T H E J O C R X A L O F I X D C S T R I d L A-VD E A Y G I S E E R I Y G C H E M I S T R Y
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WILLIAM H. NICHOLS MEDAL AWARD The Nichols Medal, awarded by the New York Section of the American Chemical Society for the best original contribution to the publications of the Society during the year 1914, was conferred upon Dr. Irving Langmuir, of the General Electric Company Research Laboratory, in recognition of his distinguished researches on chemical reactions a t low pressures, a t the regular meeting of the Section, March j , 1915. The medal was presented by Professor Allen Rogers, Chairman of the Section. The addresses of presentation and acceii-tance are printed below, together with Dr. 1,angmuir’s abstract of his paper on “Chemical Reactions a t Low Pressure,” presented in accordance with the rules for the award of the medal. The Nichols medal was founded in 1902, and the eleven impressions made to date have been awarded as follows E. B.
1903
\’OORHEES
C. I,. PARSOXS 1905 M. T. BOGERT 1906 H. B. BISHOP 1907 W. H. WALKER 1908 W. A . NOYES A N D H. C. P. WEBER 1908 I,. H. BAEKELAND 1909 M. A. ROSAHOFP AND C. W. EASLEY 191 1 CHARLESJAMES 1912 M. GOMBERG 19 14 IRVINGLANGJIUIR 19 15 -[EDITOR]
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PRESENTATION ADDRESS B y ALLEN ROGERS’
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We are assembled this evening to do honor to a man whose wonderful achievement along scientific lines has very largely attributed to the developments in the high-efficiency tungstenlamp. We can hardly realiLe, as we enjoy our present day illuminations, that only a few years back our fathers read by the light of the tallow dip. I R V I S G L-1NGhlUIR-n’ILLIA31 It is such men, however, as Dr. Irving-Langmuir, who . by their untiring efforts have made this lighting system possible, and t o them we owe a debt of gratitude which can never be repaid. Dr. Langmuir was born in Brooklyn, New York, January 31, 1881. His early education was obtained in the public schools of that city which he attended until June, 1892, a t which time his parents went to Paris; there he studied under French teachers for three years. Returning t o the United States in the fall of 18gj, he entered Chestnut Hill Academy a t Philadelphia, and the following year found him in Brooklyn again, attending
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X e w York Section
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t h e American Chemical Society
Pratt Institute. On completing his course a t Pratt Institute he entered the School of Mines a t Columbia University from which he was graduated in I903 with the degree of metallurgical engineer. On finishing his course a t Columbia we next find him doing post-graduate work a t the University of Gottingen under Prof, Nernst, carrying out investigations on the kinetics of chemical reaction and on the dissociation of water \Tapor and carbo11 dioxide. I n January, 1906, the degrees of M A . and 1’h.D. were an.arded to him by the University of GGttingen, his major subject having been physical chemistry. Returning t o America, Dr. Langmuir became instructor in chemistry a t the Stevens Institute of Technology, where he taught until July, rgog. At this time he entered the research laboratory of the General Electric Company a t Schenectady, since which time he has been engaged mainly in investigations on tungsten lamps and also t o some extent in work on electric h e a t i n g devices. Dr. Langmuir has been a frequent contributor to the various scientific journals, and on severai occasions has appeared before this section. Some of his contributions are the following: “Thermal Conduction and Convection in Gases a t Extremely High Temperatures. ’ ’ “A Chemically Active Modification of Hydrogen.’ ’ “Chemical Reactions at Verv Low PressuresThe Clean-up of Oxygen in a Tungsten Lamp.’’ “Chemical Reactions a t Very Low Pressures-The Clean-up of Xitrogen in a Tungsten Lamp.” “Laws of Heat Transin Electricai mission blachinery.” H. KICHOLS XEDALIST, 1915 “Conduction and Radiation of Heat.” “Dissociation of Hydrogen into Its A toms.” T o DR. LAXGMGIR: Dr. Irving Langmuir, on behalf of the S e w York Section of the American Chemical Society, as a slight token of the appreciation and esteem in which you are held by your brotherworkers in the field of chemistry, I take great pleasure in presenting to and sincerely hope that you the LX‘ILLIaar H. NICHOLSXEDAI. your future efforts will be as fruitful as your undertakings have been in the past. PRATT INSTITUTE, BROOKLY~Y
