DED UN 18 O 98 F http://www.nesacs.org N Y O T R E I T H C E N O A E S S S L T A E A C R C I N S M S E E H C C TI N O CA April 2018 Vol. XCVI, No.8 N • AMERI Monthly Meeting Esselen Award Meeting at Harvard Jennifer A. Doudna to Receive 2018 Award 2018 NESACS Candidates for Election In Memory of Ted Taylor By Michael P. Filosa NESACS at Fenway Park May 14, 2018, 7:10 pm Tickets Available Gustavus John Esselen II A brief history of the Award: disaster of Bhopal on every chemist’s and has become a much coveted prize. In 1985 an inquiry was made as to mind and the public receiving nothing -By Myron S. Simon, assisted by Phyllis whether the Section would wish to but negative stories about chemistry A. Brauner, Arno Heyn and Arthur S. honor another former leader of the from the media, this was to be a small Obermayer with suggestions from Ed- Northeastern Section. The Esselen fam- step toward establishing a balance. ward R. Atkinson. “The Last Quarter ily proposed to donate a sum of money Mr. Esselen proposed to add a Century, Part I,” The Nucleus, North- to provide for an award in the memory bronze medal to the monetary award. A eastern Section of the American Chem- of Gustavus John Esselen II, Chairman prominent sculptor from Newton, Mas- ical Society, Inc., February, 1998, pp in 1922 and 1923, and a member of the sachusetts, Lloyd Lillie, was selected to 17-18. ACS Board of Directors for many years. prepare the design which was then ap- In 1948, Dr. Esselen received a special proved by members of the Esselen fam- A brief biography: Gustavus John Esselen, II was born in award, the James Flack Norris Honor ily. The fact that Dr. Esselen had done Roxbury, Massachusetts, June 30, 1888, Scroll, “as the person who has done much work in plastics during his career the son of Gustavus J. and Joanna most to advance the interests of the led his son to propose that the bronze Blyleven Esselen. All of his higher edu- Northeastern Section.” A committee medal be imbedded in a block of clear cation was obtained at Harvard Univer- consisting of William O. Foye, Truman plastic, which was done, to give a very sity where he was awarded the A.B. S. Light, Arthur S. Obermayer, and distinctive addition to the ceremonial (magna cum laude) in chemistry in 1909 Myron S. Simon, Section Chairman, presentation. and a doctorate in 1912. In that same met with Esselen’s son, Gustavus J. Es- The first presentation of the Gus- year he married Henrietta W. Locke who selen III, and recommended to the tavus John Esselen Award for Chemistry with three children survived him at the Board of Directors that the Section ac- in the Public Interest was made in 1987 time of his death on Oct. 22, 1952. cept the offer, which it did. The commit- to F. Sherwood Rowland and Mario J. Until 1921 he was a member of the tee and Mr. Esselen agreed that the Molina for their work on the chemical research staff of General Electric Co. in award should not be in a specific field processes which were destroying the Lynn and then of Arthur D. Little, Inc. of chemistry, but instead should have the stratospheric ozone layer, explaining the of Cambridge, MA. At the latter firm he special purpose of emphasizing the pos- formation of the Antarctic Ozone Hole. was associated with Little and Wallace itive values of chemistry to mankind. In Since then, the award has been given to Murray in the fabrication of a “silk” light of the climate of the day, with the chemists in several fields of chemistry purse from reconstituted collagen, in turn derived from a sow’s ear. In 1930 he founded Gustavus J. Esselen, Inc., which subsequently became Esselen Re- search Corporation and then, following a merger, Esselen Research Division of United States Testing Co., Inc. During this period he was involved in solving a variety of problems submitted by indus- trial clients. Among these was the devel- opment of anhydride curing agents for epoxy resins and poly(vinylbutyral) as an improved material for safety glass, both of which enjoyed considerable commercial success. More than 40 U.S. patents were issued as a result of his re- search efforts. Esselen was a member of the American Chemical Society for 43 years during which time his outstanding services to the society and the profes- sion of chemistry were recognized and honored, not only in his native New England, but throughout the United States. He was twice chairman of the Northeastern Section, ACS (1922-23) continued on page 9 2 The Nucleus April 2018 The Northeastern Section of the American- Chemical Society, Inc. Contents Office: Anna Singer, 12 Corcoran Road, Burlington, MA 01803 (Voice or FAX) (781)272-1966. Gustavus John Esselen II 2 e-mail: [email protected] _________________________________ NESACS Homepage: The Award and the Man http://www.NESACS.org Officers 2018 2018 NESACS Candidates for Election 4 Chair _____________________ Mindy Levine 35 Cottage St Monthly Meeting 5 Sharon, MA 02067-2130 _______________________________________ (516)697-9688 Esselen Award Meeting at the Charles Hotel and Pfizer Lecture [email protected] Hall. Jennifer A. Doudna, UCal Berkeley to Receive 2018 Esselen Chair-Elect Andrew Scholte Award. Date: Friday, April 27, 2018. Sanofi Waltham, MA In Memory of Ted Taylor 6 617-459-5145 _________________________________ [email protected] By Michael P. Filosa Immediate Past Chair Leland L. Johnson, Jr. Historical Notes 6 Euretos ________________________________________ Cambridge, MA William Klemperer, Edward C. Taylor, Jr. and John J. Giuffrida +1.617.304.6474 [email protected] Announcements 2,7,9 Secretary _____________________________________ Michael Singer MilliporeSigma Northeast Student Chemistry Research Conference, NESACS 3 Strathmore Rd, Natick, MA 01760 at Fenway Park, Senior Chemists Luncheon (774)290-1391, [email protected] Treasurer Gustavus John Esselen Award 8 Ashis Saha _____________________________ 67 Bow St Prior Recipients Arlington, MA 02474-2744 (978)212-5462 Business Directory 11 [email protected] ____________________________________ Auditor Patrick Gordon Calendar 12 Archivist ____________________________________________ Ken Mattes Trustees Cover: Peter C. Meltzer, Dorothy Phillips, Ruth Tanner Professor Jennifer A. Doudna, University of California at Berkeley, Directors-at-Large 2018 recipient of the Gustavus J. Esselen Award for Chemistry in the Public In- David Harris, June Lum, Michael P. Filosa, terest. (Photo courtesy of Professor Doudna). John Neumeyer, James U. Piper, Ralph Scannell Councilors/Alternate Councilors Editorial Deadlines: Term Ends 12/31/2018 Summer-September Issue: July 22, 2018 Katherine Lee Chris Moreton October 2018 Issue: August 22, 2018 Catherine E. Costello Ajay Purohit Ruth Tanner June Lum Kenneth Mattes Malika Jeffries-EL Jackie O’Neil Joshua Sacher Term Ends 12/31/2019 Thomas R. Gilbert Ashis Saha Mary Jane Shultz Mary A. Mahaney Michael Singer Jerry P. Jasinski The Nucleus is published monthly, except June and August, by the Northeastern Section of the American Lisa Marcaurelle Raj (SB) Rajur Chemical Society, Inc. Forms close for advertising on the 1st of the month of the preceding issue. Text Leland L. Johnson, Jr. Matthew M. Jacobsen must be received by the editor six weeks before the date of issue. Term Ends 12/31/2020 Editor: Michael P. Filosa, Ph.D., 18 Tamarack Road, Medfield, MA 02052 Email: Michael P. Filosa Robert Lichter [email protected]; Tel: 508-843-9070 Carol Mulrooney Morton Z. Hoffman Patricia A. Mabrouk Sonja Strah-Pleynet Associate Editors: Myron S. Simon, 60 Seminary Ave. apt 272, Auburndale, MA 02466 Anna W. Sromek Andrew Scholte Morton Z. Hoffman, 23 Williams Rd., Norton, MA 02766 Sofia A. Santos Patrick M. Gordon Board of Publications: James Phillips (Chair), Mary Mahaney, Ajay Purohit, Ken Drew, Katherine Lee All Chairs of standing Business Manager: Vacant: contact Michael Filosa at [email protected] Committees, the editor of THE NUCLEUS, and Advertising Manager: Vacant: contact Michael Filosa at [email protected] the Trustees of Section Calendar Coordinator: Xavier Herault, Email: [email protected] Funds are members of the Photographers: Morton Hoffman and James Phillips Board of Directors. Any Coun cilor of the American Chemical Society Proofreaders: Donald O. Rickter, Morton Z. Hoffman residing within the section area is an ex officio Webmaster: Roy Hagen, Email: [email protected] member of the Board of Directors. Copyright 2018, Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc. The Nucleus April 2018 3 2018 New NESACS Sponsors 2017 Platinum $5000+ NESACS NESACS Boston Foundation Esselen Award SK Life Science Candidates Bylaws Allow Amgen, Inc Johnson Matthey Vertex Pharmaceuticals for Election Electronic Davos Pharma Chair-Elect Biogen Dr. Sofia Santos Elections PCI Synthesis Dr. Anna Sromek Navin Fluorine International Ltd Councilor/Alternate Councilor 2018 will be the first electronic Gold $3000 up to $5000 Dr. Ajay Purohit NESACS Election – Watch Merck Research Corp Dr. Ashis Saha your email! Signal Pharmaceuticals Ms. June Lum J-Star Research Dr. Malika Jeffries-El Like the National American Chemical IPG Women Chemists Dr. Katherine Lee Society Elections and the Division of Dr. Catherine Costello Organic Elections, NESACS will now Abbvie Dr. Ruth Tanner hold electronic elections. This change Silver $1500 up to $3000 Dr. Kenneth Mattes needed to be described in the NESACS Mettler Toledo Bylaws before it could be implemented. Dr. Morton Z. Hoffman Sanofi US Services The approval of new bylaws at the Jan- Dr. Andrew Scholte Warp Drive Bio Dr. Patrick Cappillino uary Meeting now allows NESACS to Pfizer Dr. Raj Rajur move to a more member-friendly and ef- Dr.