had few laboratories where students could practice analysis. By the middle of the nineteenth cen tury European colleges and universities were eager to equip analytical teaching laboratories because classical analysis was on the cutting edge of fundamental research. Elements remained to be dis covered, and new minerals and rocks needed to be characterized. Teaching lab oratories for classical analysis are needed today, but for different reasons. Industry will continue to depend on the classical analyst to decide if raw materials meet specifications and iffinishedproducts should be released for sale. Classical anal ysis is essential in the development of new materials and in the production of the ref erence materials on which almost all in strumental methods depend. For years many laboratories have been looking for people to replace their retired classical analysts. Some analytical labora tories have given up the search. I specu-
These analyses arrived at the classical analyst's bench because instrumental methods jailed to provide the needed -precision and accuracy. late that many hundreds, and perhaps as many as several thousand, well-trained classical analysts may be needed. If there were a recognized school where qualified
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classical analysts were trained, recruiters would probably line up at the door at grad uation time. Fresenius' laboratory was started with private funds in a converted house with one assistant andfivestudents. In five years he had 30 students, and in eight years he had 60 students and a worldwide reputation. The same thing could happen today. With a few capable and dedicated teachers, a school with an excellent repu tation could be established in less than a decade. Industry or a joint venture by in dustry and government would have to bear the cost, but further delay in address ing the problem would be more costly. Actually, such a venture would not re quire a huge investment. The building and equipment requirements for such a teaching laboratory would be relatively modest, but those in charge of the admin istration and instruction would need to be people of great ability, experience, and commitment. They would also have to
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Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 66, No. 4, February 15, 1994
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