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
April 10, 1932
I N D U S T R I A L
A N D
E N G I N E E R I N G
CHEMISTRY
79
The President's Statement to the Council IN SPITE of the depression, 1931 w a s from almost every stand-
oint the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY'S best year. Nineteen phundred and thirty-two will show a slight decrease in membership
and probably a corresponding decrease i n income, but far less than the general business situation would l e a d u s to expect. T h e outlook i s that expenditures will be a b o u t as estimated and receipts in accord with the budget as printed in the January Proceedings. T h e decrease in membership w i l l b e much less than in 1921. T h e paid membership is t o d a t e four hundred and n i n e t y below that of last year, p a r t l y because of a n increased number of resignations. Most surprising of all, considering the general situation, one thousand one hundred and seventy-two new members have already been added i n 1932, and outside, non-member subscriptions have actually increased. There is no decrease i n demand for space in our journals, showing t h a t the depression is n o t retarding t h e output o f n e w discovery and knowledge. This indicates an increasing appreciation of the SOCIETY'S value to the individual. Last September t h e Directors instructed the SOCIETY'S officers t o make a census of unemployed members of the SOCIETY; to offer t o a i d industry in securing properly qualified chemists for a n y vacancies open or opportunities that might arise; and to s u r v e y the field with reference t o the possibility of creating new opportunities. This was done in order that those who had loyally supported the organization and t h e profession through membership i n t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY s h o u l d receive such aid
a s t h e SOCIETY could give. T h e rough estimate, made last October, t h a t less than one and one-half p e r cent of t h e membership was unemployed, has been m o r e t h a n substantiated. In spite of t h e fact that at least fifty p e r cent of t h e members now unemployed have been thrown out of work i n t h e last six months, still today this percentage i s n o t exceeded, as shown by a census a s accurate as changing conditions make possible. Signed reports have been received from seventy-six of t h e eighty sections o f t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, indicating t h e number of
unemployed t o be considerably less than t h e t w o hundred and seventy-five that represent one and one—half per cent of the SOCIETY'S membership. These d a t a from t h e local sections show two hundred and eight unemployed within their territory, of whom one hundred and forty-eight h a v e filed with the Secretary specific information covering their training and experience. T h e t w o hundred and eight reported are, for t h e main part, located in a very few sections. Forty-three sections reported no member unemployed; twelve, o n e unemployed; seven, t w o unemployed; two, three unemployed; one, four unemployed. One hundred and seventy-two unemployed were in eleven sections; chiefly in the region of N e w York, B o s t o n , Cleveland, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. Unemployment has been particularly severe in t h e fertilizer, rubber, and petroleum fields, and a m o n g young chemists graduati n g o r receiving their doctorates i n t h e last two years. M o s t of t h e latter wished to enter the teaching field. T h e basic difficulty i n t h e situation is that the rapid expansion in research which has been taking place during the last ten years has come to a standstill and also that numerous industries have been forced by the business depression to decrease their personnel, more especially their operating forces. For t h e first time i n American chemical history, having profited by 1921 experience, t h e industries have i n general retained their research forces, in preparation for a continuation of American prosperity which none of them seems seriously t o doubt will occur. T h e SOCIETY has three major duties which i t m a y n o t lose sight of in periods of stress—its duty t o chemistry, t o chemists, a n d t o t h e public.
For fifty years the A M E R I C A N
CHEMICAL
SOCIETY h a s been putting forth e v e r y effort t o bring about in America a n appreciation of chemistry a n d through t h e advancement of chemistry the prosperity of t h e chemist. Largely because of this work, which was greatly accelerated during the war and in the years that followed, chemical industries have been established, research laboratories h a v e been developed, and a general expansion in chemical applications h a s been brought a b o u t . A s a result, large contributions t o chemical knowledge have been made, and our journals, w h i c h are a record of t h e chemical progress of the world, have reached an unequaled state o f development. They have become indispensable t o t h e mod e r n chemist. T h e y furnish our members w i t h a complete record of t h e chemical literature of t h e world for t h e mere pit tance of fifteen dollars annually. T o o many a r e obsessed with t h e idea t h a t t h e publication of literature i s t h e main object of t h e AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, rather t h a n the record of its
accomplishment. I t is of the first importance that the main tenance of this unequaled chemical literature be n o t endangered. As a, society w e have lent our untiring efforts, not only during t h e last t w o years of the depression, but «during t h e whole life o f the SOCIETY*, to making t h e N a t i o n chemically conscious, to m a k i n g our legislators chemically conscious, and t o making those who have the disposal of large funds, private o r otherwise, chemically conscious and interested i n the increment of wealth a n d well-being which our science can bring to a people. As a
resialt of this untiring policy, w e have made opportunity for tlio^isands of chemists. Most immediate is the fact that w e have during the last few years spent some twenty-five thousand dollars by the order of the Directors for the definite purpose o f putting the ckeEiist in touch with employers through free advertisement in tihe employment information pages of the N"EWS EDITION-. We have this year increased that expenditure, b y special order of t h e Directors a t t h e September meeting, in a n a t t e m p t t o give early relief to those of our members who have been thrown out m of employment b y t h e present depression. Few people realize that, i n all probability, more chemical positions are filled through the free advertisements in t h e N E W S EDITION than through any other agency. Furthermore, our local sections throughout t h e country are actively engaged, through their own employment committees, in aiding their own local membership where aid is needed. Over eight thousand letters have been sent throughout the country offering t h e SOCIETY'S aid t o industry; lectures have been delivered by t h e President of the SOCIETY, t h e Editor of I N D U S TRIAL A N D E N G I N E E R I N G CHEMISTRY, and others setting forth
the value of t h e chemist in the solution of industry's problems, but the financial situation h a s been such that little progress has beeo made, and opportunities for employment are still far fewer than the number of capable chemists o u t of employment. In helping t o fill vacancies, the Directors have instructed the Secre tary that the SOCIETY'S duty is first to its members, s o long as there are capable individuals within t h e SOCIETY'S unemployed. The* most striking fact brought o u t by the careful study m a d e during t h e last six months has been t h e high qualifications and professional standing of t h e SOCIETY'S members. M a n y in quiries have indicated appreciation of this fact b y employers, botln among educationalists and industrialists, and t h e fact t h a t so small a percentage of the unemployed chemists o f America are members of t h e SOCIETY; proves i t beyond any reasonable doubtIn general, they have been t h e last to be dropped from their posi tions and the first to b e taken o n to fill new vacancies. The progressrveness a n d condition of well-being that characterize our members naturally follow from t h e state o f mind vvhicht originally induced them to enter t h e organization, read its jour nals , keep in contact with their professional brethren, and aid the advancement of American chemistry and chemists. THEE SOCIETY S E E S N E W ORLEANS (Continued from page 78) Simes Photographers, 544 Camp Street, N e w Orleans, at $1 per dozen, a n d copies of the assembled picture at S 1.50 each, prepaidT h e sightseeing trips began officially on Thursday morning with a conducted tour o f the old French Quarter o f New OrleansFollowing this, excursions t o the plant o f the Celotex Company, the zrefinery of American Sugar Refining Company, and a sight seeing yacht trip were arranged. On t h e return o f these parties, arrangements were made to take a party t o visit t h e Avery Island salt mines and the Evangeline country, leaving N e w Orleans on Thursday night b y special Pullmans a n d returning Friday eve ning- T h e attractiveness of this trip w a s evident from the fact that a number of visitors were repeating i t , after having gone over the same ground on previous occasions. A l l credit is due t h e members of the local committees, under the abLe chairmanship o f H. A. Levey, for their skilful management of affairs. One would not have suspected that any suggestion of the depression had reached N e w Orleans, so cordially was every want; of t h e visitors anticipated. Yet w e all know that a great amount of effort was expended by the committees i n securing the necessary financial backing for the meeting. That the registra tion was large enough t o justify the effort and to prevent a deficit is a matter for congratulation. Every plan was smoothly executed and cordially received. Our thanks are also due the following industries a n d individuals who contributed financially and -with other material assistance to t h e success o f the meeting: Golciiaux S u g a r s , Inc. United Fruit Co. L, Α.. IFrey a n d Sans, I n c . H. G- Hill Stores, Inc. Atlantic & 3?acific Co. Caldwell Bros. Morcliants' Coffee Co., LtdLoubat Glass a n d Cork C o . Honderson Sugar Refinery Tulante University Morels: and Co. jVIarioe P a i n t a n d Varnish C o . J. Γ . Baker Chemical Co. Eiiaerr and A m e n d The F l i n t k o t e C o . Cloverland Dairy* Products C o . Bay Chemical C o . , I n c . American Turpentine C o . Empire Laboratory Supply Co., Inci TJ, S. Industrial Alcohol Co. Standard F r u i t C o .
Louisiana Coca-Cola Bottling C o . Johns-JManville Co., Inc. Charles Dennery, I n c . Kent I>airy Products CoNew Orleans Association of Com merce Lone S t a r Cement C o . ; Ben Wbite,. Mr. Sawyer Colonial Sugars, I n c . I . L. Lyons C o . Grasselli Chemical C o . Helm Laboratories Southern Mineral C o . K a t z a n d Besthoff, Ltd. Douglas Shipside Storage Co. T h e Roosevelt Hotel "Will Corporation General Bakélite C o . Central Scientific C o l Fisher Scientific Co.
