OFFICIAL BUSINESS 287th MEETING
Chemical Education Committee
The 287th meeting of the New England Association of Chemistry Teachers was held a t Keene Teachers College, IZeene, New Hampshire, on Saturday, October 13, 1956. The autumn meeting in the Northem Division is always a delightful one for travel by automobile because the fall colorings of the sugar maples, oaks, and beeches are at their best. The hospitality of our New Hampshire hosts is also proverbial and this year's meeting was no exception. In addition, Edwin Betz of Keene Teachers College had arranged a program of especially interesting speakers. Professor John H. Wolfendeu of Dartmouth College remiuded us of the "Role of chance in chemical discovery." Among other fascinating glimpses of scientists a t work, he revealed the impact of laboratory cupboards on French science-in three noteworthy instances important discoveries resulted from the secluding of an item in a cuphoard for a period of time. The most noteworthy, of course, is the discovely of radioactivity by Becquerel. Professor Alexander R. Amell of the University of New Hampshire gave a clear picture of "Uses of carbon-14 as a tracer in chemical experiments." After explaining the mechanism of formation of C-14 in the atmosphere and in nuclear reactors, he elaborated many of its uses including the important application in age-determinations, photosynthesis studies, body synthesis of cholesterol, and the oxo-process for the synthesis of alcohols. I n the afternoon Dr. Paul M. Goodloe, Assistaut Technical Director of the Brown Company, Berlin, New Hampshire, reviewed the place of chemistry in his company's operations. Using a set of slides prepared especially for the meeting, Dr. Goodloe was able to present an absorbing accouut of the production of pulp and paper products as currently done in northern New England. The business meeting was called to order a t onefifteen in the afternoon by President Marco H. Scheer. The secretary, speaking for the membership committee, reported that two teachers had been elected to membership:
Sr. Ernestine Marie, Chairman, Ryan Memorial Hlgh School, Boston, Massachusetts. Howard I. Wagner, Laoonia High School, Laronia, New Hampshire. Anna J. Harrison, Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massnchusetts. Ina M. Granara, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts. Eleanor M. Tucker, Abbott Academy: Andover, Mitasachosetts
James F. Hanley, Windsor High School, Windsor, Connecticut. Mary C. Rogers, Rogers. High School, Newport, Rhode Island. Donald 8. Harmond, Island Falls High School, Island Falls, Maine.
President Scheer announced the appoint,meut of t,he following t o NEACT committees:
Industry and Education Committee Stephen S. Winter, Co-chairman, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts. Austin S. Kihbee,. Jr... Co-chairman.Leniston High - School. Leniston, Maine. Norman G. Mills, Wachuset Regional High School, Holden, Massachusetts. Standish h a k e , Milton Academy, Milton, Massachusetts. Ihnald C. Gregg, Universityof Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. E. Harold Coburn, Bulkeley High School, Hartford, Connecticut,. Theodore T. Galkowski, Providence College, Providence, Rhodo Island. Student Membership Committee Seward E. Beacom, Chaimnan, Teachers College of Connecticut,, New Britain, Connecticut. Laurence S. Foster, Ordnance Materials Research Office, Wntec town Arsenal, Watertown, Massachusetts. Oliver L. I . Brown. Connecticut College - for Women. New London, Connecticut. Arthur A. Vernon, Northeastern University, Boston, M~ssachusetts. Sr. M. InuisPierre, Rivier College, Nashua, New Hampshire.
Guy M. Burrill, of Keene High School, invited members to go on an afternoon tour of inspection through his newly renovated student chemical laboratories. Elizabeth W. Salryer was delegated to represent the hsociation at the meeting of the planning committee for a Northeastern Regional Conference of the Sational Science Teachers Association in Hartford, Connerticut, October 18 and 19, 1957. Change in Meeting Schedule
At a meeting of the Executive Committee, it was voted to hold the annual meeting at Attleboro High School, Attleboro, Massachusetts. Everett F. Learnard, chairman of the Central Division, will be in charge of arrangements. 288th MEETING
The 288th meeting of the Association was held on December 8, 1956, at the Charles River campus of JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
Boston University. It was held in conjunction with the meeting of the Association of New England Colleges and Secondary Schools, and jointly in the morning with the Eastern Association of Physics Teachers and tshe New England Biological Association, and in the afteruoon with the Assoriation of Teachers of Mathematics in New England. The speakers were chosen because their specialties were broader than a single discipline and their topics of interest to all science teachers. Professor Kenneth Thiman of Harvard University reviewed the important topic of photosynthesis from the biological, physical, and chemical viewpoints and gave a brilliant synthesis of current knowledge about this process. Professor Royal Frye of Simmons College reported on important milestones in science in recent months, speaking from brief news items that have appeared in recent press releases. Professor Klaas Eriks of Boston University told how one finally laboriously arrives a t the crystal structure model of a substance, starting with X-ray diffraction and complementary dat,a. Few in the audience had previously appreciated the tedious computations that are involved and from Dr. Eriks' description one could see how welcome automatic computers would he. Dr. John R. Mayor of the University of Wisconsin, representing the American Association for the Advancement of Science, spoke on "New forces in American education." He elaborated on t,he national concern about the increasing short,ages of scientifically trained people and the efforts being made in various directions to alleviat,e the problem. One of the significant developments is the support of teacher training programs by the National Science Foundation as a result of a greatly increased appropriation for the current fiscal year. President Marco H. Scheer presided at a brief business meeting of the Association. The following have joined the Association since the last meeting:
Norbert L. Matteson, S
