426 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. L. No. 1297 



some of their perplexities to be investigated 

 ■within the laboratories of the college and the 

 university.* 



It is not the purpose of this paper to 

 elaborate upon any of these proposed methods 

 for the solution of the chemical research 

 problem, nor to suggest any new solution, but 

 rather to discuss a phase of the situation 

 upon which but little has been said, e. g., the 

 advantages which may be derived by the col- 

 lege or university itself by the establishment 

 within its department of chemistry of a co- 

 operative system of industrial research. 



It is of too common occurrence to be 

 longer neglected that many unfortimate 

 " diseases " are frequently encountered in the 

 small college and university chemistry de- 

 partment. The members of the staff are too 

 often fearfully overworked, and this results 

 not only in lowering their our physical well- 

 being and mental repose, which reflects only 

 too plainly in the quality of the work they 

 present to their classes, but may even result 

 in the presentation of courses by a plan 

 which is an imposition to the student and a 

 discreditable reflection upon the institution. 

 Investigational work is often, very often, 

 entirely excluded from the program of the 

 instructing staff. This may be because of a 

 lack of time, or it may be the result of in- 

 difference, but whatever the cause it is a 

 most serious mstake. Investigational work 

 is the one thing which is able to keep a 

 teacher from becoming, " stale " and falling 

 into the otherwise almost inevitable " Tut." 

 A few of the leading universities in the 

 country have set the excellent precedent of 

 not only permitting each instructor time in 

 which to do research but actually expecting 

 him to do this and determining his rating to 

 a certain extent upon his ability at research. 

 We often fijid students in their junior or 

 senior years assisting in the instruction work 

 in the fresluman and sophomore laboratories. 

 It is evidently necessary to do this or else to 

 go without such assistance entirely, but it is 

 4 ' ' Post Doctorate Fellowships, ' ' J. Ind. Bng. 

 Chem., 11, 278 (1919). "Report of the Com- 

 mittee on. Cooperation between the Universities 

 and the Industries," ibid., 11, 417 (1919). 



far from being a satisfactory arrangement. 

 The professor is not greatly benefited, as he 

 is obliged to keep a very close supervision 

 over these assistants and often correct their 

 mistakes, and the students usually fail to 

 accept them as much more than a joke. 



The average college is usually desirous of 

 obtaining men to become candidates for ad- 

 vanced degrees. This is not only justifiable 

 ambition but sound business, for on the 

 average the men who go farthest in their 

 study of a science while attending college 

 as graduate students are the men who later 

 become the recognized authorities in their 

 respective departments. But the average 

 college has difficulty in obtaining even a 

 sufficient number of candidates for post- 

 graduate work to take care of the college 

 assistant work that is desired. 



Again, many a good man would like to 

 take advanced degree work but can not find 

 the fimds. For even if he is granted an 

 assistantship it seldom pays more than $300 

 to $400 per year, and this is insufficient for 

 a living. If it were made $800 many more 

 men would be attracted to the work. 



Even the salaries of the professors them- 

 selves are often pitifully inadequate, and it 

 becomes almost a necessity for the staff mem- 

 bers to accept work, analytical usually, from 

 extraneous sources in order to obtain a rea- 

 sonable living income. It is evident that 

 such work is undertaken only at the expense 

 of the already oppressed college courses and 

 belabored professors. 



As a means of remedying some of the diffi- 

 culties presented above, a properly directed 

 system of cooperation between the college 

 and industry has great possibilities. Such a 

 system may be briefly drawn as follows: That 

 industrial companies and associations shall be 

 solicited to present their chemical problems 

 to the college for solution. 



That in consideration of a specified stipend 

 to be paid in advance by the company or asso- 

 ciation to the college, the latter will under- 

 take through its department of chemistry to 

 solve such problems as may at the time be 

 presented. 



