WHY STUDY CHEMISTRY ? vii 



avenues for profitable employment. Some studies can be made 

 a profession only by teaching them. But the qualified chemist 

 has two strings to his bow. If he does not like teaching, he may 

 leave the campus for the industrial field. He may find employ- 

 ment in the big establishments devoted to the reduction of ores, 

 to steel or other manufactures or to the production of foods, fer- 

 tilizers, dyes, drugs, soaps, gas, rubber, oil, cements or explosives. 

 Here he may be engaged in routine analysis of the raw material 

 and finished products. Or he may be put in control of the fac- 

 tory processes. Or he may be engaged in research to prevent 

 waste, to utilize by-products, to invent new compounds or to 

 contrive new uses. In any case he will be near to the heart of 

 the industry and if he has inventive genius or managerial ability 

 he may rise high. In some fields of chemistry women have almost 

 as much of a chance as men. 



On account of its varied opportunities and its expanding field 

 chemistry is drawing an increasing number of college graduates. 

 Many more take the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in chemistry 

 than in any other branch. The American Chemical Society 

 with 15,500 members is the largest special scientific body in the 

 world. When the Government took a census of chemists to see 

 how many were available for war service, 25,000 names were 

 registered, and this did not include them all. No other science 

 is growing so fast through original research. In the files of the 

 National Research Council more than 2100 living Americans are 

 recorded as having made contributions to chemistry. Compared 

 with this, the research men in botany number 1400, in zoology 

 1255, in geology 750, and in mathematics 600, in psychology 450 

 and in astronomy 250. 



But it is not sufficient that the ranks of research chemists and 

 technologists be kept filled. Chemistry has an interest and a 

 usefulness for everyone. What would be the value of an art 

 gallery if nobody entered it but artists? And what would become 

 of the book business if nobody read but authors? Chemistry 



