Reruvd
of the
NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION of CHEMISTRY TEACHERS 221st Meeting-April 3, 1943 The Phillips Exeter Academy Exeter, New Hampshire DUE to transportation difficulties, the divisional meetings of the Association have been less well attended this year, but the division chainnen have been very successful in maintaining high standards for the programs. The 221st meeting was unusually interesting and those who were able to attend were amply repaid for their efforts. The program consisted of the following addresses: "Address of welcome," Dr. Lewis Perry, Principal, The Phillips Exeter Academy; "Chemists and teaching of chemistry, with a discussion of the chemical and sanitary work of the State Department of Health,"l Mr. Charles D. Howard, Director, Division of Chemistry and Sanitation, State Board of Health, Concord, N. H.; "Chemistry, today and tomorrow," Mr. L. F. Livingston, E. I. duPont de Nemours and Co., Wilmington, Del.; "Science in Exeter," Mr. John C. Hogg, Chairman of the Science Department; "Lecture demonstrations," Dr. Charles L. Bickel, Instructor in Cbemistry and "Student research problems," Frederic Richards, an Exeter student. The motion picture. "Bouncing molecules," produced for the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, was exhibited. Prior to luncheon, served in the Academy Grill, President Theodore C. Sargent called a brief business meeting. The secretary announced that Lt. L. AsWey Rich, N.R.O.T.C., Chapel Hill, N. C., formerly of Hillyer Junior College, Hartford, Conn., had been placed upon the Deferred Membership List. The election of the following to active membership was announced by the Membersbip Committee: Dr. Andrew J. Scarlett, Professor of Chemistry, Dartmouth College, Hanover, N. H' and Mr. Stanwood B. Towne, Central High School, Brid,geport, Conn. The following were appointed to the nominating committee: Miss Mary B. Ford, Milford (Mass.) High School, Chairman; Professor Samuel E. Kamerling, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine; and Mr. Carroll B. Gustafson, Mass. College of Pharmacy, Boston, Mass. The Necrology Committee presented a resolution on
the death of Harold C. Martin, which was adopted and incorporated in the records of the Association, and prepared the following statement concerning Mr. Martin's career. HAROLD C. MARTIN
Harold C. Martin, a teacher of chemistry, physics, and mathematics at South High School, Worcester, Mass., died very suddenly of a heart attack on June 3, 1942, at his home in Shrewsbury, age 57 years. He was born in Wakefield, Mass., the son of Rev. Thomas C. and Carrie Deane Martin. He was graduated from Warren High School in 1900, and from Wesleyan University in 1906. He took courses In food and chemistry at Westfield Normal School for two years, while employed with Chapman Valve Co., at Indian Orchard. He taught chemistry at Watertown (Mass.) High School and at Peabody (Mass.) High School, before coming to Worcester in 1911 to become a member of the faculty at South High School, where he taught for thirty-one years, up to the very day of his death. He took an unusual interest in his pupilS. by whom he was greatly loved. He was not satisfied to follow a routine in the teaching of chemistry, but was always striving to make the work more practical. Beside being a member of the N.E.A.C.T for many years, having first joined the Association in 1907, he was a member of the Chemical Engineering Society, a past master of the Isaiah Thomas Lodge A. F. and A. M., and a charter member of the John Whittal Lodge, a deacon in the Congregational Church, a member of the Shrewsbury Grange, and a trustee of the Shrewsbury Library, in which he had a keen inter~t. (The data for this statement were furnished by Mr. Myron W. Stickney.)
J
I Me. Howard's Presidential Address, New Hampshire Academy of Science, on a similar topic, was published in THIS JOURNAL, 20, 82 (February, 1943).
Chairman Necrology Committee
S. WALTER HOYT,
222nd Meeting-May 15, 1943 Tufts College Medford, Massachusetts THE annual meeting was held in the Tufts College Chemical Laboratories. During the morning session the program consisted of two addresses: Dr. John S. Blake, Simplex Wire and Cable Company, Cam-
358
JULY,
1943
bridge. Massachusetts, "Review of the rubber situation"; and Dr. Robert H. Aldrich, Harvard Medical School, "The modern treatment of burns." Parenthetically, it may be stated that Dr. Aldrich observed most of the burn cases of the Cocoanut Grove holocaust. He presented one of the most stimulating and provocative addresses it has been the pleasure of the members to hear. He disclosed his reasons why the tannic acid treatment for burns should be abandoned and cited impressive evidence for the use of "triple dyes" to control the bacterial infection of the burned area. Under this treatment the mortality from serious burns at the Boston City Hospital has been reduced from 47 per cent to about 7 per cent. After a splendid luncheon in the Tufts College Refectory, the members reconvened for an address by Dr. Gustavus J. Esselen, well-known consulting chemist and engineer of Boston, who spoke on the topic, "Rebuilding the world through chemistry." This interesting talk was followed by the annual business meeting. Professor Raymond E. Neal, Secretary of the N.E.A.C.T., reported that membership had dropped only slightly during the year, in spite of many factors which would tend to cause it to decline. The total number of members in the various categories at present is as follows: active, 331 (including 21 new members elected during the year); honorary, 3; deferred, 29; and complimentary, 1. Six meetings were held during the year with an average attendance of 52, in spite of difficulties of transportation. The secretary also announced the election of Dr. Otis E. Alley, Head of the Science Department of the Winchester (Massachusetts) High School to active membership. Miss Sue C. Hamilton, Treasurer of the N.E.A.C.T., gave an interim report on the finances, showing a balance of $466.99. The final report at the end of the fiscal year on July 1 will be presented to the Executive Committee at its meeting during the Summer Conference. Professor A. A. Blanchard, Treasurer of the Endowment Fund, reported that the Fund now had a balance of 1821.23. During 1942-43 the income of the fund was used to help defray the cost of the October, November, and pecember issues of the JOUR.~AL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION to enable the Association to start the subscription year on January 1. With this report Professor Blanchard ended his term on the Endowment Fund Committee and received an expression of warm appreciation from the members present for his competent services. There also were reports of progress by thc Summer Conference Committee and the Chemical Education Committee. Mr. Elbert C. Weaver gave the following report for the Committee on Honorary Memberships: The Committee on Honorary l\1emberships is pleased to recommend that Elwin Damon, of Keene, New Hampshire, be elected to honorary membership in the Association.
359 Mr. Damon joined the Association in 1914 while teaching in Lancaster, New Hampshire. Soon thereafter he moved to Keene and became a constant and regular attendant at our meetings. He was active on the committee which organized the ortheru Division of the Association, and later served as chairman of that division for two years. He served the Association as president for the period 1930-32. He has acted as gracious host for Association meetings at Keene on at least three occasions. By serving on committees, traveling long distances to meetings, and by taking part in the summer conferences and in other activities of the Association he has proved himself one of our most loyal members. Furthermore, he is the father of a chemist. He and Mrs. Damon recently celebrated their fiftieth anniversary. To :Mrs. Damon who has accompanied Mr. Damon to many of the Association meetings the committee recommends that the association extend greetings and congratulations. SUE C. HAMILTON
G.
DAVIS CHASE, JR.
ELBERT
C.
WEAVER,
Chairman
The report of the nominating committee was accepted and the slate of officers which they presented was unanimously elected. The only change from the pres~ ent list was the election of W. S. Babcock, Kimball Union Academy, Meridon, New Hampshire, to the Chairmanship of the Northern Division, to filt the vacancy caused by the resignation of Benjamin R. Graves of South Portland, Maine. Dr. Avery A. Ashdown. M. I. T., was elected to serve on the Endowment Fund Committee to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of Dr. Blanchard as treasurer. The membership of the Executive Committee for 1943-44 is as follows:
President: Theodore C. Sargent, High School, Swampscott, Massachusetts Vice-President: Millard W. Bosworth, Vermont Academy. Saxtons River, Vermont bnmediale Past-President: Laurence S. Foster, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island Secretary: . Raymond E. Neal, Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts Treasurer: Sue C. Hamilton, Garland School, Boston, Massachusetts Division Clzairmen: Central Division, Eldin V. Lynn, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, Boston, Massachusetts Southern Division, Dorothy W. Gifford, Lincoln School, Providence, Rhode Island Weslern Division. George B. Savage, Loomis School, Windsor, Connecticut Northern Division, W. S. Babcock, Kimball Union Academy, Meridon, New Hampshire Curator: G. Davis Chase, Jr., Senior High School, New Britain, Connecticut Auditor: S. Walter Hoyt, Mechanics Arts High School, Boston, Massachusetts
360
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
Chairman, Endowment Fund Committee:
Elbert C. Weaver, Bulkeley High School, Hartford, Connecticut
At the meeting of the Executive Committee. May 15, 1943, it was decided that teachers who join the Association at the time of the Summer Conference, paying a registration fee of $6.00, shall receive the -privilege of members for the one-half year ending December 31,
19-13; this implies that they will receive the JOURNAL OF CRE.IlCAL EnuCATION from July to December, 1943, and that they will be billed for 1943--44 dues, including a subscription to the JOURNAL for the year 1944, at the same time as other members. This arrangement makes the difference between the registration fees for members and nonmembers mOTe equitable for all concerned.
Program for the Fifth Summer Conference Phillips Academy, Andover, MassachusetlS August 27-30, 1943 (Continued/rom the May issue, Page 258) REGISTRATION
Friday A/lunoon, August
27, 4 P.M.,
Peabody
Round Table-Topic, "How to choose a general chemistry textbook," Leadtr, Hubert N. Alyea, Princeton University
3:00
House. Miller Street. Andover, Massachusetts
Friday Etrening, August 27 Motion Picture \Velcome-Claude M. Fuess. Headmaster. Phillips Academy Ernst A. Hauser. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "Better teaching of fundmental chemistry"
FIRST SESSION
7: 15 8:00 8: 15
Saturday Morning, August 28 Lawrence W. Bass, New England Industrial Research Foundation, Boston. Massachusetts, "Industrial research in wartime" Representative of the Army Specialized Training Program, "Chemistry and the A.S.T.P." A. C. Titus, General Electric Company Research Laboratories, "What does industry look for in the new chemist?"
SEVENTH SESSION
5:00
EIGHTH SESSION
9:00
SECOND SESSION
9:00
10:00 11:00
Saturday Afternoon, August 28 2: 00 C. R. Addinall, Library Services Bureau, Merck and Company, Rahway, New Jersey, "The Vitamins, their industrial development and importance as strategic materials" 3:00 Bernard F. Proctor. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "Dehydrated and compressed foods" 4:00 Desiree S. LeBeau, Massachusetts Institute of Tech· nology, "Reclamation of strategic materials" FOURTH SESSION Saturday Evening, August 28 7: 15 Motion Picture 8: 15 L. F. Livingston, E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Wilmington, Delaware, "Synthetics for the future" FIFTH SESSION Sunday Morning, August 29 9:30 William T. Hall, Thayer Academy, South Braintree, "What is wrong with our modern textbooks?" SIXTH SESSION Sunday Afternoon, August 29 2:00 Philip G. Johnson, Cornell University, "Evaluating results in science teaching" THIRD SESSION
Plastic Sulfur
to
12:00
Sunday Evening, August 29
New England Picnic Supper, Sanctuary Hill, Cochran Bird Sanctuary
Monday },1lorning, August 30, Sympositlm
Col. Adelno Gibson. C.W.S., Q.C.D., Washington, D.C., "Chemical aspects of civilian defense" Eugene W. Scott, Q.C.D., Washington, D. C., "Gas defense organization in the U. S. Citizens' Defense Corps" Maj. Alberto Thompson, Jr., Region Qne Gas Officer, Q.C.D., Boston, Massachusetts, "New England organization for gas defense" Exhibit of war gas identification kits
NINTH SESSION
2:00
3:00 4: 00
,Monday Afternoon, August 30
Evan R. Collins, Harvard Graduate School of Education, "Some results of the impact of war on teaching" Field Exercise with Chemical Warfare Agents Exhibitors' Hour
TENTH SESSION
:Monday Event"ng, August 30
7: 15
Rev. Michael J. Ahearn, S.J., \Veston College, "Recent developments in color photography" Illustrated 8: 15 Close of Conference Workshop-Throughout the Conference there will be a workshop on lecture demonstrations and laboratory experiments for high·school teachers. It will be under the supervision of Charles H. Stone of Orlando, Florida, formerly a science department head in Boston Public Schools. Exhibits-It is hoped that exhibits of textbooks and laboratory equipment will be provided by publishers and dealers. Notice to Nonmembers-FoT further information and preregistration forms. write the Committee Secretary, Amasa F. Williston, 401 New Boston Road, Fall River, Massachusetts.
LETTERS
To the Editor: The conventional way of making plastic sulfur is to boil some in a test tube and then pour the boiling contents around the walls of a glass funnel immersed in cold water. I found that it is more spectacular to plunge the hot test tube and its contents into cold water. The tube cracks in hundreds of places but
doesn't fall apart, because of the plastic sulfur in the cracked tube. Then, when the tube is cool, it becomes a simple yet impressive matter to stretch the test tube, thereby proving to the students the rubber-like property of plastic sulfur. MAX EpSTEIN HAAREN HIGH ScHOOL MANHATTAN, NEW YORK
