Science: Chemists

Benjamin Franklin would have chuckled with satisfaction. From all over the U. S. and Europe they came, thousands of chemists, to his favorite city, Philadelphia. They flocked to the meeting of the American Chemical Society, founded 50 years ago at Northumberland, Pa., at the home of Joseph Priestley (1733-1804), discoverer of oxygen (TIME, Sept. 6). They were chemists who would discuss problems far more complex than charging a Leyden wet cell with current from an electrical storm conducted by a kite-string.

Among other things that the chemists were to do was the presentation of a gold award to Professor Sabatier of the University of Toulouse, Nobel prizewinner in 1912, who led the French delegation. The award was to be supplied by the Procter & Gamble Co. (Ivory Soap) of Cincinnati whose debt to Professor Sabatier is great, he having perfected a catalytic effect with nickel that permits hydrogen to be added to many compounds, "especially the oils," whence soap of a famed fractional purity is manufactured.