given for the formation of a tri-city section covering the territory of Rock Island, Clinton, and Moline, Ill. The announcement was made that Swift & Company has added a fellowship to the list of those created for chemical research. A. M. Comey was elected to the Committee on
National Policy (Advisory Committee) to succeed George D. Rosengarten. The motion to reverse the action of the Advisory Committee on the Stanley patent bill was defeated by a decisive majority. The real point a t issue was not so much the Stanley bill itself, since that proposed legislation went into the discard with the adjournment of the last Congress, but was whether the Advisory Committee had exceeded its authority in speaking for the Council. Reference to the action in 1917 creating the Advisory Committee made it clear that it is to speak for the Council between regular meetings, and the vote taken affirmed that action. At the second meeting of the Council, the report of the Committee on Progress in Society Procedure was considered f i s t by the Council as a committee of the whole and then reported by the committee to the Council itself, thus affording two opportunities for complete discussion. The Council approved the general plan of regional representation of directors, and instructed the Advisory Committee to determine territorial boundaries to afford equitable representation and to submit a plan, together with proposed changes in the by-laws, to make such plans effective at the next Council meeting. It was voted that the Advisory Committee be changed to an Executive Committee of the Council with the powers previously given the Advisory Committee and also the usual functions of an executive committee. The Advisory Committee was asked to recommend the personnel of this committee, and report to the next meeting. The Council further voted that the size of the Council be reduced, and that the Advisory Committee recommend upon what lines this reduction be made. It was suggested that in the future, in order to allow ample time for the conduct of the SOCIETY’S business, no complimentary dinner be extended to the Council, but that both afternoon and evening of the first day be made available for Council meetings. The President, as authorized by the Council, appointed a committee, William Hoskins, chairman, to report a t the next meeting on methods whereby an enhanced value may be placed upon membership in the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY.A second committee, M. T. Bogert, chairman, was appointed to consider and report upon a plan for making intersectional meetings official and to advise upon whether or not such meetings should take the place of the spring meetings of the SOCIETY. The minority report submitted by H. C. Parmelee was received and placed on file with the thanks of the Council. Mr. Mory’s committee was heartily thanked and discharged, and those responsible for the success of the New Haven meeting given a sincere vote of thanks. Upon the recommendation of the chairmen and secretaries of divisions, the Council passed a recommendation that the Secretary of the SOCIETY be instructed to mail the final meeting program not less than ten days before the date of the Council meeting and that the final date for the acceptance from authors of titles and abstracts of papers, by secretaries of divisions, be set at least one month before the date of the Council meeting. This is unquestionably a progressive move and it is hoped that it will result in the papers being themselves submitted in sufficient time before the meeting to permit their careful consideration. The New Haven meeting goes into history as one of the most successful held by the SOCIETY, and sets a high standard which our future meetings will do well to emulate.
