L E T T E R S

Chemists to the Frontier

DEAR SIR:

The "new frontiers" of tomorrow and the achievement of these frontiers can be attained by a rededication to the principle of excellence in all areas of knowledge.

With the increased emphasis on sci­ence and technology in our society, the science curriculum is gradually ap­proaching the position of near-equiva­lence with much of the previously over­emphasized liberal arts core. Previous years have heard the cry of many acad­emicians for strong liberal arts back­grounds for science students, while they carefully neglected the fact that many liberal arts students have had little knowledge of or contact with sci­ence. One of the results of this has been that the scientist has found it in­creasingly difficult to communicate with even the "educated" public, which has been ill-prepared to under­stand his goals, his attitudes, and his work.

I believe, therefore, that one of the chief functions of the professional chemist as an individual is to improve the quality of scientific education in his community, and as a result prepare our future citizens to better under­stand, appreciate, and live in the astro-nautical world of tomorrow. The basic tenets of the scientific method, which evolves about the basic attitudes of objectivity and honesty, can also be the framework which will support the increasingly important area of human relations currently emphasized in the world of today.

Much of this can be achieved col­lectively by having those interested chemists actively participating in the activities of the various educational committees of the ACS, both locally and nationally.

ELI M. PEARCE, P H . D .

Wilmington, Del.

suited in the San Francisco Curriculum Study and he seeks to negate positive findings by inversion.

It is heartening that the public at large is taking a belated interest in the operation of its school system. In the past, "professional educators" were permitted to experiment with method and material presented in our primary schools, almost without limit; now we are becoming aware of the results. Admittedly, our teachers and adminis­trators are not exclusively at fault. A negative attitude on the part of par­ents made heavy contribution to the problems besetting competent and conscientious educators, but the impli­cation that the average parent is in­competent to judge the quality of edu­cation his child receives is wholly un­justifiable.

The ultimate solution hinges largely on reawakening public interest in the school system. We must accept our responsibility for providing adequate physical facilities, teachers and admin­istrators of proved ability and purpose, and support sufficient to assure stabil­ity of an acceptable educational sys­tem on a nationwide basis. In estab­lishing the requisite standards for our schools, we must at the same time en­hance teaching as a profession but not lose sight of the situation we created by previous default of our responsibil­ities.

Further, we must never assume val­idity of the additional implication in Benoit's letter, that self-regulation, per se, assures irreproachable authority.

WALTER FOWKES

Grand Forks, N.D.

Parents and Schools

DEAR SIR: The letter of Richard J. Benoit,

Ph.D. (C&EN, Dec. 5, 1960, page 5) , neatly sidesteps the issue which re-

Helpful Tool

DEAR SIR:

I wish to acknowledge my debt to C&EN for an extremely helpful source, in the Jan. 2 issue, in preparing a talk for the New Jersey Teachers Associa­tion.

I think you and your co-workers are much to be congratulated on the strengthening of the magazine. It is proving to be a most useful tool in my work.

HARVEY R. RUSSELL New York, N.Y.

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