More than meets the eye: Chemical foundation investments in the journal of chemical education

Scheiding, Tom

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127945 Copy

Description

Title

More than meets the eye: Chemical foundation investments in the journal of chemical education

Author(s)

Scheiding, Tom

Issue Date

2016-06-15

Keyword(s)

• History
• Chemistry

Abstract

During the 20th century, the discipline of chem. in the United States changed dramatically. The discipline changed not only because of growth in the no. of chemists and the vol. of research they published, but also because of growing industrial and government support and heightened social acknowledgement of the health, economic, and defense benefits derived from having a strong discipline of chem. An active agent for change in American chem. in the early 2011 cen- tury was the Chem. Foundation, Incorporated. The Chem. Foundation, which simultaneously served as an advocate for both industrial interests and the public good, was able to invest in chem.'s infrastructure in significant and multi-faceted ways. One specific invest- ment was directed towards the initial years of operation of the Journal of Chem. Education. In this paper the role of the Chem. Foundation is reconsidered with respect to investments made in the Journal of Chem. Education and the influence this had on the content of the journal from 1924-1950. This content anal. suggests that Chem. Foundation funding for the journal from 1924-1932 incubated the emphasis placed on publishing industrial-oriented articles in the otherwise education- oriented journal in the years during and afler World War II. Industry, by publishing in the education journal, was able to make its needs and interests amenable simultane- ously to chemists, the public, and government officials.

Description

During the 20th century, the discipline of chem. in the United States changed dramatically. The discipline changed not only because of growth in the no. of chemists and the vol. of research they published, but also because of growing industrial and government support and heightened social acknowledgement of the health, economic, and defense benefits derived from having a strong discipline of chem. An active agent for change in American chem. in the early 2011 cen- tury was the Chem. Foundation, Incorporated. The Chem. Foundation, which simultaneously served as an advocate for both industrial interests and the public good, was able to invest in chem.'s infrastructure in significant and multi-faceted ways. One specific invest- ment was directed towards the initial years of operation of the Journal of Chem. Education. In this paper the role of the Chem. Foundation is reconsidered with respect to investments made in the Journal of Chem. Education and the influence this had on the content of the journal from 1924-1950. This content anal. suggests that Chem. Foundation funding for the journal from 1924-1932 incubated the emphasis placed on publishing industrial-oriented articles in the otherwise education- oriented journal in the years during and afler World War II. Industry, by publishing in the education journal, was able to make its needs and interests amenable simultane- ously to chemists, the public, and government officials.

Publisher

Division of the History of Chemistry

ISSN

1053-4385

Type of Resource

text

Genre of Resource

article

Language

eng

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127945

DOI

https://doi.org/10.70359/bhc2016v041p044

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2016 Division of the History of Chemistry

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