History of the Metropolitan Microchemical Society

vor,. I, 1’.4(:15s11l-1 1x (195i)

History METROPOLITAN

of the

MICROCHEMICAL

SOCIETY

The AJetropolitan Microchemical Society n-as first organized in I !J% iti Sew York Cit)y as t,he New York-Sew ,Jersey Scetion of the Microchemical Societ)y; to promote intjerest, in the practice and teaching of microchemistry and related special methods. Persons residing or working iii or near greater New York or New *Jersey who were rncmhers of the Lliwochemical Society were eligible for membership. At) t,hc end of its swond year of csistrtnw, the SocGrt,y roster contained ntmut~ 60 1ltllllW. On ~Jareh 2.5, I!J:SS,the name of the organization was changed to the Metropolitan biierochemical Society. The t,erm “Metropolitan,” however, IIO longer stricxtly applies, as the location of members has sprcnd as far west, as California, to t,hc southern states, and also to the New England states. There xrc even two rnemhers now residing in foreign countries. The Sovicty is in no way eonnec+cd wit,h any ot,her organization (-ither local or national. It is privately financed by annual dues ($3.00) n-hich have pro\*ed adequate to subsidize its activities. The fiscal year l!cgina .July 1 and ends .Junc 30. Thr rnemhership of the Society has grown to 210 at, the present titnc. The (jfJi(s(‘rs arc a chairman, c,hairmtttl-elc(~t,, secretary, treasurer, and three csrcwti\-o commit~tce membrrs. The immediate past c*hairmaii automatic~ally hccwnes a member of the esccut,ivc committee while t)hc remaining two oflicw of cxwutjive committee memlwrs are tilled l)y clwtioil through mail with a secret hallot which is also the procedure for all the other officw. The results of t’his elwtion are wad at, the last nwet,ing of the year and persons el&ed take officaeat the first meeting of the following year. J’ollon-ing is a list of c~hairtnrn who have held ofJice since the organization of the soc+ty: WilIet F. Whitmow. Jkverly 1,. C’l:rdi.

I !):%5-:%6 I !MX
\VilIi:tm F. Spilws Francis IV. I’o\vw, S. .J * 111

1X37-38 lw--39

Alexandrr f
Regular meetings are held olwe a month, wit,h t,he Program Committee endeavoring to arrange programs covering as diverse a field as possible, so as to interest, not, only the present members, but also chemists desirous of information on microchemiczal methods applicable t’o their own problems. Some of the papers read before thr Society have discussed such. topics as: Physiochemical micromethods Dropping mercury electrode Microanalysis of gases Microscopic investigst,ion of cartridge primer materials Microtextile technolog! Microbiochemical methods Electron microacopc Nonaqueous titrations Ultraviolet illnminat,ion in micrw-

Chromatogrnphic Ltdsorption Technical examination of paintings Surface nnalysis ~Iicromnrli~~rlliLt Ors ” bpectrol)hot.omrtr! .\I:tss

:lncicwt

spertlonicter

?;urlaar or radiochrmistr\ Crime detection :tnd c~hcmir:tl 01og>

:~wlrcs-

During the year there a,re usually eight or nine regular meetings. The program provides not only for guest speakers hut also for contributions made by members of the Society. Panel discussions, gadget meetsings, and an “Author Meets the Critic” night hat\pc also been held. For the past few years the October meeting ha,s been devoted to a t’rip to an industrial plant which included a tour of the grounds and a dinner which was followed by a speaker from that particular company. All the meetings, mit,h the exception of t,hc October alld Rlwy meetings, are held at, the American Museum of Natural History. The May meeting is held at Fordham 1Tniversit.y and is known as “Ladies Night,” at, which the speaker presents some popular, not’ too scientific, paper. This meet.ing is preceded by a rniscr and an ~II(‘KO(‘IiI;~~I~:.4I~

.JOt-RNAI,,

VOL.

I,

ISSI:E

1