WASHINGTON MEETING
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UNDAY night found many chemists already on the ground and the headquarters hotel (The Willard) refusing further registrations in favor of neighborinr hostelries. The A. C. S. reeistration room was ', prepared to deal with early breakfasters on Monday morning. First-comers free from committee and Council r e s ~ o n s i b i l i t i e s found comfortable locations in the registration room itself, along "Peacock Alley," and in the lobby in the assurance that acquaintances must sooner or later pass within their ken. Later arrivals gradually filled available standing room and passageways. By noon scarcely ,,," J . . , ~ < Jm,2j any one could have experiAnl.wun n. I A M U enced difficulty in sighting president qf A . C. S. familiar faces. Only those who sought a particular needle in the haystack or who tried to make good point-to-point time through the throng suffered inconvenience. The minutes of the Executive Committee of the Division, which met on Monday morning, follow. OF THE 'OMMITTEE OF THE DIVISION O F CHEMICAL EDUCATION, WASHINGTON, D. C., MARCH 27, 1933
Present' Lyman C. Nomi' W. tern, 0. L. Shim, Miss Virginia Bartow.
L. W. Mat-
The following report of the treasurer was accepted: The First National Bank of Champaign, Illinois, reopened after reorganization. The Division waived 40% of its account. This amount is $260.27. September 1, 1932 Cash in hank available $290.41 Reuipls Bank stock 100.00 First Assessment 464,00 Second Assessment 82.00 M. V. McGill (refund from Committee on Visual Aids) x o Total 957.41 Expendi1zrres Reimbursement to Mr. Buffum 175.00 Denver Meeting, C. F. L. Mohr Com. on Chemistry Clubs, P. G. B. Mack 29,96 To Mr. Buffum from ~ i v i s i o n 150.13 R. Collier, Jr., Denver entertainment 25.79 On Teaching Load, J. E. R. A. Baker, office expenses Mojac Press, letter heads Photograph. Denver N. W. Rakestraw, office supplies L. C. Newell, office supplies
222 110.00 3.75 7.25 25.00 24.04 568.71
Cash in hank March 20, 1933 Checks returned for bank holiday Tax on checks
384.36 4.00 .34
Remipfs less Expenditures
Attention was called to the fact that the bank certificate of the 40% of the Division's account in the First National Bank of Champaign, Illinois, which has been held up, due to closing of the bank, has been deposited in Dr. Bartow's safe-deposit box. The treasurer reported 277 responses to the recent assessment. I t was voted that regular annual dues of one dollar be requested of active members, beginning with the year 1933-34, and that an amendment to Article 111, Section 5 of the Constitution be framed to provide for this. It was also voted that dues for associate members be set a t one dollar a year, that such membership be made independent of the subscription to the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION, and that the Constitution be amended in such a way as to be consistent with these provisions. It was voted that the treasurer be authorized to pay the expenses incurred in the transfer of the J O U R N A L OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION to the Division, as per bills submitted by the chairman. It was voted that the chairman be given authority to adjust the final bill of R. A. Baker in connection with the transfer of the office of the secretary of the Division. It was voted that changes in the Constitution and By-laws necessary for the future operation of the Division be prepared by the chairman and secretary and submitted to the Executive Committee by letter ballot. I t was voted that the chairman appoint an auditor for the treasurer's reoort at the next annual meeting. " Adjournment. NORRISW. RAKESTRAW, Secretary
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Lunch-time relieved the congestion (or did it?) and by 2.30 a considerable portion of the crowd had convened in the ballroom for the general meeting. Here it was the unofficial report that 1400 chemists had already registered. At the general meeting the relations of chemistry to the state, to the individual, to industries other than chemical, and to other sciences were discussed by Harry L. Derby (American Cyanamid Co.), Charles F. Kettering (General Motors Corp.), C. M. A. Stine (E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Inc.), and Hugh S. Taylor (Princeton University), respectively.
. . . . . Late reservations for the informal subscription dinner on Monday evening necessitated some last-minute rearrangement of tables but with no damage to the good
spirits of the crowd, which even withstood the inevitable flashlight photograph in confidenceof better things to c o r n e a confidence which, incidentally, was completely justified. The Society had the good fortune of entertaining as its mest of honor its sole surviving charter member, Dr. Charles E. Munroe. After dinner Dr. Arthur B. Lamb, president of the Society, briefly recounted Dr. Munroe's achievements and, in token of the Society's esteem and its gratification in Dr. Munroe's presence, presented him with a jeweledemhlemof the Societyand an envelope of "gold certificates." Dr. Munroe was visibly moved by this gift and bv the whole-hearted .... . ., . .. . acclaim accorded him CHARLES E. MUXROE when the assembled chemists-many of them his former pupils and associatesrose to their feet. After-dinner entertainment was provided by the Washington Ewening Star cartoonist, Clifford K. Berryman. Mr. Berryman began his crayon-illustrated talk by sketching Dr. Munroe and presenting the drawing to his model. A series of cartoons and anecdotes of "Presidents I Have Known" followed, ranging from Grover Cleveland to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Dancing rounded out the evening's activities.
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The programs of the Divisions of History of Chemistry and of Chemical Education had been arranged to avoid conflict. Tuesday morning was devoted to history and began, appropriately enough, with the reading of three papers relating to Priestley. The complete program is available in the News Edition of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry for March 20th. The majority of the papers presented will appear in later numbers of THIS JOURNAL. Incidentally the Division of History of Chemistry had arranged a t the Library of Congress, under the direction of Dr. C. A. Browne, a splendid exhibit of Priestley memorabilia which was on view throughout the convention week. A more extensive account of this exhibit and of other historical material displayed with it is to he found in the News Edition of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry for March 10th. The activities of the Division of Chemical Education which began on Tuesday afternoon are outlined in the
Secretary's report which follows. Texts of papers presented and reports of committees will appear later.
. . . . . OF CHEM1-
OF THE SECRETARY OF THE
CAL EDUCATION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
The eighty-fifth meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington was one of the largest meetings on record, and the Division of Chemical Education shared in the general success of the occasion. The program for the Division was not unusually long, but certain features of it, a t least, proved more than ordinarily popular. This applied particularly to the symposium on "Recent Developments in Various Chemical Industries" (Tuesday afternoon) a t which Drs. Esselen, Hale, Egloff, and Vail told of the latest advances in the fields of cellulose, organic chemicals, petroleum, and silicates. The attendance a t this symposium reached a peak of three hundred and many favorable comments were heard. The success of this feature will doubtless lead to the arrangement of similar symposia in the future. The symposium on "Laboratory Notebooks, Records, and Reports" brought out considerable comment and discussion, occipying nearly all of one half-day session (Wednesday morning). The problem of student notebooks and reports was discussed by W. Segerblom and B. S. Hopkins from the standpoints of the secondary school and college, respectively. R. A. Baker summarized the results of a questionnaire from directors of industrial laboratories, showing the general opinion and practice existing in such laboratories. Dr. R. E. Rose concluded the formal discussion by explaining the practice and methods followed in the du Pont laboratories in the keeping of records. The general discussion which followed these four papers occupied a considerable time. The attendance during this session varied from fifty to one hundred.
Nonms W. R I I K E S I ~ A W Secretary
L YMAN C. NEWELL
Ckeirman
The usual Division luncheon was attended by about seventy-five members and guests. Dr. Arthur B. Lamb, president of the Society, was the principal speaker, followed by Mr. Harvey F. Mack, Dr. Otto Reinmuth, and the secretary. The last three speakers
took occasion to explain the activities of the JOURNAL and the Division as they have been modified by the situation during the last few months. The afternoon program of the Division took place as scheduled U. CHEM. EDUC., 10, 214 (Apr., 1933)], with the addition of a paper by C. W. Stillwell on "Crystal Chemistry in the Freshman Course." A meeting of the editors of the JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION was held on Wednesday evening a t which many fruitful comments and suggestions were obtained for the improvement of the JOURNAL. The meeting was attended by Otto Reinmuth, Editor; Harvey F. Mack and A. L. Savage of the business staff of the J OURNAL ; Lyman C. Newell, Boston University; N. W. Rakestraw, Brown University; B. C. Hendricks, University of Nebraska; Nicholas Dietz, Jr., University of Pittsburgh; H. N. Holmes, Oherlin College; F. E. Clark, West Virginia University; Wilhelm Segerblom, Phillips Exeter Academy; A. L. Elder, Syracuse University; F. B. Dains, University of Kansas; T e ~ e L. y Davis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The business manager reported better progress than had been anticipated, even in the face of adverse conditions. There is more than a hopeful prospect that the JOURNAL will exkntually be a financial success, and all present were encouraged to increased efforts in order to make i t a distinct asset to the Division. N. W. RAKESTRAW, Secretary
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Wednesday evening found most of the visiting chemists and their guests assembled a t Constitution Hall to hear the address of Dr. Irving Langmuir on "Surface Chemistry" and to listen to the concert of the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Hans Kindler.
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On Thursday the Division of Chemical Education
members were free to visit meetings of other Divisions, to join various inspection trips to governmental and other laboratories, or to do independent sight-seeing. So far as we have been able to learn none of them took any prizes at the afternoon Golf Tournament. Following Mark Twain's example we made the Edgewood Arsenal trip by proxy. Dr. M. M. Haring of the University of Maryland kindly furnishes us with the following notes. As nearly as I can estimate there were between 600 and 800 who went t o Edgewood Arsenal. Many of them drove up rather than take the train. A gentle rain fell mast of the day but did not appreciably dampen the spirit of the crowd. The day was opened officially with the firing of a 13-gun salute for a major general who graced the crowd with his presence. The morning was spent in inspection of laboratories and shops. More specifically, we visited first the gas-mask laboratory and then, in order, the phosphorus plant, the physical laboratory, the museum, the phosgene plant, the CO plant, the chlorine plant, and the gasmask plant. The latter is the only one that appeared to he work- ing. A cafeteria box luncheon was senred in the brine house of the chlorine plant. The arsenal furnished coffee and music. Among other selections the hand played "I Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls" in a building the temperature and general appearance of which suggested a run-down refrigerator. After luncheon the women and children were transported to the demonstration field. Able-bodied individuals tramped through the mud. The demonstrations consisted of the following: Laying a smoke barrage with hand grenades. Firing of 4"chemical mortar (smoke). Firing of 4.2" chemical mortar (smoke). Firing of Liven's projector (smoke). Firing of 4.2' chemical mortar from a truck. Laying of smoke screen by truck. Laying of smoke meen by tank. Laying of smoke screen by three airplanes (spectacular). Laying of tear gas barrage with hand grenades. The group was w e l m e d to the Arsenal by the Commandant and a brief lecture accompanied each item of the demonstration. An excellent portable loud speaker was used.
SUBSTITUTE for EQUIVALENT WEIGHT CHARLES N. OTT Central Teachers' College, Edmond, Oklahoma
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N OUR explanation of the meaning of the term
"equivalent weight" to classes in beginning chemistry we have found it helpful to separate the word "equivalent" into two parts, making it "equi-valent," and indicating thereby that such weights of elements or compounds have equal combining power. We commonly instruct students that equivalent weight may be readily calculated by dividing the molecular
or atomic weight of the molecule or atom by the active valence. It follows from this that a convenient and readily understandable substitute for "equivalent weight" is "uni-valent weight," i. e., that weight of an element or compound which might he considered to have a valence of one. We are interested to know what other teachers and the writers of textbooks think of the idea.
