ACS SHORT COURSE - Welcome to NESACS - Home …€œThe Elementary Particles” a novel by Michael Houellebecq, reviewed by Lewyn Li “Doing Science: Design, Analysis and Communication

Monthly MeetingJames Flack Norris Award for Excellence inTeaching Chemistry to Dr. Zafra M. Lerman

James Flack NorrisHis biography by the late Avery A. Ashdown

Book ReviewsThe Elementary Particles by M. Houellebecq; DoingScience by I. Valiela

Meeting ReportRaj. L. Gupta (CEO of Rohm & Haas) on “GrowthThrough Innovation”

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NESACS

November 2002 Vol. LXXXI, No. 3

2 The Nucleus November 2002

ACS SHORT COURSEDesigned to improve the skills and marketability of practicing B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. chemists.

The NESACS Committee on Continuing Education is pleased to sponsor this National ACS Two-Day Short Course, at aregistration fee considerably less than that charged at National Meetings.

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY OF DRUG DESIGN AND DRUG ACTIONThis Short Course is designed for research scientists who want to improve their knowledge of medicinal chemistry by learn-

ing how to take a rational physical organic chemical approach to drug design and drug development. Participants shouldhave at least a BA/BS degree in chemistry, medicinal chemistry, pharmacy, or biochemistry. A working knowledge of

organic chemistry is essential.The price of a copy of Prof. Silverman’s textbook is included in the course fee.

DATES and TIME: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2002; 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.and Thursday, Nov. 21, 2002; 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

PLACE: Snell Library, Room 88, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave., Boston, MAPROGRAM AGENDA:

INSTRUCTOR: Richard B. Silverman, Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Northwestern University, has written three text-

books, published more than 190 papers on the elucidation of the chemical mechanisms of several key enzymes andholds 20 patents on the design of selective enzyme inhibitors and new synthetic methodologies. Dr. Silverman wasnamed a Sloan Research Fellow (1981-5), an NIH Research Career Development Awardee (1982-7), a Fellow ofthe American Institute of Chemists (1985), a Fellow of the AAAS (1990) and an Arthur C. Cope Senior ScholarAwardee of the A.C.S. (2003). He has been or is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry,theJournal of Enzyme Inhibition, and Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics among others. He has been a consult-ant for Proctor and Gamble, Abbott Labs., Rohm and Haas among others. Dr. Silverman’s short course, one of themost popular the ACS has ever offered, has been consistently highly rated by participants.

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED – Registration Fees:ACS Members if received before Nov. 6………… $500.00; after Nov. 6 ……$575.00Non-ACS Members if received before Nov. 6….…$600.00; after Nov. 6 ……$675.00

There will be a limited number of scholarships for unemployed ACS Members on a space-available basis.Parking Fee: about $14.00/day University cafeterias will be available for lunches.

For further information contact: Prof. Alfred Viola at (617) 373 2809

Registration form for Short Course: Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action, Nov. 20-21, 2002Name: _________________________________________ Business Affiliation:__________________________________

Mailing ________________________________________ Telephone:__________________________________Address________________________________________

Mail with remittance to: Prof. Alfred Viola, Chair (Please make checks payable to NESACS. NESACS Committee on Cont. Ed.

(Sorry, we cannot accept credit cards or Department of Chemistrypurchase orders.) Northeastern University

Boston, MA 02115

Drug Discovery, Design, and Development – Drug dis-covery without a lead; Lead discovery

Drug Development: Lead Modification – Identificationof the active part, the pharmacophore; Functionalgroup modifications; Structure-activity relation-ships; Structure modification to increase potencyand therapeutic index; Quantitative structure-activ-ity relationships; Molecular graphics based drugdesign

Receptors – Receptor structure; Drug-receptor interac-tions; Forces involved in the drug-receptor complex;Ionization; Determination of drug-receptor interac-tions; Drug-receptor theories; Topographic andstereochemical considerations; Ion channel blockers

Enzymes (Catalytic Receptors) – Enzymes as catalysts;

Mechanisms of enzyme catalysis; coenzyme cataly-sis; Enzyme therapy

Enzyme Inhibition and Inactivation – Why inhibit anenzyme?; Drug resistance; Drug synergism (drugcombination); Reversible enzyme inhibitors; Irre-versible enzyme inhibitors

DNA – DNA structure and properties; Classes of drugsthat interact with DNA.

Drug Metabolism – Synthesis of radioactive com-pounds; Analytical methods in drug metabolism;Pathways for drug deactivation and elimination

Prodrugs and Drug Delivery Systems – Enzyme acti-vation of drugs; Utility of prodrugs; Types of pro-drugs; Mechanism of prodrug activation;Carrier-linked prodrugs; Bioprecursor prodrugs

The Nucleus November 2002 3

The Nucleus is distributed to the members of the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, to the secretaries of the Local Sections, and to editors of all local A.C.S. Section publications.Forms close for advertising on the 1st of the month of the preceding issue. Text must be received by theeditor six weeks before the date of issue.Editor: Arno Heyn, 21 Alexander Rd., Newton, MA 02461,

Tel: 617-969-5712, FAX: 617-527-2032; e-mail: [email protected] Editor: Myron S. Simon, 20 Somerset Rd., W. Newton, MA 02465, Tel: 617-332-5273Board of Publications: Patrick M. Gordon (Chair), Marietta H. Schwartz, vacant, E. Joseph Billo (Con-

sultant)Business Manager: Karen Piper, 19 Mill Rd., Harvard, MA 01451,

Tel: 978-456-8622Advertising Manager: Vincent J. Gale, P.O. Box 1150, Marshfield, MA 02050,

Tel: 781-837-0424; FAX: 781-837-8792Contributing Editors: Mukund Chorghade, Patricia Hamm, Features; Edward Atkinson, History of

Chemistry; Dennis Sardella, Book Reviews; Marietta H. Schwartz, SoftwareReviews; E. Joseph Billo, Puzzles.

Calendar Coordinator: Donald O. Rickter, e-mail: [email protected]: E. Joseph Billo, Donald O. Rickter, M.S. SimonWebpage: Webmaster: Frank R. Gorga, [email protected]

Asst. Webmasters:Terry Brush, [email protected] Heinselman, [email protected]

Copyright 2002, Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc.

The Northeastern Section of the AmericanChemical Society, Inc.Office: Marilou Cashman, 23 Cottage St., Natick, MA 01760. 1-800-872-2054 (Voice or FAX) or 508-653-6329. e-mail: [email protected] Section business may be conducted via the business office above.NESACS Homepage:http://www.NESACS.orgFrank R. Gorga, WebmasterWashington, D.C. ACS Hotline: 1-800-227-5558Officers 2002Chair:Morton Z. HoffmanChemistry Department, Boston UniversityBoston, MA 02215-2507; 617-353-2494 [email protected]:John L. NeumeyerHarvard Medical School/McLean Hospital115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478; 617-855-3388 [email protected] Past Chair:Timothy B. FrigoAdvanced Magnetics, Inc.61 Mooney St., Cambridge, MA 02138617-497-2070x3007 [email protected]:Michael SingerSigma RBI3 Strathmore Rd. Natick, MA [email protected]:James Piper19 Mill Rd., Harvard, MA [email protected]:Anthony RosnerArchivist:Myron Simon20 Somerset Rd.Newton, MA 02465; [email protected]:Michael E. Strem, Joseph A. Lima, Esther A.H. HopkinsCouncilors: Alternate Councilors:Term Ends 12/31/2002 Term Ends 12/31/2002Mary T. Burgess Michael J. DubeMichaeline F. Chen Jean Fuller-StanleyDoris I. Lewis Patrick M. GordonJulia H. Miwa John L. NeumeyerTerm Ends 12/31/2003 Term Ends 12/31/2003Catherine E. Costello Wallace J. GleekmanWilliam Klemperer Arno H.A. HeynDorothy J. Phillips Howard R. MayneBarbara G. Wood Alfred ViolaTerm Ends 12/31/2004 Term Ends 12/31/2004Thomas R. Gilbert Timothy B. FrigoPatricia H. Hamm Morton Z. HoffmanMichael J. Hearn Truman S. LightArlene W. Light Donald O. Rickter

All Chairs of standingCommittees, the editor of THE NUCLEUS, and the Trustees of SectionFunds are members of theBoard of Directors. AnyCouncilor of the American Chemical Societyresiding within the section area is an ex officiomember of the Board of Directors.

ContentsACS Short Course ______________________________________2Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action, by Richard B. SilvermanNovember 20, 21 at Northeastern University

The James Flack Norris Award ____________________________4A brief history of the Award by M. S. Simon

Monthly Meeting _______________________________________5James Flack Norris Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching ofChemistry to Dr. Zafra M. Lerman, Columbia College, Chicago: “Using the Artsto make Chemistry Accessible to Everybody”

James Flack Norris _____________________________________6A biography by the late Avery A. Ashdown

Book Reviews _________________________________________9“The Elementary Particles” a novel by Michael Houellebecq, reviewed by LewynLi “Doing Science: Design, Analysis and Communication of Scientific Research”by I. Valiela, reviewed by Ira S. Krull

Sukant Tripathy Annual Memorial Symposium_______________12At the University of Massachusetts Lowell Center for Advanced Materials onDecember 6, 2002.

Meeting Report_______________________________________13“Growth Through Innovation: The Specialty Chemical Perspective” by Raj L.Gupta, CEO of Rohm & Haas Co., delivered at the Presidential Plenary Session, 224th National ACS Meeting, Boston, MA, August 19, 2002.

Cover: Dr. Zafra Lerman (third from left) shows Chicago public school teachersNester Torres (left), David Garcia and Kathy Cain how to power clocks usingoranges (photo: J. Wade)

Deadlines: January 2003 issue: November 14, 2002February 2003 issue: December 12, 2002

When the will of Anne C. Norris wasread, the Northeastern Section wasinformed that it was a beneficiary, withan outright gift of $10,000 and thesharing of the residue of her estate inequal parts with the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology. The willstated, “It is my wish that the Directorsof said Society shall use the money inany way they may see ,fit to perpetuatethe memory of my said husband JamesF. Norris.” Professor Norris had died inJuly, 1940, and the desire had not beensatisfied for a way to honor the manwho had made such a mark as teacher,confidential counselor, research scien-tist and personal friend during hisyears of teaching and research at Sim-mons College and MIT. His widow’sbequest in 1948 provided the impetus.

A committee under the leadershipof Gustavus J. Esselen, the Section’ssenior adviser, was set up to explorehow best to use the money. The expec-tation was that the income from thebequest would amount to over a thou-sand dollars a year, a tidy sum, and inthe April 1949 NUCLEUS Esselenrequested suggestions from the Sec-tion’s members. By June he hadreceived twelve proposals and his com-mittee consisting of Chester M. Alter(Boston University), Theodore C.Browne (Dewey and Almy), Ernest C.Crocker (ADL), Kenneth L. Mark(Simmons), Avery A. Morton (MIT)and John O. Percival (Monsanto)worked the problem for the rest of theyear. The decision was announced inJanuary, 1950.The statement read “TheJames Flack Norris Award shall bemade for outstanding achievement inthe teaching of chemistry, particularlywhen demonstrated at college or sec-ondary school levels rather than shownin research” This approach to memori-

alize Norris recognized the emphasishe placed on teaching, and the Com-mittee’s fear that another award foroutstanding research would be lost inthe crowd.

The announcement whichappeared in the NUCLEUS for Janu-ary, 1950 read:

“The first national award for out-standing achievement in the teachingof chemistry is announced by theNortheastern Section of the AmericanChemical Society, Inc. in memory ofthe late James F. Norris. Teachers fromschools, colleges and universities willbe eligible. This is in accordance withthe wishes of the late Anne C. Norris ofCambridge who left the NortheasternSection a bequest of $10,000 plus halfof the residue of the estate, to be usedto perpetuate the memory of her hus-band James F. Norris

Believing in the importance ofexcellence in teaching as a contribut-ing factor in the progress of chemistry,the Board of Directors of the North-eastern Section have selected this formof award as a memorial to ProfessorNorris, himself a teacher of greatrepute. The award will consist of asuitably inscribed certificate and asum of money, and will ordinarily begiven biennially, in the years when theRichards Medal for achievement inresearch is not awarded by the North-eastern Section….”

The early recipients were chosenby a secret committee, again led byEsselen, who remained active in pro-moting the memory of Norris for thenext couple of years until his death inOctober, 1952. Open election of theNorris Award Committee did not beginuntil 1954, when it was realized alsothat the capital funds were adequate togive the award annually, instead ofbiennially.

The first presentation was made in

May, 1951 at the Harvard Club toGeorge Shannon Forbes, an old friendof Norris, an outstanding teacher atboth Harvard and, in retirement, atNortheastern Universities. ��


Corporate PatronsNovartis Pharmaceutical Corp.Strem Chemicals, Inc.

Corporate SponsorsAerodyne Research, Inc.Consulting Resources Corp.Houghton Chemical Corp.New England Biolabs, Inc.Organix, Inc.Polymedica Corp.

DirectionsHoliday Inn, Newton399 Grove St.Take exit 22 Eastbound from Route95/128 going either north or south.

The exit ramp runs into Grove St.

The Holiday Inn is the first building onthe left. Drive around and in back ofthe inn for parking. Take elevator tothe lobby. ��

The James Flack NorrisAwardfor Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Chemistryby M.S. Simon1

NewMembersIncludes members relocated to theNortheastern Section

Invitation to attend a SectionmeetingYou are cordially invited to attend oneof our upcoming Section meetings asguest of the Section at the Social hourand dinner preceding the meeting.Please call Marilou Cashman at 800-872-2054, 508-653-6329, or:[email protected] by noon of thefirst Thursday of the month, letting herknow that you are a new member. ��

1 From The NUCLEUS, 1996 LXXV (3),4

BiographyZafra Margolin Lerman serves Colum-bia College in Chicago, Illinois as Dis-tinguished Professor of Science andPublic Policy and Head of the Institutefor Science Education and ScienceCommunication. She is a native ofIsrael and earned a B.Sc. in 1960 andM Sc. in 1964 at The Technion, Haifa;and the Ph.D. in 1969 at the WeizmanInstitute of Science, Rehovot.

She joined the faculty of Colum-bia College in 1977 as its first scienceprofessor, after postdoctoral studies atCornell, Northwestern, and the Eid-

genössische Technische Hochschule inZurich. Columbia College educatesstudents in the arts and journalism;there are no science majors.

This situation has presented Pro-fessor Lerman with the challenge andthe opportunity to develop ways toteach chemistry via the arts.

Her work with college students,elementary and secondary teachers,parents, and children has been recog-nized with numerous awards, includingthe Presidential (U.S.) Award forExcellence in Science, Mathematics,and Engineering Mentoring and theACS Award for Encouraging Disad-vantaged Students into Careers in theChemical Sciences. ��


Monthly MeetingThe 837th Meeting of the Northeastern Sectionof the American Chemical SocietyJames Flack Norris Award MeetingThursday, November 7, 2002Holiday Inn, 399 Grove St., Newton, MA Riverside Room

5:30 pm Social Hour

6:30 pm Dinner

7:45 pm Award Meeting, Dr. Morton Z. Hoffman, Chair, presidingJames Flack Norris, Edward AtkinsonIntroduction of the Awardee: Dr. James P. Schoffner, Institute for

Science Education and Science Communication, Columbia Col-lege, Chicago, IL

Presentation of the Award to Dr. Zafra M. Lerman, Distinguished Professor of Science and Public Policy,

Columbia College, Chicago, ILAward Address: Using the Arts to Make Chemistry Accessible to

Everybody

Dinner reservations should be made no later than noon, October 31. Please callor fax Marilou Cashman at (800) 872-2054 or e-mail at [email protected] not cancelled at least 24 hours in advance must be paid. Pleaseindicate choice of entrée: Chicken, Fish, or Vegetarian; Members, $28.00;Non-members, $32.00; Retirees, $18.00; Students, $ 10.00. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED.Anyone who needs special services or transportation, please call MarilouCashman a few days in advance so that suitable arrangements can be made.Free Parking availableNext Meeting: December 12, 2002. Joint meeting with the Medicinal ChemistryGroup at ArQule, 19 Presidential Way, Woburn, MA Symposium: “molecularProperties Influencing Drug Availability”

AbstractUsing the Arts to MakeChemistry Accessible toEverybody

Although all chemists know the impor-tance of chemistry in daily life, the restof the population somehow does notseem to share our view. Each of usbelieves that we must teach chemistryto everyone, yet we have not succeededin persuading everyone that they muststudy chemistry. The reason for this isoften the method used to communicatechemistry to the public.

The arts (music, dance, drama,fine arts, etc.) are excellent vehicles tocarry this important message.

For example, most people are notinterested in the concept of the ionicbond, but when presented like Shake-speare’s Romeo and Juliet (with a lovestory between Sodium and Chlorine)everyone enjoys learning about therelationship. In addition, the dramastudents that write and act out thescript remember the concept far longerthan would be expected through moreconventional teaching methods (thisdrama ends with: “Never was the storyso dark and glum, than that of Chlorineand her Sodium.”

The same is true for students whowrote and acted The Bondfather, andfor the students who danced The ThreeStates of Matter (our hero falls in lovewith Solid, but “When she warms tohim, through his fingers she runs,” andwhen his love heats up with Liquid,“Her love escaped from him just like avapor”.

Examples of students’ work inchemistry using art, music, dance anddrama will be presented in this lecture.��

When James F. Norris began his assist-antship in the Chemistry Department ofthe Massachusetts Institute of Technol-ogy in October 1895, he wastwenty-four years old and fresh fromthe doctorate awarded by Johns Hop-kins University in June of that year.Born in Baltimore, Maryland, January20, 1871, he was one of nine childrenof the Reverend and Mrs. Richard Nor-ris (Methodist). His elementary school-ing was at Miss Jennie Gardner’sSchool for Boys in Georgetown, D. C.,where his father was serving as a pas-tor. Later he attended the Central HighSchool in Washington. While in thisschool, he was a member of the DrumCorps, High School Cadets. Secondaryeducation completed, he enrolled inJohns Hopkins University in 1889 andremained through years of graduatestudy,; leading to the doctorate in

chemistry in 1895. At what exact agechemistry began to hold his interest isnot certain but it must have been before1892, when he was teaching this subjectin the University of Maryland. His finalyear at J.H.U., 1894-5, was brightenedby an appointment as a Fellow (stipend$375, plus tuition). His life-long pursuitof travel in summer, chiefly in Europe,began at this time. In 1892, he becamethe official delegate of the students ofJohns Hopkins University to the 300thCelebration of the University ofDublin. In the summer of 1894. heworked with the U.S. Coast Survey, sta-tioned at Lynn, Massachusetts. Thesummer of 1896 saw him, with HenryFay (M.I.T.), touring England, Franceand Germany.

Not only teaching in the Universityof Maryland, but coaching classes inmathematics and science, in his finalgraduate year, at Johns Hopkins had, ina sense, prepared him for a life long

devotion to teaching and research. Inhis first classes at M.I.T. he was associ-ated with James Mason Crafts (of theFriedel and Crafts reaction) and gave acourse in organic preparations. Thenext year he added a series of lectureson the history of chemistry. In 1899 hegave the brief course in organic chem-istry, and became associated withArthur Amos Noyes in the laboratorypursuit of organic preparations andreactions. The year 1900 saw himadvanced to the rank of Assistant Pro-fessor of Organic Chemistry andengaged to Anne Bent Chamberlin, astudent at the Museum of Fine Arts inBoston.

On February fourth, 1902, Anneand he were married in St. John’sChurch, Washington, D. C. where herparents made their home while she wasa student at the Museum. Henry Fay,also a young professor at M.I.T. and aclose friend, was best man at the wed-ding. The new Norris family took upresidence at 124 Anawan Avenue, WestRoxbury (Boston), near the home ofProfessor Frank H. Thorp of M.I.T.,already working on his “Outlines ofIndustrial Chemistry,” a text book forstudents, destined to be widely used.(First edition, October 1898, the thirdedition, in 1916, in collaboration withWarren K. Lewis, Professor of Chemi-cal Engineering at M.I.T. )

The life-long friendship withHenry Fay began when both men cameto M.I.T as assistants in chemistry in1895. Together they published theirmethod for the “lodometric Determi-nation of Selenous and Selenic Acids”in volume 18, 1896, of the AmericanChemical Journal. This paper was thefirst bearing the name of Dr. Norris. Itwas followed at once by his thesis forthe doctorate, “The Action of Halogenson the Methylamines” with Ira Rem-sen, appearing in the same journal, vol-ume 19, 1896. These two papers headthe list of seventy publications, mostlyin the American Chemical Journal andthe Journal of the American ChemicalSociety. Four books, all published byMcGraw Hill, also came from his pen.The first, “The Principles of OrganicChemistry” 1912, third edition, 1933,total issue over 70,000. The second


James Flack NorrisBy Avery A. Ashdown1, M.I.T.

1 Avery A. Ashown, The NUCLEUS, LXII(10) 312 (August, 1965)


book, “Experimental Organic Chem-istry,” 1915, third edition, 1933, totalissue also over 70,000. His textbook,“Inorganic Chemistry for Colleges”was publishes in 1921, third editionwith Professor Ralph C. Young ofM.I.T. in 1938. “Laboratory Exercisesin Inorganic Chemistry,” co-authorProfessor Kenneth L. Mark of Sim-mons College, appeared in 1922.

In 1900, advancement to AssistantProfessor of Organic Chemistry atM.I.T. gave him a larger share in thechemistry department. In spite of thisfavorable development, his officialconnection with M.I.T. was interruptedin 1904 by appointment to Professor ofChemistry at Simmons College, organ-ized in Boston in 1899 and destined tobe known, for a time, as the M.I.T. forwomen students. Through eleven yearshe devoted himself to building up thechemistry department at SimmonsWhile at Simmons, he took a sabbati-cal leave in 1910 to study physicalchemistry with Professor Fritz Haberin the Technische Hochschule at Karl-sruhe in Baden, Germany. With Mrs.Norris be took up living quarters in apension in Karlsruhe. Dr. Norrisalways took great satisfaction from thisphase of his post-doctoral experience.He found increasingly that the physicalchemical points of view he gained gavehim new insight into organic chem-istry. The year was not all laboratorywork. Dr. and Mrs. Norris passed awinter vacation in Berlin and Dresden.In the spring recess they traveled inItaly. During the summer of 1911,three of Dr. Norris’ sisters joined themfor a grand tour, including Paris, Hol-land, England, and Scotland.

Came the year 1915, Dr. Norrisresigned his position at Simmons toaccept the professorship of chemistryin Vanderbilt University in Nashville,Tennessee. Association with this out-standing university in the Southland,although very rewarding, was to be foronly one year.

In June, 1916, he was asked toreturn to M.I.T. where, in October, he

became Professor of General Chem-istry. When he left Vanderbilt, studentsand staff combined to present him witha silver cigarette case, bearing theinscription “Sunny Jim.” This appella-tion he accepted with great pleasure. Infact, all of his associates, both at thattime and thereafter, recognized his newname as most descriptive of his generaldisposition and character.

By the autumn of 1916, WorldWar I, increasing in fury in WesternEurope for two years, had been build-ing up a condition of deep concern forthe United States. In October 1917, Dr.Norris was granted leave of absencefrom M.I.T. for one year, to “renderspecial service to the government inthe present emergency.” He workedfirst at the Bureau of Mines in Wash-ington, D. C., on gas problems. Later he was in charge of “Offense ChemicalResearch” at the Bureau. Early in 1918he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel,Chemical Warfare Service, U.S. Army.His headquarters were in London. In1919 he was appointed to the Inter-allied Gas Conference. Finally, (1919)Dr. Norris was in charge of investigat-ing the manufacture of war gases in theGerman chemical plants. His final warservice was with the American Univer-sity at Beaune, France. Honorably dis-charged from the service in July 1919,he returned to Boston to resume dutiesat M.I.T

This renewed association withM.I.T. was to be enjoyed fortwenty-one years, until his death onAugust 3, 1940. He remarked of hisposition as Professor of OrganicChemistry, that it was the kind of jobhe had wanted all his life. Graduatestudents came from far and wide towork with him on researches leading toadvanced degrees.

Dr. Norris’ service to chemistrybroadened with his association withM.I.T He was an early chairman of theNortheastern Section (1904). All of hislife he remained very loyal to his homesection. In 1924 he became chairmanof the Section on Chemistry andChemical Technology of the NationalResearch Council in Washington, D.C.He was granted a leave of absencefrom M.I.T for this work. However, he

was in Boston two days each week andthus able to keep in contact with hisgraduate students. In 1925 he wasmade an Honorary Member of .theRoyal Institution of Great Britain. Inthe same year he was elected Presidentof the American Chemical Society, aposition he held for a second term. Forthree years, 1925-1928, he was VicePresident of the International Union ofPure and Applied Chemistry. Eventu-ally, association with the Union tookhim on several trips abroad, to Ruma-nia in 1925, to Warsaw in 1927, toLucerne, Switzerland, in 1936, and toRome, Italy, in 1938. His long term asa Director of the national AmericanChemical Society ended in 1934 with atestimonial luncheon in New York

Two other activities were also inthis period. First came the address on“Chemistry in National Defense”before the Institute of Politics atWilliamstown, Massachusetts, inAugust 1926. Second, in June, 1928,he was chosen a member of the educa-tional delegation to the USSR, ofwhich John Dewey of Columbia waschairman.

From early years, Dr. Norris wasasked to be a special lecturer onorganic chemistry at several differentcolleges. The first of these lectureshipswas at Simmons College in 1903. Nextcame Harvard for two years, 1912 to1913. Among his students at Harvardwas Louis P Hammett, who, inspiredby Dr. Norris, became the founder ofphysical organic chemistry in America.In 1913 he lectured on organic chem-istry at Clark University in Worcester,Massachusetts. He had three periods ofextended association with BowdoinCollege, at Brunswick, Maine. Thiswas the college of Hawthorne,Longfellow and President FranklinPierce. In January 1925 Dr. Norris wasnamed visiting professor at Bowdoin.In 1929 and in 1931 he was again avisiting Professor at Bowdoin. The col-lege conferred on him her honorarySc.D. in 1925.

A very important part of the life ofProfessor and Mrs. Norris was the sev-eral summers they passed at NorthBridgton on Long Lake in western

James Flack NorrisContinued from page 6

Continued on page 8


Maine. There they built a house in1906 after plans drawn by ProfessorHarry W. Gardner of the Departmentof Architecture at M.I.T. They namedtheir summer home “Good Cheer.” Thecenter of social life of their home wasthe “porch” where, often, there wererecord dances in the evening. Dr. Nor-ris had a den for study and writing,detached from the main house, wherehe worked every morning, writing onhis books. After lunch he swam in thelake with companions and in theevening mingled with guests on theporch.

Dr. and Mrs. Norris were patronsof art galleries both in the UnitedStates and in Europe. Dr. Norris wasan ardent movie fan and a devoted fol-lower of Sir Harry W. Lauder, Scottishcomedian and entertainer for half acentury. Many people still living [thatwas in 1965!, ed.], will recall suchHarry Lauder songs as, “I Love aLassie,” “Roamin’ in the Gloamin’ “

and “It’s Nice to Get Up in theMornin’ but its Nicer to Lie in MyBaid.’

Many honors came to Dr. Norris.He was elected to the Society of theSigma XI, Phi Beta Kappa and AlphaChi Sigma, the professional chemicalfraternity. He was a member of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sci-ences, the National Academy of Sci-ences and a fellow of the AmericanAssociation for the Advancement ofScience. He held honorary member-ship in the Chemical Society of Ruma-nia and in the Royal Institution ofGreat Britain. He was electedvice-president of the American Acad-emy of Arts and Sciences in 1936. Hewas Chairman of the Faculty of M.I.T,1937-1939. Dr. Norris was very proudof the award of the Medal of the Insti-tute of Chemists, conferred on him inMay, 1937. In accepting the award hewrote to Dr. M. L. Crossley of theInstitute of Chemists.

“I appreciate very much the highhonor and will be much pleased toaccept the Medal. 1 was gratified tolearn that the award was made for

both teaching and research. So far as 1know, the Medal, awarded by yourInstitute, is the only one in whichemphasis is placed on a man’s influ-ence, as a teacher, on young men elect-ing to enter the profession of thechemist. 1 feel that a man can do agreat deal in this world in influencingthose who are undertaking a profes-sional life.”

The troubled situation in Europein 1939, fomented by Hitler, arguedagainst a walking tour in Germany, orAustria or Switzerland. Instead, Pro-fessor and Mrs. Norris toured Hawaii,California and Northwestern UnitedStates in June of that year.

The next summer, June 1940, thedevelopment of a cataract in his righteye, necessitated surgery which wassuccessful. However, his troubles werenot over. On July 1, 1940, phlebitis setin. On July 18th he was back in thePhillips House of the MassachusettsGeneral Hospital for blood transfu-sions. In spite of all the resources ofthe hospital, his condition worsenedsteadily. He died on August 3, 1940,half way through his seventieth year.Funeral services were held at Mt.Auburn Cemetery, on August fifth, inCambridge, Massachusetts, where hisgrave is in the Norris lot. The day wasbright and full of sunshine as if to cap-ture some of the “Good Cheer” of theNorth Bridgton home and of theencouragement Dr. Norris had givenhis students and colleagues and friendsover many years.

The original article was accompa-nied by eight pages of photographsand a listing of 41 students whoreceived doctoral or master’s degreesfor work under his guidance. ��

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James Flack NorrisContinued from page 7

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Have you looked at it?


The Elementary Particles (Les particules élémentaires)by Michel Houellebecq (Translatedfrom French by Frank Wynne; VintageBooks; 2000) ISBN 0375407707, 264pp.; $13.00 (paperback)

Reviewed by Lewyn Li, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology,Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138

This is a novel every scientist shouldread. First, it deals with humancloning and its future uses, which aretopics of obvious urgency and impor-tance. Secondly, it beautifully capturesthe tragedy of a modern scientist, whois utterly absorbed in his narrow fieldof research, and is neither interested in,nor able to understand himself or thehuman society around him. Thirdly,after giving a provocative critique ofWestern society since the 60s, Houelle-becq paints a disturbing but plausiblepicture of how biotechnology will beused to change our very identity ashuman beings in the near future. It is apicture that we cannot afford to ignore.

The Elementary Particles is thestory of two half-brothers, Bruno andMichel. Bruno is the ultimate “aver-age person” of the late 20th century.Shaped by the hedonism of the 60s and70s, he had little use for, or faith in anyreligion or philosophy. He is obsessedwith physical and sexual pleasure eventhough he is usually a failure withwomen. As his body inevitablydeclines he finds nothing to anchor hislife and inexorably sinks into despair.After the death of his last lover Brunoenters a mental institute and nevercomes out.

In contrast, Michel is a shiningsuccess by conventional standards. Hebreezes through school, does excellentgraduate research in physics, and thenswitches to molecular biology. At 40he is a serious contender for a NobelPrize, but he has lost interest in his

work. Unlike Bruno, Michel is unaf-fected by the political and socialupheavals of the 60s and 70s. Hederives no pleasure from the body.Even during sexual intercourse with afellow researcher, he “could get a hard-on and … ejaculate … without feelingthe slightest pleasure”.

Michel is also incapable of under-standing or caring about anything out-side of science. When his grandmotherdies his face expresses nothing but“abject animal fear”. Finally, Michelis reunited with Annabelle, the womanhe abandons for science more than 20years ago and has a relationship withher until she commits suicide. Coldlyand methodically, Michel resumes hisresearch, proves that asexual reproduc-tion is fundamentally superior to sex-ual reproduction, and then vanishes.

His work is picked up by theyoung biochemist Hubczejak, who,based on Michel’s ideas and results,launches the “Movement for HumanPotential” to, ironically enough,replace humans with an asexual, self-cloning and immortal species. By theend of The Elementary Particles,Homo sapiens are on their way toextinction, leaving behind a smug suc-cessor species that views their creators,the human race, with pity and disdain.

When I picked up The ElementaryParticles, I was sceptical of yet anotherportrait of a scientist in fiction. Gener-ally, scientists in literature are eitherstereotypical characters that are weirdor mad (or both), or glorified symbolsof human rationality. A few scientist-novelists, such as Carl Djerassi, try togive a honest portrait of how scientistswork, but lack the skills or scope tobring their characters to life. However,I am extremely impressed by The Ele-mentary Particles. Houellebecq showsgreat knowledge and insight into realscience and scientists. For example,Houellebecq makes Michel a memberof the Aspect team at the UniversitéParis-Sud – the team that, in real life,

solved one of the biggest problems ofquantum mechanics (the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox) in the 80s.Houellebecq then has Michel giving upphysics for molecular biology –another common choice for present-day physicists. And, with biting wit,Houellebecq brilliantly exposes howshallow and sterile the professionalrelationships among scientists are,even after the scientists have workedtogether for years in the same depart-ment:

“(The farewell party for Michel)was a sham. The motivations thatbrought them together was superfi-cial; one careless word, one falseglance, would break it up and sendhis colleagues scurrying for theircars.”

An average novelist would havemade science the culprit for Michel’slack of human emotions: the miscon-ception is still widespread that scien-tists are generally less passionate than“ordinary” people, and that sciencesomehow kills a person’s humanity.Fortunately, Houellebecq would haveno such clichéd nonsense, and heknows that human beings are far toocomplicated for any single theory. Sohe simply describes the thoughts, feel-ings and behavior of Michel, andleaves the task of understandingMichel to us. I must confess that, ini-tially, I found Michel infuriatingly dif-ficult to comprehend: he is an extremecharacter whose complete isolationfrom himself and the world seemsunbelievable at first sight.

However, after several re-readingsand much contemplation I discoveredin Michel much of myself and of otherscientists I know. In particular,Michel’s one-track-mindedness andtotal negligence of the wider philo-sophical and social implications of hiswork are traits that I have encounteredin myself and many fellow scientists.Of course, these traits – single-minded-ness and negligence of non-scientificissues – allow us to focus on complexscientific problems, so all scientistsmust possess these traits to someextent. But it also seems to me thatthese traits imply an irresponsible atti-

Book ReviewsThis month we are reviewing two books so that the several reviews we have onfile can be published in a more timely manner (ed.)

Continued on page 10


tude towards the scientific knowledgewe create, and such an irresponsibleattitude is encouraging the misrepre-sentation, misuse and misunderstand-ing of science in our society.

This raises a chilling question:where are science and scientists lead-ing our world to? Houellebecq offers adisconcerting answer in The Elemen-tary Particles: Michel, with his single-mindedness and unconcern fornon-scientific issues has indirectly andunwittingly destroyed the human racewith his research.

The future depicted in The Ele-mentary Particles is bleak indeed. Inthe last chapter of the book, Houelle-becq describes how the human raceself-destructs. A young biochemist,Hubczejak, picks up Michel’s idea onthe fundamental superiority of asexualover sexual reproduction, and foundsthe “Movement for Human Potential”in 2011 to realize what he regards asthe next step in evolution: the replace-ment of humans by an asexual, self-cloning and immortal species. Byskillfully mixing “hard” science(which the public trusts because “hard”science seems to promise certainty)with “soft” New Age philosophy(which assuages the public’s vaguespiritual yearning for a better world),Hubczejak manages to recruit moreand more people to his cause. Opposi-tions from religious or secular human-ist groups are easily andcontemptuously brushed aside. Scien-tists belonging or sympathetic toHubczejak’s movement start to developthe immortal species in secret. Finally,the UNESCO gives the green light toHubczejak’s project in 2021 and thefirst member of the immortal species –humankind’s successor – is created in2029. The Elementary Particles endsat around 2079, when the immortalspecies dominates the world, and thehuman race is soon to become extinct.

Some might dismiss this picture ofthe future as being anti-science, reac-tionary and alarmist. Personally, I findthe picture uncomfortable but notunimaginable. Take Hubczejak for

example: he and his supporters, withbreath-taking conceit and self-right-eousness, decide that the human racemust go because of their sincere beliefthat “mankind must disappear and giveway to … a species that had outgrownindividuality, separation and evolu-tion.” In terms of arrogance and self-righteousness, how similar is this to theproponents of human cloning, one ofwhom, Dr. Panos Zavos, claimed that1:

“(Cloning) is part of human evolu-tion. We feel that if we educate thepeople that we are real peopleattempting to assist childless cou-ples in having a child, everybodyunderstands this and everybodyneeds this.”

Furthermore, I find the impotenceof various national and internationalorganizations in The Elementary Parti-cles utterly convincing. No organiza-tion, be it religious, secular humanistor even the United Nations, could orwould prevent Hubczejak’s projectfrom fruition. Does not the sameimpotence characterize our organiza-tions in real life?

Let me offer some personal expe-rience in this regard. Last year theNational Academy of Science in Wash-ington D.C. formed a panel to discussthe scientific and medical aspects ofhuman cloning. The panel discussiontook place on 7 August 2001. After thediscussion, I wrote to each panel mem-ber, expressing my concern about theapparent lack of focus on a vital issue:whether or not cloning can be con-trolled so that it only does “good”,however the notion of “good” isdefined. I then argued that cloning, orany technology, can only be controlledby an international agreement, with all countries vigorously enforcing the agreement and punishing the trans-gressors. Subsequently I received aresponse from one panel member whoagreed with everything I said but, atthe same time, felt that even the UnitedNations would not succeed in theglobal regulation of human cloning. Iam grateful to this member for reply-ing. Nevertheless, I am disappointedby how powerless our national andinternational organizations are whenfaced with the philosophical and social

challenges from biotechnology. I canonly hope that organizational impo-tence will not be as deadly in ourworld as it is in the fictional world ofThe Elementary Particles!

So I repeat: this is a novel everyscientist should read.

Reference:1. http://www.cnn.com/2001/health/08/06/human.cloning/ index.html

Doing Science: Design,Analysis, and Communicationof Scientific Researchby I. Valiela (Oxford University Press,2001) 294 pp. , ISBN 0-1950-7962-0;$75 00 (hardcover)

Reviewed by Ira S. Krull, ChemistryDepartment, Northeastern University,Boston, MA

The author of this book has been doingresearch and training scientific workersfor perhaps the past forty years, mostrecently while at Boston Universityand the Marine Biological Laboratoryat Woods Hole, MA. What he has triedto do in this book is to convey how onebecomes a practicing scientist. Sincehe is not a chemist but rather a biolo-gist, his use of the literature is verybiologically oriented, which at timesmeans that, as chemists, we cannotimmediately relate to some of hisexamples.

There are a number of books thathave, with varying degrees of success,attempted to teach the novice or layperson how to perform good science. Iam not at all convinced that this partic-ular text is any better than others suchas Wilson’s An Introduction to Scien-tific Research or Medawar’s Advice toa Young Scientist or Noltingk’s The Artof Research.

The book starts out (Chapter 1)with a discussion of the various classi-cal sources of scientific information.Unfortunately, there is not much men-tion of how to use computers or theinternet for scientific research. Chapter2 discusses the collection of scientificdata (what sort of data are needed toanswer specific questions) and thengets into some statistical treatment of

Book ReviewsContinued from page 9


data as a way of introduction to moredetailed statistics in Chapter 3, a 30-page chapter covering the basics of sta-tistical analysis, including topics suchas analysis of variance, regression, cor-relation, frequencies, confidence lim-its, error propagation, transformationof data, and related items. The materialis covered very nicely, very clearly,and very cleverly, but one wonders ifalmost two full chapters are warrantedin a generalized book on Doing Sci-ence. Even so, there is insufficient dis-cussion of repeatability, replication,reproducibility, validation of methodsand results, testing of results/data, andso forth.

Chapter 4 covers the most impor-tant part of Doing Science: the princi-ples of research design. This is anincredibly important part of Doing Sci-ence, because it takes the originalquestion to be answered and attemptsto set up the specific research experi-ments that will generate the dataneeded to answer the original hypothe-sis. Valiela summarizes some of thedesirable properties of research design:laying out of the research experiments,what results are expected from theseexperiments, what those results wouldteach us in answering our originalquestions/ hypotheses, and then how toactually design sensible experiments.This is the “how” section of Doing Sci-ence — how are we going to answerthe original questions or problems thatwe think are worth addressing? Even ifwe have chosen the right scientificproblems to address at the outset, if wedon’t know what experiments to set upor how to design those experiments,then we will never perform successfulscience. We might Do Science, but wewill never do good or correct sciencewithout first knowing how to set up theright experiments. The matter of howwe know which experiments to estab-lish in order to answer specific ques-tions is not really addressed, but itshould have been. It is in the choosingof individual experiments, controls,blanks, and so forth that we generatethe critical data that we need to answer

the original questions or hypotheseswhich started us off on the path ofDoing Science. I liked this chaptervery much. It was very well done, but Iwould have liked to see more of a con-nection between the questions needinganswers, the scientific literature, andthe design of specific experiments.There is little discussion of how wecome up with our first set of experi-ments. Did we use the existing litera-ture, did we just conjure up specificexperiments without using previous lit-erature, did we use textbooks? Scien-tific productivity and efficiency arehardly covered, but rather assumed,when really these often need to beinstilled and inculcated in students and,sometimes, even in more mature col-leagues. We need to nurture our stu-dents and colleagues not only on howto do good science, but how to do itefficiently, effectively, and with themaximum productivity for the money,time, and effort spent.

Chapters 5-7 deal with the dissem-ination or communication of scientificinformation, the writing of papers,reviews, abstracts, proposals, technicalreports, progress reports, and the like.What is not discussed is how to choosea specific journal or meeting in whichto present one’s data for the first time.Journals provide specific guidelines forthe style and format of scientificpapers; these differ from journal tojournal, but Chapter 6 takes a one-size-fits-all approach to organizing andwriting a scientific paper. It also doesnot really differentiate between the dif-ferent types of papers: preliminarycommunication, full, original researchpaper, review paper, rebuttal paper,mini-review paper, and others. Chapter7 deals with other ways to communi-cate science, poster presentations, theformal scientific lecture/talk, or theproposal for funding. Chapters 8-10deal with presenting data via tables,figures, graphs, histograms, bar graphs,pie diagrams, and so forth.

Chapters 5-10, roughly 50% of theentire book, were thus devoted to com-munication of scientific informationvia writings or lectures/talks. Is this abook on Doing Science or one on pre-senting results and data? As you may

imagine, my original enthusiasm forthe book was tempered as I approachedthe ending, Chapter 11. This last chap-ter is not at all about Doing Science,but rather a discussion about how sci-ence is perceived by the public todayand how it might be improved in thefuture. In general, this was an interest-ing chapter, but it did not have any-thing to do with the practical aspects ofDoing Science.

I found the book somewhat of adifficult read, very thought-provoking,at times stimulating and insightful, butnever dull. I felt, perhaps above all,that it was imbalanced and did not hitsome of the most important points.Topics that might have been of interestcould have been a discussion ofresearch group management, instruc-tion of graduate students and postdoc-toral fellows in research activities,group meetings, presenting groupresults at scientific meetings, and soforth. It might also have been interest-ing for the reader to learn the actualprocess of how a paper gets published:the various steps, from start to finish,even to describing proofreading of gal-leys, and what to do with reprints.Because Doing Science alwaysrequires getting funding, I felt that thistopic was understated and relegated toa secondary status of importance. Inreality, of course, it is perhaps the sin-gle most important topic, for withoutfunding it is impossible to Do Sciencefor very long. Even within industry,Doing Science really requires gettingfunded. The proposal is so terriblyimportant, which does not really comeacross well enough in this book, thatagain there are entire books devotedjust to writing of proposals. Thoughthe submission of proposals is dis-cussed with regard to governmental vs.private/industrial funding sources, a lotmore could have been included aboutcontacting grant officers, project offi-cers, contract officers and so forth, toplan out the proposal, prior to actuallywriting it.

Would I recommend this book forthe average chemist’s bookshelf? Prob-ably not. I am not at all sure it is aimedat a chemistry audience, and it is also



NESACS guests and German hosts at the Jung-chemikerforum meeting in Cologne, Germanylast spring (a written report of the trip was inthe Summer issue of The NUCLEUS, p. 25)

At the September 12 NESACS Meeting: (l. to r.)Peter Lansbury (speaker) with new NESACSmembers Bob Coty, Vincent Jacques, ValerieHumblet, Elaina Zverrina and Scudden Mackey


SymposiumSukant Tripathy AnnualMemorial Symposium 2002University of MassachusettsLowell Center for AdvancedMaterials• To honor the memory of Prof.

Sukant Tripathy, renownedresearcher and Director of the Cen-ter, and former University Provostand Vice Chancellor.

• To bring together researchers andcolleagues from universities andindustries, as well as former andpresent students and associates ofthe Center,

• To present and discuss latestresearch activities in the materialsscience.

Please note that the technical papers(oral and poster presentations) of thissymposium will be published as a spe-cial issue of the Journal of Macromol-ecular Science. You are invited toattend this symposium.

Friday, December 6, 2002, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.University of Massachusetts Lowell,Wannalancit Mills MIL ConferenceRoom600 Suffolk St., Lowell, MA 01854Directions atwww.uml.edu/research/directions.html

SpeakersMark Green, Polytechnic UniversityThe Practical and Philosophical Con-sequences of Chiral Studies in PolymerScience.

Michael Rubner, M.I.T., Polyelec-trolyte Multilayers: from ReversibleSwelling Transitions to GatedNanoporosity

Warren Herman, University of Mary-land, Chiral Organic Thin Films forPhotonic Applications

Vaman Naik, University of Michigan,Raman Scattering in Wide Band gapAlInN Semiconductor Thin Films

Paula Hammond, M.I.T. TBA

not clear if it is aimed at graduate stu-dents, postdoctoral fellows, techni-cians, professors, industrial groupleaders, directors of research, or whatgroup of scientists. While it doesaddress most of the major issues inDoing Science, it has missed some oth-ers. ��


Meeting Pictures

John Neumeyer with Peter Lansburg, Septemberspeaker

(photos: M. Z. Hoffman)



Not too long ago David Hunter, edi-tor-in-chief of Chemical Week maga-zine, described the classic inspirationof a specialty chemical firm as the abil-ity “to invent a brilliant new productand grow it into a big, money spinningbusiness.”

While I might not choose theseexact words in a conversation with theBoard of Directors, there’s a ring oftruth in David’s pithy statement. Itaccurately captures the approach manyspecialty chemical companies adoptedfor most of the 20th century. Why?Because we could.

In the past, one could isolate smartPh.D. scientists, technicians and chem-ical engineers in a research lab, thenkeep them there until they discovered anew technology, yelled `eureka,’ thencame running from the lab in search ofmarket applications.

This pattern repeated itself many

times. Otto Röhm, one of the foundersof Rohm and Haas, invented Plexiglasacrylic sheet. It was a great inventionin search of a market. We experi-mented with its use as jewelry, musicalinstruments, and even furniture beforefinding our ‘money spinning’ applica-tions in airplane windows and cock-pits, illuminated signs and cartaillights. Leo Baekeland was trying todevelop a substitute for shellac whenhe created Bakelite, which was eventu-ally used to make dishes, buttons andeven phonograph records. And ChadHolliday would tell you that DuPontinvented Teflon technology in 1944,but did not begin to find significantend-use applications until the 1960s.

This pattern of discovery first,markets second, repeated itselfthroughout the first half of the 20th cen-tury, with as many as 3 or 4 new poly-mers discovered in a single decade.

Because of its ability to create newtechnology and products, the chemicalindustry has been involved in nearlyevery scientific breakthrough recordedin the past 100 years. Yet, sadly, thereare those today who think that this

Anthony Guiseppi-Eli, Virginia Poly-technic University, ElectroconductiveHydrogel Composites as “Bio-Smart”Materials

Mrinal Thakur, Auburn University,Polyaloocimene, a NonconjugatedConductive Polymer Intermediatebetween Polyisoprene and Polyacety-lene

Russell Gaudiana, Konarka Technolo-gies, Enhancement of Cell Perfor-mance in Dye Sensitized Titania SolarCells

AccommodationsDouble Tree Hotel, Warren St., Lowell,MAFor reservations, please call 978-452-1200 by November 23rd, and requestUMass Symposium Block for $89 rate.

Registration is freePlease register by November 23, 2002to [email protected]. Lunch and refreshments will be pro-vided.

Details and ChangesIn the event of changes, all updatesabout this symposium will be posted onthe website www.uml.edu/umlmain-page.umlnews or contact [email protected] 978-934-3695.

Sponsors of the SymposiumKonarka Technologies, Triton, andCenter for Advanced Materials, UMassLowell ��

SymposiumContinued from page 12

Meeting Report Growth Through Innovation: The Specialty ChemicalPerspective*By Raj L. Gupta, Chairman and CEO, Rohm and Haas Company.


* From an address delivered at the Presi-dential Plenary Session, The Impact ofGlobalization and Consolidation on the USChemical Industry, 224th National ACSMeeting, Boston, MA August 19, 2002


time of great discovery might be over...that our industry is mature... thatconsolidation may be the only route tofuture success.

I refuse to accept that thinking.Why? Because time and time again,the chemical industry has proven thatwe are capable of achieving far morethan anyone anticipated. Creativity,innovation, and the ability to rise to thechallenge have helped us improve thequality of life for people around theworld. And, along the way, we havebeen able to continually transform theway we operate, in order to adapt toevolving social imperatives such as theenvironmental movement, ResponsibleCare, Sustainable Development, andwhat Mike Parker just described asResponsible Globalization. If you readtoday’s headlines, you know that thenext imperative will include a renewedcommitment to Corporate Governance.

However, there can be no doubtthat these are challenging times! Asyou have heard already this afternoon,

there are well-documented forces re-shaping the world around us at a light-ning-quick pace. We need tounderstand these ‘megatrends,’ appre-ciate their ramifications, and quicklyimplement strategies to use them to ourbest advantage. Hand-wringing is notan option. There just isn’t time.

About consolidation: In July 1997,the ACS magazine, Chemical andEngineering News, published a table ofthe top 50 global chemical companies.Chemical sales for the top fiveamounted to $102 billion, or about 7percent of overall industry sales. Lastmonth, C&E News again published itslist of the top 50 global chemical com-panies. This time, chemical sales forthe top five companies amounted to$115 billion in a $1.2 trillion industry,or just about 10 % of total sales. I alsothink it’s interesting that the top 10names on this list are very differentfrom the top names five years ago.

There is consolidation under wayin the chemical industry, and more willsurely come. Yet it will be some timebefore we reach the levels of concen-tration seen in the automotive industry,

where the top six companies accountfor 70 percent of total sales; or even insemiconductors, where the top six pro-ducers account for 60 percent of thatmarket. As Graham Copley, a financialanalyst at Sanford Bernstein, hasobserved, the chemical industry issmall and fragmented relative to itscustomer base. The same is true whenwe compare ourselves to the concen-tration among raw material suppliers.Huge suppliers at one end of the valuechain, and huge customers at the otherleaves specialty chemical companiesuncomfortably squeezed in the middle.

About demographics: Within a rela-tively short period of time, the worldpopulation will be far less Caucasian,considerably older, and far more con-centrated in urban areas. According toa study put together by the U.S. gov-ernment and the Paris-based Organiza-tion for Economic Cooperation andDevelopment (OECD):• The number of people living in

Europe and Russia will drop fromabout 15 percent of the global popu-lation to just 7.5 % by 2050. It’sprobably no surprise that the greatestpopulation growth will occur inAsia, which already accounts for 56% of the world’s population, and inAfrica.

• By 2050, the number of people whoare 65 and older will triple; themedian age will climb from 25 yearsold today to just under 44. In devel-oped nations the median age will bean even higher 51 years old.

• And, for the first time in human his-tory, the majority of the world’s pop-ulation will live in cities by 2015.This means that more people willmake their living in production andservice jobs than in tilling the land inagrarian societies.

Interesting statistics, but so what?Here are just a few implications. As thepopulation ages, there are fewer youngpeople at work to support those whohave retired. Today, the ratio of work-ing taxpayers to non-working pension-ers in most industrialized nations isabout 4:1. In 50 years, this ratio world-wide could be 2:1. And there’s another

Meeting ReportContinued from page 13


implication, one that affects economicgrowth rates. According to the OECD,fewer wage earnings supporting morepeople will depress economic outputand flatten out GDP growth rates tonear zero in Europe and Japan andslow it considerably in the UnitedStates.

About the impact of the internetand information technology: There’sprobably no better place to look for thecombined impact of demographics andglobal connectivity than China.

In April of this year, AC Nielson’sNet Ratings announced that China isnow in second place in the race for theworld’s largest at-home internet popu-lation. That’s right. China. Second insheer numbers of users only behind theUnited States. Nielsen found thatnearly 57 million people in China areliving in households with internet con-nections. And the Chinese Ministry ofInformation reports that new internetsubscriptions are growing at a rate of5-6 % per month. At this pace, internetpenetration in China could reach 25 %in just three or four years - a potential260 million people with internetaccess.

Even today, there are nearly half abillion people in the world who haveaccess to the internet and to e-mail,which is ‘on’ all the time, 24 hours aday, 7 days a week. One could easilyconclude that these users have anexpectation for companies to be alwaysavailable and always ready to have arelationship with customers, potentialcustomers, and potential employees inthis 24/7 internet environment. Wehave to be always ‘on.’

To return to that classic model of aspecialty chemical company men-tioned earlier - one that spends yearsdiscovering and developing a brilliantnew technology that can turn into alarge, money spinning business overtime. We must ask, does this modelstill make sense in today’s environ-ment?

The answer is a resounding ‘not

exactly.’ Technology and innovationremain the essential drivers of successfor a specialty chemical company.There is still a wealth of great ideasemanating from chemists at the labbench, and this research needs to besupported with strong R&D spending.With the wide open ability of scienceto hopscotch across every element onthe periodic table, incredible comput-ing power at our fingertips and theconnectivity of the internet, I believethere are almost limitless opportunitiesfor innovation.

And that’s the problem. The chal-lenge today is not in finding the single‘eureka’ technology to bring to themarketplace, but in making clearchoices among limitless new productopportunities, based on knowledge ofthe marketplace and the consumerpreferences that shape them.

Mark Twain once observed that,“You cannot depend upon your eyeswhen your imagination is out offocus.”

I believe specialty chemical com-panies will be most successful whenthey focus their imagination on con-sumer needs and then drive their tech-nology and innovation toward meetingthose needs in the most efficient man-ner possible. I offer these thoughts forhow to achieve them:• Achieve market awareness from

the end user perspective. We cer-tainly must continue to meet ourimmediate customers’ needs. That’sa given. But our understanding ofthe market dynamics at work alongthe full length of our value chainmust be excellent. Sustained, long-term sales growth comes when wecan help our customers introducenew technology that anticipateschanging consumer preferences andtastes. In addition, this understand-ing of market dynamics, along withsuperior operating efficiency allowus to respond quickly to short-termchanges in demand.

• And I do mean quickly. Ten yearsago, it took 4 to 6 weeks for ouracrylic emulsions to find their wayto the consumer in a can of housepaint. Today, we estimate that it

takes 10 days, or less, for our prod-uct to travel from our shipping dockto the consumer check out at thelocal Home Depot or paint store. Inother words, we have less than twoweeks before we will feel the effectsof changes in consumer behavior.

• Choose fewer technologies tobecome centers of expertise aroundwhich you build market differentia-tion. If you visit the 3M website,you’ll find they stress four areas forinnovation-light management, filmsolutions, fuel cells and light fiber.And, at Rohm and Haas, we put spe-cial effort into acrylic technology,imaging and metallization, nano-technology, and rheology modifiers.I would be the first to say that 3Mand Rohm and Haas are good inother areas as well and are hard atwork developing new technologyplatforms. However, the ones I justcited are the areas around which weare building market differentiationtoday and have the most steady flowof unique products that can com-mand well-earned pricing premiumsin the marketplace.

• Cast a broad net for innovation inthese areas. Today, ‘innovation’means far more than leveraginghome-grown R&D. We eagerly workwith anyone to help further the sci-ence behind our products, whetherthrough formal alliances and jointventures, intellectual property pur-chases, academic research, market-ing partnerships, creative businessmodels - anything and everything tohelp leverage our centers of excel-lence.

• Find the right balance betweengrowth and efficiency, and haveclear, meaningful performancetargets. I won’t spend much timehere, because it’s stating the obvi-ous: keep your eye on the ball. But Iam reminded of the wisdom ofHenry Ford, who said it in a slightlydifferent way, “Obstacles are thosefrightful things you see when youtake your eyes off your goal.”

• And, finally, maintain a holistic



When we reprinted William A.Smeaton’s article on the history of themetric system in the January and Feb-ruary 2001 NUCLEUS, we had no ideathat a whole book was being writtenabout the topic by Ken Alder.

The Measure of All Things: The Seven-Year Odyssey and the Hidden Errorthat Transformed the World, with apublication date of October 2002. Ken

Alder wrote a brief extract from hisbook : A summary of the problems ofthe project, especially the conflictingmeasurements which Méchain hadfound in his data and tried hard tocover up. Neither he nor Delambre,who had measured the northern part ofthe meridian through Paris, appreciatedthe inherent errors in all measure-ments, which were later treated by thenew methods of statistics. Delambrecame into the possession of Méchain’slogbook after Méchain’s death and dis-covered the conflicting data and thelatter’s cover-up of this dicrepancy.

Ken Alder’s article, The Mis-Mea-sure of All Things, is in American Her-itage of Invention & Technology, 2002,18 (2), 38-44 (Fall 2002).

According to Alder, modern meas-urements, based on current knowledgeabout the length of the earth quadrant,would yield a “meter” which would beabout 2 parts in 10,000 longer than theinternationally accepted meter. Andeven the “revised” value would vary,depending what quadrant is measuredbecause the earth is not only a flattenedsphere, but is not even a uniform sphe-roid. Apparently Delambre came to thesame conclusion, which, in effect,invalidated the chief rationale for themetric system: that it be based on aninvariable physical entity, the earth,and could be remeasured in perpetuityby anyone with the right equipmentand patience.

By now, we base the “standardmeter” on other measurements, thespeed of light, which is hoped to beinvariable. (But who knows what willbe discovered about ‘fundamentallaws’ in the future perhaps the onlything which is invariable is thinkingbeings’ desire for finding somethingthat is permanent and without change[ed.]). ��

The Metric System A forthcoming new book


stewardship of all resources -those linked with discovery, pro-duction, customer service, theenvironment, and the most impor-tant, people.

The path to success requires amultifaceted approach to innovation,with a relentless focus on consumerdesires, wants and needs. Knowledgeof science and knowledge of the mar-ket must go hand in hand. A networkof excellent people - competent in sci-ence, in production, in market develop-ment, in sales and in service areneeded, each with excellent peripheralvision.

I believe that, ultimately, theimpact of globalization and consolida-tion on the U.S. chemical industry willbe positive. We will rise to the chal-lenges these trends pose and find cre-ative new ways to use these marketdynamics to our great advantage. Myconfidence comes from the evidence ofhistory. We have done it in the past. Wewill do it again.

So, if not too long from now, I’minterviewed by a major industry maga-zine and asked how I view the chemi-cal industry, I would have to say: “Theaspiration of this specialty chemicalcompany is to have the insight andability to anticipate the impact ofglobal megatrends and to match thosemarket opportunities with technologyand innovation that result in new prod-ucts ... and grow it into a big, moneyspinning business.” ��


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NESACSNewsColin Whittaker (see item on p. 44 ofthe Summer Issue), one of the fourteam members of the U.S. ChemistryOlympiad team, which competed with220 students from 57 countries, inGroningen, Netherlands this summer,received a Silver Medal. The U.S. teamreceived 2 Gold, one Silver (Colin),and one Bronze Medal, placing it sev-enth among the 57 teams. The topthree slots went to China, Thailand,and Taiwan.

Colin was a senior at WaylandH.S., class of 2002; Jay Chandler washis chemistry teacher.We are proud of you, Colin!

Mukund S. Chorghade has beengiven the Padma Bushan Prof. B.D.Tilak Distinguished Speaker Award ofthe International Institute of ChemicalEngineers, to be conferred at the inter-national symposium of the pharmaindustry (Chemcon-2002), December19-22, 2002 in Hyderabad, India.

Stephen J. Lippard, M.I.T., willreceive the Basolo Award, given jointlyby Northwestern University and theChicago Local Section, ACS at itsOctober 18, 2002 meeting. The awardrecognizes work in inorganic chem-istry and was named for the well-known Northwestern Universitychemistry professor. Dr. Lippard isbeing recognized for his researches ininorganic chemistry, such as the mech-anism of metal compound interactions,of importance in cancer treatment withcisplatin. (From p. 51 C&ENews, Sep-tember 30, 2002)

Green Chemistry Award toSC Fluids of Nashua, NH. The awardwas given for the firm’s reduced use ofwater, energy, and hazardous solventsin the manufacture of integral circuitsby using supercritical CO2 to removephotoresists.

Our congratulations to these awardrecipients


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Note also the Chemistry Department Web pagesfor driving directions and updates. For example: http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/ http://www-chem.harvard.edu/events/ http://www.umassd.edu http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chem/

Nov 1 Prof. G. Ciccotti (Universita'La Sapienza, Rome) “TBA” Joint-- Harvard BU MIT-- TheoreticalChemistry Lecture Series MIT, Rm 31-161, 3:00 pm

Nov 4 Prof. Richard Vachet (U. Mass Amherst) “TBA” Brandeis University, Gerstenzang 122, 4:00 pm

Dr. John Kozarich (Activx Pharmaceuticals) “TBA” (Biochemistry Seminar Series) MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm

Nov 5 Prof. John Oliver (Brown Univ.) “Universal Bases as Wild Cards for Sequencingby Hybridization” Tufts Univ., Pearson Chemistry Building, 62Talbot Ave., Medford, Room P106, 4:30 pm

Nov 6 Prof. R.E. Kapral (Univ. of Toronto) “TBA” Joint-- Harvard BU MIT-- TheoreticalChemistry Lecture Series MIT, Rm 31-161, 3:00 pm

Michelle Dunnell (UMD) Student Seminar Univ. of Mass. Dartmouth, in Group II, Room115, Science and Engineering Building, 4:00 pm

Nov 7 Prof. Arthur H. Reis (Associate Provost,BrandeisUniv.) “Forensic Science: Real Crimes Can Be Solved??”Northeast Section, AACC DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel, Waltham at 128 6PM social; 7 PM dinner; 8 PM lecture Inquiries: [email protected]

Prof. Daniel Neumark (Univ. of California,Berkeley) Harvard/MIT Physical Chemistry Seminar @Harvard “Solvent effects on structure and dynamics innegative ion clusters” Harvard Univ., Pfizer Lecture hall, Mb-23, 5pm

Prof. Jim Landers (Univ. of Virginia) “Recent Defining a Micro-Total Analysis Systemfor Genetic Analysis: Challenges and Triumphs” Northeastern Univ., Hurtig Hall, Rm. 129, 4pm

Nov 12 Prof. James Skinner (Univ. of Wisconsin) “Dynamics in liquid water as probed by ultrafastinfrared spectroscopy” MIT, room 2-105, 4:00 pm

Nov 13 Prof. James L. Skinner (Univ. of Wisconsin)“TBA” Joint-- Harvard BU MIT-- TheoreticalChemistry Lecture Series MIT, Rm 31-161, 3:00 pm

Prof. Arnold Rheingold (Univ. of Delaware) Harvard/MIT Inorganic Chemistry SeminarSeries @ MIT“The Inorganometallic Chemistry of Main-Group Homocycles and Heterocycles” MIT, Room 6-120, 4:00 pm

Prof. Barry Snider (Brandeis Univ.) “ Synthesis of Anti-tumor and Anti-viral Agents” Univ. of Mass. Dartmouth, in Group II, Room115, Science and Engineering Building, 4:00 pm

Nov 14 Prof. Alan G. MacDiarmid (Univ. ofPennsylvania) “Electronic Polymers: New Materials for the21st Century” University of Massachusetts Lowell, FacultyAlumni Lounge, University Avenue, 3:30 pm

Nov 18 Prof. Rob Coalson (Univ. of Pittsburgh) “TBA” Brandeis University, Gerstenzang 122, 4;00 pm

Prof. Charles Lieber (Harvard Univ.) A.D. Little Lecture Week “tba” MIT, room 2-105, 4:00 pm

Nov 20 Prof. Charles Lieber (Harvard Univ.) A.D. Little Lecture Week “tba” MIT, room 2-105, 4:00 pm

Prof. Deborah Ellis (Biology Dept./UMD) “Antibiotic-Producing Bacteria in CranberryBogs” Univ. of Mass. Dartmouth, in Group II, Room115, Science and Engineering Building, 4:00 pm

Nov 21 Prof. Larry Kricka (Dept. of Pathology andLaboratory Medicine, Univ. Penn.) “Microchipsand Nanotechnology- The Analytical Frontier” Northeastern Univ., Hurtig Hall, Rm. 129, 4:00pm

Nov 25 Prof. Andrew Murray (Harvard Univ.) TBAHarvard Univ., Pfizer Lecture Hall, 4:15 pm

Prof. Daniel Kahne (Princeton Univ.) “tba” (Biochemistry Seminar Series) MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm

Notices for the NucleusCalendar should be sent to:Dr. Donald O. Rickter, 88 Hemlock St.,Arlington, MA 02474-2157e-mail: [email protected]

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ACS SHORT COURSE - Welcome to NESACS - Home …€œThe Elementary Particles” a novel by Michael Houellebecq, reviewed by Lewyn Li “Doing Science: Design, Analysis and Communication