CHEMICAl AMD ENGINEERING
NEWS AUGUST 19, 1957
VOL. 35, N O . 33
APPLIED JOURNALS, ACS Director of Publications: C . B. Larrabee Editorial Directors W. J . Murphy Executive Editor: James M . Crowe Production Manager: Joseph H. Kuney CHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING NEV/S Editor: Richard L. Kenyon Managing Editor: Robert F. Gould EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS Washington 6> D. C . 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Phone Republic 7-5300 Teletype W A 23 News Editor: Gordon H . Elxler Associate Editors: David M . Kiefer, George B. Krantx, Ruth Cornette Assistant Editors: Kathryn Campbell, Helen H. Blunt, Irene G . Kiefer, Betty V . Kleffer, Whilden W . Johnson, David E. Gushee, Arthur Poulos. Robert J. Riley, Robert J. Kolley, James H. Krleger, Hanns L. Sperr Editorial Assistants: Ruth L. Connor, Barbara R. Christie Staff Artist: Melvln D. Buckner BRANCH EDITORIAL OFFICES CHICAGO 3, ILL. Room 926 36 South Wabash Ave. Phone State 2-7688 Teletype C G 725 Associate Editors: Kenneth M . Reese, Chester Placefc Assistant Editor: Laurence J. Whi-te HOUSTON 2, T E X . 718 Melrose Bldg. Phone Fairfax 3-7107 Teletype HO 72 Associate Editor: Bruce F. Greek NEW Y O R K 16, N. Y. 2 Park Ave. Phone Oregon 9-1646 Teletype N Y 1-4726 Associate Editors: William Q. Hull, Harry Stenerson, Howrd J . Sanders, D. Gray Weaver, Walter Fed)or, Morton Salkind S M N FRANCISCO 4, CALIF. 703 Mechanics' Institute Bldg. 57 Post St. Phone Exbrook 2-2895 Teletype SF 549 Associate Editor: Richard G. New hall EASTON, PA. 20th a n d Northampton Sts. Phone Easton 9111 Teletype ESTN Pa 48 Associate Editor: Charlotte C. Say re Editorial Assistants: Joyce A. Richards, Elixaboth R. Rufe, June A . Barron
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(For Branch Office: see page lOV)
The American Chemical Society assumes no responsibility for the statements and opinions advanced by contributors t o its publications. Views expressed i n the editorials are those of the editors and d o not necessarily represent the official position of the American Chemical Society
THE NEW LOOK IN RESEARCH LABS Once Considered a Community Now They Are Eagerly Sought
Liability, After
JL EARS AGO, the building of a research laboratory—especially chemical— in or near a residential section was thought by the populace to be a major calamity. The research lab of a chemical producer was almost always part of the commercial production plant. These plants emitted foul odors, polluted streams, sometimes had explosions, and made poisonous substances. This was the popular belief, which, in all honesty, was often reasonably correct. Today the industry has righted most of these conditions for which it was roundly and justly criticized. The gradual separation of production and research facilities has caused the public attitude to change entirely—at least toward the laboratories. Their establishment quite a distance away from plants and factories came about because executives were convinced thai original research could be carried on much more efficiently if it wer^ not associated with the day-by-day process control. Also, centralization of research naturally followed the locating of factories in several geographical sections of the country. That research labs could be good neighbors and therefore a community asset was shown many years ago when Mellon located in one of the best sections of Pittsburgh. A. D . Little initiated "research row" in Cambridge, and Cyanamid remodelled a textile .mi 11 in Stamford into a huge research center. Thep^tlier^is^ on ajnimoiis^^ Other examples are S^llljDe• yj|[8fmlgn^ Jdhns-Manville research center in nortlfern c^^S? vjfegsjey, and She Hercules experiment station and the Du PonJ 1 ^jresje^tgh ^center near Wilmington. i(;;' fc'Cpntj/ast to the situation of a few decades ago, all sorts of induee;1l^®ttls are now offered to companies to select certain areas for new l^fi^^ltJa^tes. Newspapers recently announced t h e opening of a new 0r^^j^^ircaflled Princessville Research Park Corp., in Mercer Gounjty;, New|JeTsB^,)fes> than five miles from Princeton University. An acMfe tional°100|^rl§)ngafrby is to be developed as an exeeut-ive residential 0 community': TfebtiewKwn^^ that RCA, C u r t i s s ^ i g ^ &^6h^rnica^:Socbriy, and many other concerns have already set up research facilities within a radius of seven miles of the Princessville Research Park. In the same New York paper we noted a Penn Power & Light ad which pointed out that the area it serves has 16 colleges and universities with engineering courses, 150 independent laboratories, and 37 technical and trade schools. Penn Power & Light is out to get not only more research labs but also more plants and factories. The idea of a planned research center where a number of companies can buy land and build in something akin to an academic atmosphere is taking hold in various parts of the country. Under the leadership of Southwest Research Institute such a center was started near San Antonio about a year ago. This type of planning, which makes research labs a community asset, has many advantages. One is increased prestige for scientists and engineers. They must, however, be sure to become really integrated with the life of the community. There could be a tendency to get too self-centered, and this would be unfortunate. Another possible advantage is the creation of one library center equipped to handle documentation and information retrieval. This would increase efficiency and effect worth-while economies. The design of present research labs contrasted with makeshift facilities of earlier years shows u p much as the 1957 Imperials, Continentals, and Cadillacs do beside the Model T Ford. It is fantastically expensive to build a modern research laboratory. For this reason alone it should be well planned.
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