The Month at Caltech

THE MONTH AT CALTECH Chemical Education Award HowARD J. Lucas, Professor of Organic Chemistry at the Institute, was recently named winner of the 1953 Award in Chemical Education given by the Scientific Apparatus Makers Association. The award of $1,000 and an inscribed certificate will be presented at the annual spring meeting of the American Chemical Society in Los Angeles next March. The award was established in 1950 "to recognize outstanding contributions to chemical education. For nearly forty years Professor Lucas has been in charge of the undergraduate course in organic chem• istry at Caltech. Among his many students who have been outstandingly successful are Drs. Saul Winstein. Professor of Organic Chemistry at the University of California at Los Angeles, and William C. Young. Dean of Graduate Students at UCLA. For the past quarter-century Professor Lucas has been identified with what is known as modern organic chem-istry. He was one of the first chemists to recognize the value of electronic interpretations and was an early worker in the field of electronie structure of organic molecules. He has published more than 85 research papers. his field which clearly related organic chemistry to modern chemical theory. This book is credited with establishing the pattern of all of today's elementary her . This boratic chemisty texts in organic chemistry. His more recent book, Principles and Practice in Organic Chemistry. has been highly praised by American chemists. A native of Mariella. Ohio. he received the A.B. and M.A. degrees at Ohio State University. where he was an assistant in chemistry from 1907 to 1909. He later did research at the University of Chicago and was an assistant chemist with the U. S. Department of Agrieul-ture from 1910 to 1913. He came to Caltech in 1913 as an instructor in chemistry. Electronics Award DR. ROBERT A. MILLIkIN. Professor of Physics. Emer. itus. and Vice President of the Institute's Roard of Trustees. received a plague for his contributions to 30 science. at the loth anniversary banquet of the West Coast Electronic Manufacturers Association, held in Los Angeles on November 13. Dr. Lee DeForest, inventor of the vacuum tube. was also honored at the banquet. The awards were presented hy Dr. 1. M. Zarem (M.S. 40. Ph.D 14). Director of the Stanford Research Institute. who served as master of ceremonies. An added feature of the banquet was the presentation of four freshman scholarshipeone each to Caltech. Stanford. UCLA and SC. Harry C. Van Buskirk, 1872-1952 HARRy C. VAN BUSKIRK. Professor Emeritus of Mathe. maties. died on November 21 of a heart ailment. He was 80 years old. Dr. Van Buskirk was born in Wiscoy. New York. in 1872. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1898, and carne to Throop Polytechnic Institute, the predecessor of Caltech. in 1901. In 1915 he was made Professor of Mathematics and Registrar of the Insti-tute, serving in this double capacity until 1935. He retired as a mathematics prefessor in 1912. Dr. Van Buskirk leaves his widow. the former Grace Gillette. whom he married in June. 1951. He was previously married to the former Nora South, who died in 1917. Campus Architects PRESIDENT DeBRIDGE announced last month that the Institute had employed the Los Angeles architectural firm of Pereira & Luckman to serve as consultants "in developing a program for future development of the campus." According to Dr. DuBridge, no plans for extending the campus beyond its present boundaries are foreseen. but "it is desirable for the Institute to have a modern campus development program worked out. Then. when and as funds become available for the construction of new athletic facilities, new dormitories. or new labora-tories. the location and general design will have been planned in advance with a view to a coherent development of the entire campus."