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NEWS
EDITION
ADVERTISING
Industrial AND E N G I N E E R I N G
Chemistr y P U B L I S H E D BY THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL
Volume 10, No. 7
DEPARTMENT:
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SOCIETY
April 10, 1932
HARRISON E. H O W E , EDITOR
T h e Council Meeting at New Orleans AFFAIRS O F THE SOCIETY are in a remarkably healthy condition
in these times of financial stress, according to t h e statement made by President Redman i n opening the Council meeting at the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY'S eighty-third
meeting in New
Orleans, March 28, at t n e Roosevelt Hotel. Because of the unrest in t h e world a t large, Doctor Redman deemed it important that the Council b e made conversant with t h e present status of SOCIETY affairs and in a clear foreeful manner outlined the accomplishments and purposes
of t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL SO-
CIETY a n d i t s present healthy condition. S o many Councilors requested copies of this address to take back to their local sections that t h e Council voted that it be printed in its entirety in the April 10 N E W S EDITION. It will b e found on page 7 9 of this issue. A petition, bearing approximately 1000 signatures, was presented t o make Charles L. Parsons an honorary member of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, on his twenty-fifth
anniversary
as Secretary o f the SOCIETY, a t the D e n v e r meeting. A s soon as Doctor Parsons recovered from h i s surprise and sensed what had been done without his knowledge, he w a s insistent in demanding the floor and, while expressing deepest gratitude and appreciation of the honor which t h e SOCIETY sought t o bestow upon him, objected to it as not being deserved. For t h e good of the SOCIETY, and because of the quite correct strictness of its regulations a n d Constitution, h e flatly refused t o accept honorary membership i f the Council bestowed i t . H e read t h e list of honorary members and stated that his name did not belong in that group. He emphasized that such membership should be granted for research in pure science or exceptional contributions to industrial chemistry and, because h e felt that his scientific achievements were not such as to pLace him in that class, strenuously objected to the petition although highly gratified at the honor h i s friends wished to bestow upon him. President Redman requested him to leave t h e room, and i n his absence the Committee o n the Priestley Medal Award asked the Council to take the selection of the nominee f o r the Priestley award out of its hands, stating that they h a d desired to make the award to Doctor Parsons but, as he w a s himself a member of the committee, knew that i t w a s useless t o propose i t in his presence. Charles L . Parsons was nominated t o receive t h e Priestley Medal Award. This was an appropriate nomination, as the Priestley award is given for exceptional effort in t h e general advancement of chemistry. The previous recipients of t h i s medal are Ira Remsen, Edgar F. Smith, and Francis P . Garvan. There were no other nominations, and Doctor Parsons was unanimously elected. On being recalled to the Couneil room, he very gratefully accepted it, stating that h e w a s overcome at receiving the award, which he considered to be t h e greatest honor t h a t could come to a n American chemist. T h e Secretary read t h e following list of members who have passed away since t h e Buffalo meeting of the AMERICAN- CHEMI CAL SOCIETY a n d t h e Council stood for a few moments in silent tribute t o their memory: Allen, Wm. H. Amstutz, K e n n e t h L. Baruch, Edgar S . Blaekstock, Ira B u r t o n Blair, Andrew A. Bodziner, J. Bradbury, "Wymond H . Bragg, G. A . Burfchard, Thomas, Jr.
Cornelius, JKennerth J. Coyle, Geo. L. Davis, B u r t Drakenfold, B. F - , Jr. Ducca, W m . A. Edison, Tb-omas -A. Ellzey, E. Έ. Emerson, Isaac 33. Fackler, Louis K -
Hiltner, R . S. Hi radie, Joseph. H. Holmes, "Walter C. Hunter, W . H. Ino-uye, James M. Irons, W. V. Jarry, Raymond Jon.es, Lewis 13. Koetz, Johannes L. Koyl, C. Herschel Kuznpf, A . E. Lagarde, Jno. B . Lange, Walter C . Lehtman, J . Geo.
Limric, Rollin W. L u t t g e n , Eberhard M a t h i a s , L. T>. Matthews, J . M. Mickel, Clarence W . Miller, Raymond M . Neale, Arthur Ogilvy. David J. Overton, Wm. Jay Petersen, Julius Popoff, Stephen J. Pregl, Fritz Read, Frank C . Robertson, J a m e s D .
Schirniacher, Clark Shen, Hui Yuan Taber, Walter C. Tatsumi, Aiichi Thomas, Paul E . Traylor, Chas. M. Walker, Henry V. Walker, Mark Walsh, J n o . G. Wasserman, Leon Wolters, J. J. Young, Chas. Young, S. Woodford Zimmerman, Alec J.
The Secretary was instructed t o send a congratulatory telegram to our one surviving charter member—that grand young old man, Charles E. Munroe. A n application was next presented for the formation of a local section t o embrace t h e territory of Gloucester and Rockport, Mass., with headquarters a t Gloucester, Mass., to be known as the Cape Ann Section. It was decided by majority vote, how ever, to lay t h e motion on t h e table until the fall meeting. An application was approved t o form a section to b e known as the Northeast Tennessee Section, including the counties of Carter, Unicoi, Johnson, Sullivan, a n d Washington, with headquarters at ICingsport, Tenn. Then came a petition from the South Carolina Piedmont Section that their territory be increased t o take in the State of South Carolina, that the section be known as t h e South Carolina Section o f the AMEBICAN· CHEMICAL SOCIETY, and that
the headquarters b e a t Columbia. T h e Council approved the req-uest. The Kansas City and Florida Sections presented invitations for the spring meeting in 1934, b u t t h e Council voted t o defer reaching a decision until the Denver meeting. Xhe Cleveland Section extended an invitation for the fall meet ing of 1934, and both the S a n Francisco and Pittsburgh Sections invited the SOCIETY t o be their guest in the fall of 1935. The latter, however, having learned of the invitation from San Fran cisco, expressed a willingness to waive its invitation for the fall of 1935 and change it t o the fall o f 1936, provided San Francisco can have the meeting in 1935. Inasmuch as the Council cannot accept invitations for more than t w o years in advance, no action could be taken regarding meetings to be held later than the spring of 1934.
Future AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY meetings already
scheduled are: Denver, Colo., August 2 9 to September 2 , 1932 "Washington, D. C , during t h e week of March 26, 1933 Chicago, 111-, during t h e week of September 11, 1933
T h e Chemical Society of Washington submitted a resolution, which had been approved by its executive committee and adopted by the section, requesting t h a t t h e preamble to the rules for the AMERICAN CECEMIOAL SOCIETY award i n pure chemistry initiated
by Λ. C. Langmuir be amended s o that it will be open to candi dates working in government or endowed laboratories. Irving Langmuir explained that, in making t h e award, his brother had two points especially i n mind—youth and university research. This is clearly shown from t h e following quotation from a letter which A. C. Langmuir recently wrote t o Secretary Parsons:
Fisfa, Charles C . R. Forbing, John TV\ Fox:, Errol L. Gravy, Thomas Tarvin Green, Erik H . Grxxbl), A. A. Ilamblet, Abel M. Hathaway, Herbert E . Herreshoff, J. B . F.
I think this suggested change would be unfortunate. Within recent years there has been a tendency for t h e industrial laboratory and govern-
77
NEWS
78
ment laboratories and privately endowed laboratories to draw research men from the universities s o rapidly t h a t it tends to weaken the research work done in universities; yet a l l these laboratories must ultimately depend upon the universities f o r their men whom they wish to find already trained for research. In the universities t h e men capable of doing research already receive too many inducements to undertake technical problems. Fundamental research is usually undertaken through the initiative o f the individual. I t is, I believe, a particular merit of the award that it will stimulate this type of fundamental research. I n the industrial laboratories, in t h e government laboratories, and in t h e privately endowed laboratories, the m e n are paid directly for carrying on research which they perform, a n d if they do work on fundamental problems it should be with the consent; of those directing these laboratories and n o t wholly through the initiative of t h e individual worker. If these men do fundamental research, they should, and usually do receive their award through their own laboratories. I would therefore like to urge that the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIBTT should definitely state the purpose of t h e A. C . S. award, which I believe should be to stimulate fundamental research b y young m e n in universities. The adoption of this policy would make the award unique.
EDITION
Vol. 10, N o . 7
America of outstanding research i n pure chemistry î>y a young m a n or woman working i n a college or university.
The council changed its policy so t h a t local sections must now submit their nominations f o r President-elect to the Secretary of t h e SOCIETY not later than October ΙΟ of etach year, i n order that correspondence m a y b e conducted w i t h candidates 'with a view to running a brief paragraph concerning each o f the men nomi nated i n the NEWTS EDITION o f October 20.
The committee reports, h a v i n g been previously mimeographed a n d circulated a m o n g members of t h e Council, were accepted with t h e recommendation t h a t they b e printed in t h e SOCIETY'S Proceedings. The Secretary of t h e SOCIETY w a s instructed t o convey b y letter t o t h e officers o f t h e Louisiana Section and the various individuals who contributed to the success of the N e w Orleans meeting the sincere thanks and appreciation of the Council. Doctor Lamb reported that, inasmuch ^ s t h e name of a Har vard man appeared among t h e l i s t of applicants for t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY award initiated b y A- C. Langmuir, h e had
The Council voted t o reject t h e request of the Washington Section and t o confine the work to universities, removing t h e word "preferably" in t h e third line of the preamble to t h e rules governing the award, as printed on page 272 of the N E W S EDITION of September 10, 1931, so that t h e sentence as amended shall read: Thr award shall be made in recognition of the accomplishment.· in North
secured a Past President o f the SOCIETY to a c t in his place i n counting t h e ballots a n d selecting t h e recipient. Oscar ÊL Rice, of Cambridge, Mass., was announced as thte successful candidate. T h e award will b e made at the D e n v e r meeting. Linus Pauling, of California, w a s the first, and until now "the only one, to receive t h e award. Before adjournment a representative o f the Denver Section extended a very cordial invitation f o r all who can t o attend the Denver meeting in the fall.
The Society Sees New Orleans where in this issue, a n d since i t was ambiguously quoted in the press, t h e reader is referred t o t h e statement itself for the facts. Charles L. Parsons, himself being absent from t h e Council, members of t h e A M E R I C A N was unanimously made the Priestley Medalist for 1932. CHEMICAL SOCIETY fortunate The general meeting of M o n d a y afternoon heard five papers o n enough to have been present are a s many subjects of special interest a t this time, covering matters t o be congratulated on the s u c - a s diverse as t h e American tung o i l industry and the use of calcium phosphates in the prevention and cure of rickets. Marshall Ballard, editor of t h e New Orleans Item and t h e New I J > •,< L-'-^'A ! ^U::-VJ jy--"'—'-g- · ν " - ^ y . j - / * 'J Orleans Tribune, presided over Monday evening's dinner, where short addresses o f welcome and responses from visiting members of the SOCIETY were interspersed with m u s i c and followed b y dancing. Tuesday evening's entertainment took the form o f a dramatic sketch featuring the pirate, Jean LaFitte, and introducing songs, stories, and dancing characteristic of the region. Both t h e negro and t h e Creole traditions were introduced i n t o a p o t pourri of delightful entertainment, followed b y a demonstration of the ancient, and almost forgotten, a r t of compounding a true Café Brullo—one of the traditional delicacies of N e w Orleans. T h e hostesses f o r the dancing that followed were costumed as pirates, and succeeded admirably in catalyzing the gathering into t h e dance. Photo by Harvey The public meeting of W e d n e s d a y evening, under the gavel of PIRATES ALLEY Ρ ^ Charles E . Coates, dean of Louisiana chemists, was addressed b y E . R. Weidlein, of M e l l o n Institute of Industrial Research, on cess of the eighty-third meeting "Science i n Action f o r t h e Industries" a n d Theodore Swann, of held in the C r e s c e n t C i t y , the Swann Corporation, on "Industrial Possibilities in the March 28 to April 1. The deSouth." Research, according to Doctor Weidlein, is more lightfully thoughtful geniality necessary than ever before i n industry when competition is of the hosts and t h e foresight of sharpened by depression, and the only way to sell research the local section officers in artoday is t o sell not an abstract idea tout a definite program, Photo by Linnenkohl ranging the meeting, with g e n aimed at definite results—a m e t h o d which carries conviction T H E PATIO ROYAL erous allowance f o r seeing t h e with i t . interesting sights of t h e city, Research, according to M r . S w a n n , will pay when intelligently made this meeting one long to b e recalled by t h e nearly eight directed, and is leading t o continued development o f the South's hundred present. possibilities by supplying the m e a n s of utilizing the vast natural Promptness in carrying o u t a serious program condensed into wealth of the section. After reviewing fine work being done b y the first three days of the week, with two full days under c o m the AJabama Industrial Board, of whieh he is chairman, Mr. petent guidance t o see and learn about the ancient a n d unique Swann pointed out that t h e future of t h e southern farmer lies civilization o f the region, provided everyone with ample opporin supplying r a w materials to industry amd discussed t w o importunity to make t h e most o f the occasion. Beginning officially tant recent developments i n the growing o f tung oil and t h e manuwith the Council meeting o n Monday morning where necessary facture of white paper from slash pine. business was conducted with dispatch and efficiency, continuing Among the group luncheons and dinners were five of the various through the general meeting of Monday afternoon, the subscripgroups of the Division of Chemical Education, t h e Division of tion dinner Monday evening, t h e divisional meetings Tuesday Paint and Varnish Chemistry, a n d the Division of Petroleum and Wednesday, a n d t h e numerous excursions and entertainments, Chemistry, as well a s numerous alumni groups a n d t h e woman things proceeded w i t h o u t a hitch. The concentration o f activities chemists. An innovation was the dinner of t h e members of the within one hotel, with overflow to another near by, was m a d e American Institute o f Chemical Engineea-s, which w a s s o successpossible by the limited attendance and catalyzed t h o s e corridor ful that i t will probably b e c o m e a regular affair a t the meetings conferences for which the SOCIETY'S meetings are m o s t valuable. in t h e future. A t the Council meeting t h e report of the President o n the s t a t e T h e group picture was made in a n unosual way b y assembling of the SOCIETY w a s received with satisfaction, particularly his individual photographs made a t t h e tiioe of registration instead remarks to the effect that membership in the SOCIETY for 1932 of attempting t o assemble the whole gathering for the purpose. has n o t shown t h e anticipated sharp drop and that unemployCopies of the small individual photographs may be h a d from ment among the members o f the SOCIETY is far less serious than {Continued in column 2, page 79) many had supposed. The full text of this report appears elseD E S P I T E DISTANCE
and
de-
p r e s s i o n , N e w Orleans, t h e Louisiana Section, a n d those
if
