The Priestley Gavels Symbolic of the cordial spirit of Anglo-American unity among the chemists of the English-speaking world ere two identically constructed gavels presented in the name of the Society of Chemical Industry by President Wallace P. Coboe, one to the Royal Society, the other to tht AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. Dr. Midgely, AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY President, formally aeknowledscd this gracious act of tort* national goodwill by the Society of Chemical Industry at the Council Meeting in Cleveland, April 3, 1944.
O n July 3 1 , 1874, the chemists of America assembled in Northumberland, Pa., to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of oxygen by Joseph Priestley, F.R.S. This celebration was coincident with «he presentation of a statue of Priestley to the City of Birmingham. The Mayor of Northumberland welcomed the visitors, a meeting was held commemorating Priestley, a memorial service was held at his grave, and visits were made to the church which he served. In connection with this meeting, Miss Rachael L· Bodley, professor of chemistry in the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, suggested that the chemists of America form a national society. The assembled chemists decided to meet In Philadelphia during the Centennial Year of 1876 and at this meeting the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY was rounded. Full information concerning the Northumberland meeting will be found in the Amvictn Chemist, V o l . 5, Nos. 2 , 3 , and 6 (1874), the Amerfcaa Journal of Science, Series 3, V o l . 8 , pp. 8 0 , 2 3 9 - 4 0 (1874). For these references and much additional information, I am indebted to D. D. Bcrelzhcimer, histotiaii of The Chemists' Club, New York. It occurred to me some three or four y earn ago that it would be teins to revive In our memories the association between English and American science. Inasmuch es Joseph Priestley was a Fellow of the Royal Society et the time he discovered oxygen, I conceived the idea of obtaining material definitely associated with Priestley and therefrom make a pair of savais, one for the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY and the other for the Royal So-
ciety. Trtroait tht ki.diien of Frank Cw^lbnor«# Past Resident of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, and Dean el Science in
the Pennsylvania State College, which institution has the custody of the Priestley house, I have been furnished with prunlnss from persimmon trees growing about the Priestley house. Although furnished with what appeared to be a large amount of wood, ft was found that one of these prunings was not free From hlddem imperfections, which will be noticed as blade spots In each of the savais. N o attempt has been made to conceal these i m perfections, which may be taken as a token of the imperfection of Priestley's science caused by his adherence to the phlogiston theory. The metal bands on the head of the gavels consist of the alloy lllium which was devised by Samuel W . Parr, of the University of Illinois, and President of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY in 1928, as a substitute for platinum in certain laboratory equipment These bands have been received through tKe courtesy of Charles F. Burgess, sometime professor In the University of Wisconsin and Perlcin Medalist in 1932. The statement contained in the inside cover of the box is typed on paper made, under my supervision, of titmp Abet * coming from the Philippine Island of Davao, now i n possession of the Japanese. The transparent sheet covering the statement (see photograph above) consists of methyl methacrylate resins given me by tfeo £ . I. do Pont de Nemours & Co. through R, E. Leery. Both the gavels end the boxes containing them are Anished with a special varnish supplied me by Archie J. Welth, director o f cesearch of the Btkellte Corporation. New York, M. y „ April 1944
WALLACE P. C O H O E
