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Dr. W. 0. Baker Receives Perkin Medal The man who directs the research of one of the world's largest and most productive industrial laboratories is the winner of the Perkin Medal for 1963. He is Dr. William O. Baker, vice president for research of Bell Telephone Laboratories.
The Perkin Medal, sponsored by the American Section of the Society of Chemical Industry, commemorates the work of Sir William Henry Perkin, the chemist who synthesized mauve dye and laid the groundwork for the coal chemicals industry. Dr. Baker is the 57th recipient of the medal, one of the top awards in American chemistry. He received the medal last week at a dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City.
As Bell Laboratories' vice president for research (since 1955), Dr. Baker leads a technical staff of about 1200, located primarily at Murray Hill, N.J. Other laboratories are at Whippany, N.J., Holmdel, N.J., and New York City. The laboratories' patent division also reports to Dr. Baker.
The Perkin Medalist was born in Chestertown, Md., in 1915. His formal schooling began in a one-room, one-teacher, Quaker country school in Maryland. It ended with a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Princeton University, where he held the Harvard and Proctor Fellowships. He received the B.S. from Washington College in Chestertown in 1935.
He did his doctoral thesis research with Prof. Charles P. Smyth. It was at Princeton that the medalist began his studies on the relation of dielectric behavior to molecular structure. Seven papers stemmed from his doctoral thesis research. Prof. Smyth has said, "The considerable number of our joint papers was due largely to Bill's energy and originality."
His work at Princeton was an early stage of what came to be solid state research. In this work he determined the dielectric constant and absorption for several polyatomic dipolar organic compounds. These findings clearly indicated that the degree of molecular rotation (extending into the solid state well below the melting point) affected the entropy of fusion. Later, at Bell Telephone Laboratories, Dr. Baker studied the relation of dielectric prop-
Dr. W. O. Baker From a one-room school
erties to the structure of certain crystalline polymers. He found that these properties, and even the melting points of technically important polyesters and polyamides, are determined by the orientation and concentration of the molecules' polar groups. The properties are modified to some extent by the polar groups' neighbors.
After receiving the Ph.D., in 1938, Dr. Baker began research in physical chemistry at Bell Telephone Laboratories in 1939. Much of his research has been on the study of macromole-cules, the giant molecules that are the basic elements of plastics, fibers, natural and synthetic rubbers, and of the tissue of growing plants and animals.
These studies, many in collaboration with Dr. C. S. Fuller, Dr. W. P. xMa-son, and others, were made principally on a number of new polymers. A variety of experimental methods and techniques were used. Helical structures were discovered for certain synthetic polyamides, yielding simple analogies to protein and nucleic acid structures.
Dr. Baker's studies on macromole-cules provided a basis for solving the polyethylene cracking problem. This problem was encountered in poly-ethylene's early use in sheathing large telephone cables. His studies showed that polyethylene and some other polymers that elongate readily under uniaxial stress may crack when subjected to biaxial stress. Sorbed liquids greatly increase the cracking. He found that polyethylene's tendency to
crack under complex stressing depends mainly on the low molecular weight component. Thus the problem was solved by requiring better manufacturing control and eliminating very low molecular weight material.
A most notable contribution to polymer science was Dr. Baker's concept of "microgel." This concept was extremely valuable in controlling the quality of synthetic rubber in the Government's wartime rubber program. The microgel concept, generally useful for all polymers, is expressed as follows: Synthetic rubber's gel fraction arises from a characteristic structure in the raw rubber that affects the final vulcanizate's physical properties and quality. Accessibility and concentration of catalyst, modifiers, and the supplied monomers govern this supermolecular cross-linked molecular unit, microgel.
The emulsion medium permits truly three-dimensional or globular synthetic molecules to be made. Their average molecular weights (hundreds of millions to billions) posed a measurement problem solved by Prof. Peter Debye's modern light scattering methods.
This microgel concept led to Dr. Baker's interest in highly netted polymers. With Dr. F. H. Winslow he found that, instead of vaporizing by cracking, many netted polymers would dehydrogenate to yield denser networks. This resulted in the proposal to use cross-linked polymers as ablative heat shields for protecting missiles and satellites from burning up upon re-entry into the atmosphere. Such polymer shields are now in use.
For many years Dr. Baker has served in consulting and advisory capacities in Washington. Currently, he is a member of the National Science Board and a consultant in the Executive Office of the President (Office of Science and Technology) and the Department of Defense.
He has served as councilor, and on national committees of the ACS. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and a member of the National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Baker was married in 1941 and has one son. According to a colleague and personal acquaintance, "He is as remarkable as his work. He is widely read in literature and history as well as in science. He can recall and describe the significant findings in the sciences, and he remembers and can call by name almost everyone he has ever met."
90 C&EN FEB. 4, 1963
INDUSTRY
Bryce P. Anderson appointed v.p.
of research at U.S. Resin Corp., Price,
Utah.
JeflF W. Baird joins Mobil Chem
ical's research and technical laboratory
at Beaumont, Tex., as chemical engi
neer.
Dr. C. James Barr named director
of production at Lockheed Propulsion
Co., Redlands, Calif.
Recent additions to the research lab
of Falstaif Brewing Corp., St. Louis,
include S. K. Bawa, physicochemist;
Dr. Vilhelm Jahnsen, biochemist;
Rosalind Dean, literature chemist; and
William DonLevy, quality control
director.
Dr. C. J. Bennîng named supervisor
of plastics development group in poly
mer research for W. R. Grace & Co.
research division, Clarksville, Md.
Dr. Walker H. Bowman appointed
research associate in the research de
partment of Amoco Chemicals, Whit
ing, Ind.
Robert T. Braun, technical services
superintendent of Monsanto's Queeny
plant, named a general superintendent
of manufacturing. Succeeds Dominic Danna, now with the company's over
seas division on a special assignment
as project start-up manager of a plant
being built in Spain.
Dr. Robert P. Bringer named super
visor in commercial plastics develop
ment at the chemical division labora
tory of Minnesota Mining & Mfg., St.
Paul. Dr. Raymond J. Seffl named
supervisor of fluorination processes and
Samuel Smith, supervisor of polymer
research in fluorochemical develop
ment.
Lawrence C. Byck, Jr., joins market
ing department of U.S. Borax & Chemical Corp. as assistant director of marketing development and technical serv
ice in the New York office.
New senior research associates at Tennessee Eastman Co. research labs,
Kingsport, Term.': Dr. John R. Caldwell, Dr. R. H. Hasek, Dr. E. V. Martin, D. C. Sievers, Dr. James M. Straley, and Dr. John W. Tamblyn.
J. Michael Clumpner appointed to research department of Car gill, Inc., Minneapolis.
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CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN Design and design modifications of closed-loop control systems and programmers for reactor and flow systems to achieve test objectives.
DATA SYSTEM ANALYSIS & PROGRAMMING Analysis of digital computer requirements for inputs, outputs and numerical analysis in the context of a total information system from physical variable to data displays. Determination, planning, flow-diagramming and programming considering real time, delayed time and extensive data checking and editing requirements for digital computer processing.
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FEB. 4, 196 3 G & Ε Ν 91
los alamos
Arnold H. Craft named chief chemist at Precious Metals Recovery Corp., Nutley, N.J.
Dr. Β. Μ. Culbertson joins Archer Daniels Midland Co.'s research department, Minneapolis. Dr. Graham Hughes joins specialty chemicals research staff.
Arthur C. Curran has been installed as the 1963 president of the Salesmen's Association of the American Chemical Industry. He is v.p. and general sales manager of Meer Corp.
Guy F. Davies named North Florida district manager of American Mineral Spirits Co., Tampa.
Dr. Romano Deghenghi and Dr. Stanley O. Winthrop, research chemists at Ayerst Research Laboratories, Montreal, named group leaders in charge of steroid chemistry and medicinal chemistry, respectively.
Robert J. Dobuski promoted to v.p. and general manager at Vulcanized Rubber & Plastics Co., Morrisville, Pa.
New scientists and engineers at Allied Chemical's nylon center operated by National Aniline Division at Chesterfield, Va.: Victor A. Dorman-Smith, George S. Hathorn, Robin B. Mumford, John Turnbull, Robert F. Whitley.
John W. Fitzpatrick appointed production manager of Transelco, Inc., Dresden, N.Y.
Dr. Mark P. Freeman, senior research chemist at American Cyana-mid's Stamford research labs, receives one of the company's senior educational awards for 1963-64 which will enable him to study abroad for a year. He will study at the Elektrophysikal-isches Institut in Munich.
Robert T. Gaudlitz promoted to senior development engineer at A. E. Staley Mfg., Decatur, 111.
Thomas E. Gensler named a sales representative of the silicon products department of General Electric, Chicago.
Dr. Richard J. Goldberg appointed v.p. in charge of research and development division, Technicolor Corp., Hollywood, Lo.ndon, and Rome.
Robert D. Goodall appointed executive v.p. at Davison Chemical. Page Edmunds II named v.p. and general manager for chemicals.
The interdisciplinary approach to solving problems has been growing in popularity in the scientific community during the past 10 years. But long before that, in the late 1930's, Dr. Mildred Cohn, the Garvan Medalist for 1963, began to practice the interdisciplinary art.
Dr. Cohn is with the Johnson Foundation of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. She received the award during the ACS national meeting in Cincinnati.
The medalist is a pioneer in the use of the oxygen isotope, 0 1 S , to study en-zymic mechanisms, especially with respect to bond cleavage. In particular, Dr. Cohn used the oxygen isotope to study the cleavage reactions in such substances as glucose-1-phosphate, adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). She also used the technique to learn about the phosphorus-water exchange that is catalyzed by mitochondria concomitant with oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, she has studied the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of ADP and ATP and their complexes with divalent metal ions.
This widely based and varied scientific experience did not originate de novo. It started when Dr. Cohn, who had a B.A. (1931) from New York's Hunter College, took her advanced training with Dr. Harold Urey at Columbia University. There, in 1938, she received a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. Her dissertation was on the use of 0 1 S to study exchange reactions of organic compounds.
From Dr. Urey's laboratory, Dr. Cohn went to work with Dr. Vincent du Vigneaud at Cornell University medical college, New York City. At
Garvan Medal
Dr. Mildred Cohn
Cornell for eight years, she played a significant role in the introduction of the heavy isotopes of nitrogen and hydrogen into the study of biological problems.
In 1946 Dr. Cohn moved to Washington University medical school, St. Louis, Mo. There she worked until 1950 with the biochemical husband-and-wife team, Carl and Gerti Cori. In St. Louis Dr. Cohn began the studies that helped eventually to open the door to the mechanism of oxidative phosphorylation, other phosphate transfer reactions, and the mode of action of uncouplers such as dinitro-phenol.
From St. Louis, Dr. Cohn went to Harvard medical school, Boston, Mass. (1950-51), where she worked with Dr. B. A. Hastings. In 1951 she went back to Washington University where she remained until 1960. For eight months, in 1955, she worked in England with Prof. H. A. Krebs.
While at St. Louis, Dr. Cohn was appointed Established Investigator of the American Heart Association. When she joined the Johnson Foundation in 1960, she became associate professor of biophysics and physical biochemistry, becoming a full professor a year later.
Dr. Cohn is married to Dr. Henry Primakoff, Donner Professor of Physics at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. They met during a physics course that they were taking together when they were students at Columbia. They married in 1938 and have three children: a 20-year-old daughter who is a psychology major at Stanford, an 18-year-old son who is studying biochemical science at Harvard, and a 13-year-old daughter.
92 C & E N FEB. 4, 196 3
James B. Green named v.p. of Jeffrey Mfg. Co., Columbus, Ohio. Has been general manager of engineering and construction division.
Juan Hajdu and Michael Rock join Enthone, Inc., New Haven, Conn., as research chemists in the Enthonics laboratory.
Walter L. Hardy, director of technical research and development at Simoniz Co., Chicago, elected a v.p. of the company.
Dr. Mark Hite becomes toxicologist for the Texas division of Dow Chemical, Freeport, Tex. Formerly with U.S. Public Health Service.
Eugene Holcomb joins sales engineering staff of Fischer & Porter Co., Richmond.
Dr. Gilbert W. King resigns as research director of IBM and has become v.p. and director of research at Itek Corp., Lexington, Mass.
Dr. Lewis I. Krimen joins Abbott Laboratories as development chemist, North Chicago. From Nalco Chemical.
Frederick A. Krone appointed group manager in charge of sales and technical service for Polyco product line of Borden Chemical.
Ernest T. Lindsey becomes assistant general manager for manufacturing and production at Consumers Cooperative Association, Kansas City. From Celanese Chemical, where he was v.p. for petrochemicals manufacturing.
Russell C. Ludwig appointed v.p. of Pitman-Moore division of Dow Chemical, Indianapolis.
Dr. A. Norbert MacDonald promoted to scientist in research department of Shawinigan Resins, Springfield, Mass.
Harry R. Marty named research director of the organic chemicals division of Dewey & Almy Chemical in Cambridge, Mass. James E. Duffy succeeds him as plant manager at Owensboro. Roland Gray, Jr., named assistant plant manager at Owensboro.
John Y. Mason, Jr., named staff assistant to v.p. and director of research and development at Philip Morris, Inc., Richmond, Va.
Dr. A. F . McKay elected a director of Monsanto Canada, Ltd., Montreal. He is v.p. for research, development, engineering, and patents.
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FEB. 4, 1963 C & E N 93
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