2 ALEXANDER SMITH— NOYES [MEMomS [voL T xxi r ; 



world were working in the field of organic chemistry, and while Alexander Smith secured at 

 Edinburgh and at Munich very thorough training in inorganic and analyticical chemistry — 

 physical chemistry was only just beginning to be noticed as a separate field — he gave especial 

 attention to organic chemistry and carried out a piece of work on 1,3-diketones under the 

 guidance of Ludwig Claisen, one of the brilliant group working in Baeyer's laboratory at that 

 time. The work contributed toward the solution of some of the problems concerning tauto- 

 merism and condensations of the acetoacetic ester type, which were then engaging the atten- 

 tion of Claisen and other chemists. 



After securing his degree Doctor Smith returned to Edinburgh and spent another year at 

 the university as an assistant in charge of qualitative analysis. He also gave a course on 

 organic syntheses. As promotion seemed likely to be very slow in Scotland or England, he 

 visited America during the summer of 1890, hoping for an appointment. I had made his 

 acquaintance in Munich in 1889. By one of those happy coincidences which sometimes occur, 

 I received within a very few days a letter from Doctor Smith saying he would be glad to secure 

 a position in America, and a letter from Prof. John M. Coulter, then at Wabash College, Craw- 

 fordsville, Ind., saying that their chair of chemistry was vacant and asking me to suggest a 

 candidate. I named Doctor Smith and he visited Crawfordsville and interviewed a number 

 of the trustees. Wabash College has Presbyterian affiliations and Doctor Smith's Scotch 

 relationships and his other brilliant personal qualities made a very favorable impression, and 

 the appointment was made as professor of chemistry and mineralogy. 



During the four years that followed, 1890-1894, Professor Smith rapidly gained experience 

 as a very carefid and forceful lecturer and successful teacher. He also continued his researches 

 in the field of organic chemistry, studying especially condensation by means of potassium 

 cyanide, and derivatives of benzoin. 



In 1894 he was asked to go to the University of Chicago as assistant professor of chemistry 

 in charge of the instruction in elementary inorganic chemistry. In 1898 he was promoted to 

 the rank of associate professor, and in 1904 he was given the title of professor of chemistry 

 and director of physical and inorganic chemistry. From 1901 to 1911 he was dean in junior 

 colleges, in charge of science students. 



When he went to Chicago Professor Smith saw very clearly that it would be to his 

 advantage, personally, to change his field of research from organic to inorganic and physical 

 chemistry. Such a change was also very useful in promoting the development of a more 

 varied department of chemistry in the university. His early training in mathematics and 

 physics gave him a splendid preparation for his new line of work, and he soon became one of 

 the best-known physical chemists in America. 



In physical and inorganic chemistry, his first research of considerable importance was an 

 exhaustive, classical investigation of the forms of sulphur. Many others had preceded him in 

 this field, but he brought to the problem such an insight into the varied and complex factors 

 involved and such an ingenuity in applying the methods of modern physical chemistry that at 

 the close of his work the subject might be considered as an almost completed chapter of our 

 chemical knowledge. 



In recognition of his work with the forms of sulphur and his studies of vapor pressure in 

 collaboration with A. W. C. Menzies, Professor Smith was awarded the Keith prize and medal 

 in 1912 by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. In announcing the award, Sir William Turner 

 summarized his work as follows: 



The work on sulfur was published in seven papers. At the time these investigations were begun, the pub- 

 lished observations upon the behavior of melted sulfur were full of apparent inconsistencies, and could not be 

 formulated in harmony with physico-chemical theory. 



The first step was to settle the disputed question as to the relations of amorphous and soluble sulfur in the 

 melt. Measurements of freezing points and of the corresponding proportions of amorphous sulfur in the 

 freezing liquid showed that Raoult's law held rigorously. This established the existence of liquid amorphous 

 sulfur dissolved, but distinct from the melted soluble sulfur. 



The fact that melted sulfur, when kept at a given temperature, gives, on chilling, very inconstant propor- 

 tions of amorphous sulfur was next investigated. It was discovered fhat the introduction of sulfur dioxide and 



