CONGRESS OF APPLIED CHEMISTRY 551 



THE PRESIDENT OF THE NINTH INTERNATIONAL 

 CONGRESS OF APPLIED CHEMISTRY 



By Dr. GEORGE FREDERICK KUNZ 



NEW YOKK CITY 



M^HE newly elected president of the Ninth International Congress 

 -*- of Applied Chemistry, Professor Paul Walden, was born near 

 Eiga in the Russian province Livonia July 27, 1863. Hence, although 

 of German blood, he is by birth a Russian. He first attended the Real 

 School in Riga, and then the Polytechnicum there, where he was one 

 of the most apt and brilliant pupils of the great Ostwald. In Riga, 

 he was assistant in the department of physics in 1885, and in 1888 in 

 that of chemistry; in 1892 he became Privat-docent, and in 1894 pro- 

 fessor of analytical and physical chemistry. Since 1896 he is assistant 

 professor of inorganic and physical chemistry, and at the same time 

 director of the Polytechnicum. 



When Ostwalcl lesigned his professorship of chemistry at the Poly- 

 technicum, Walden became his successor, and the latter still holds this 

 position at the present time. He received his degree of doctor of 

 philosophy at Leipzig in 1891, that of master of chemistry at Odessa 

 in 1893, that of doctor of chemistry at St. Petersburg in 1899 and that 

 of doctor of engineering at Riga. The remarkable work performed by 

 Professor Walden has been officially recognized by the bestowal of many 

 important Russian orders ; he is a commander of the Order of Vladimir 

 and also of those of St. Anne and of Stanislaus. He is a member of 

 the Russian Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg, and has labora- 

 tories both in Riga and in St. Petersburg. He is an honorary member 

 of the London Chemical Society and of many other societies, and was 

 selected as the Imperial Russian delegate to the Eighth International 

 Congress of Applied Chemistry. 



Professor Walden speaks Russian, Livonian, French and German 

 fluently, and is familiar with English and Italian as well. In manner 

 he is quiet, dignified and gentle, but alert and quick in his movements. 

 He is about five feet eight inches in height and weighs some 175 

 pounds. His brown hair is brushed high on his forehead ; he has light 

 blue-gray eyes and fine teeth. He is a very fluent and ready speaker, and 

 his delivery is at once easy and impressive. Always speaking directly 

 to the point, his words are so well chosen and effective that invariably 

 he holds the attention of his audience ; there never can be any doubt as 



