JANUARY, 1955
UNIVERSITY INORGANIC CHEMISTS R. T. SANDERSON State University of Iowa, Iowa City,Iowa
THEnames and major research interests of the chemistry faculties of 90 institutions which offer doctoral degrees in chemistry are included in a recent, very useful publication' by the A. C. S. Committee on Professional Twining. It is stated that the 90 are a majority of all such institutions. The following facts about research inorganic chemists have been obtained from the data of this report. Chemistry staff members listing their sole specialization as inorganic chemistry number 143. Those listing inorganic chemistry together with some other specialization, usually physical chemistry, number 45, making a total of 188 who, by their own judgment, might be classified a t least partly as inorganic chemists. These are the individuals about whom the following summary has been prepared. These chemists have received their Ph.D. degrees at a total of 46 institutions, but more than half of the degrees were from only seven. The University of Illinois leads with 27, followed by the University of Chicago, 16, University of California, 16, Cornell University, 11, University of Wisconsin, 10, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 10, and Ohio State University, eight. In other words, one in seven of today's university research inorganic chemists received his doctoral training a t Illinois; one in 23 a t Ohio State. One in five is now teaching in the same institution at
' "Faculties, Publications, and Doctoral Theses in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at United States Universities," prepared by the Committee on Professional Training, American Chemical Society, 1953.
which he earned the degree of doctor of philosophy. More than half (96) of the university inorganic chemists are more than 40 years of age; one-third (62) are 35 or less. Of the 188 inorganic chemists, 40 appear to have published no research results during the last five years. This leaves 148 to be considered active in research. Specific research interests, naturally, vary widely. However, certain general topics appear to be especially popular, as indicated by the number of men listing them. Coordination complexes are of research interest to 34 per cent of those active in research, nonaqueous solvents to 20 per cent, hydrides to 15 per cent, raw earths to nine per cent, ion exchange to six per cent, "less familiar elements" to six per cent, and molecular addition compounds to five per cent. Within the first nine months of 1953 (the only period definitely detemined by the available data), research papers by 73 inorganic chemists a t universities appeared. Only five of these chemists had more than four publications within this period, and most (53) had but one or two. Of the 90 institutions, only 74 offer advanced degrees in inorganic chemistry. Some of the universities which do have inorganic chemists do not provide such training. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that eight of the 74 actually list not a single staff member having inorganic chemistry as a major interest. Opinions will vary as to what extent the above facts are good, bad, or indifferent, hut they seem worth thought.
