The Cover . . .

Joel H. II iI<lcliπι nil to Deliver Remsen Memorial Lecture

J O E L H E N R Y HILDEBRAND was once in­troduced by Robert Gordon Sproul, president of the University of California, as "the only full professor known to dive euccessfully from a high, diving board." When o n May 27 in Remsen Hall at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Md., Dr . Hildebrand is introduced as the Remsen Memorial lecturer for 1949. many other such introductory possibili­ties will be available to the toastmaster. for in addition to his renown in the fields of education and science, Dr. Hilde­brand has also many noteworthy accom­plishments in "extracurricular" activities.

"Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well," is his motîto, and these are words not taken lightly by a man who at the age of 40 decided to learn t o ski and attained such profi­ciency that in 1936 he was named man­ager of the U. S. Olympic Ski team, and accompanied them to Europe for the Olympic games. All who know him are most impressed with his faculty for achievement in any undertaking.

H e was born in Camden, N. J., on Nov. 16, 1881, and became interested in chemistry at an early age, largely through the influence of a book on the subject he located in his grandfather's excellent library. When Hildebrand entered high school, his principal soon discovered that the youngster knew more chemistry than he did. Recognizing the latent ability in the boy, he gave young Hildebrand the keys to the laboratory and encour­aged him to experiment freely.

One of his first successes in the labora­tory was to devise an experiment to dis­prove a classification of the elements suggested by Josiah Cooke in his book "Chemical Philosophj^." In Hildebrand's own words, this experiment "gave him confidence in the experimental method and a disrespect for authority."

I n the fall of 1899 he entered the University of Pennsylvania, wMning a prize for the best entrance examination in mathematics. H e was an outstanding athlete, playing on the freshman foot­ball team and stroking the varsity crew. In his senior year he was awarded a prize for the varsity athlete having the highest academic standing for the year and was also elected president of his class. H e was graduated in 1903 and in 1906 re­ceived his Ph.D. The following year was spent in study under Nernst at the University of Berlin, and on his return he served as «·π instructor in physical chemistry at his alma mater until 1913.

I t was during this latter period that he prepared his now classic paper, "Some

Applications of the Hydrogen Electrode in Analysis, Research, and Teaching." This paper, which appeared in the 1913 vo lume of the Journal oj the American Chemical Society, laid the groundwork for the use of the hydrogen electrode in this country. It i s still widely referred to as one of the fundamental works in the field.

In 1913 he was offered positions by the Universities of Pennsylvania and California and the National Bureau οΓ Standards. However, the prospect of pioneering under G. N . Lewis and of teaching at a university just evolving into greatness proved the most attrac­tive, and he journeyed to the then wild and woolly West t o become an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of California. There he launched his researches on intermolecular forces, liquid structure, and the general theory of solubility of nonelectrolyte solutions. In 1916 he published the first of a long series of papers on solubility.

The ACS Monograph "Solubility" ap­peared in 1924 under his authorship fol­lowed by a second edition i n 1936, "Solu­bility of Nonelectrolytes." A third edi­tion, which he coauthored with R. L. Scott of the University of California at Los Angeles, is now in press. In 1939 he received the William H. Nichols Medal for his work on the solubility of non-electrolytes.

Other fields of research have included electroanalysis, spectra, vapor pressures of metals and amalgams, the "Hilde­brand Rule," sea water bittern, ionization of alcohol, fluorine, hydrogen fluoride,

and emulsions. H e also suggested to the Bureau of Mines the use of a mixture of helium and oxygen in place of air to prevent "bends."

In addition to the ACS Monographs on solubility he is author of "Principles of Chemistry" and with W. M. Latimer coauthor of "Reference Book of Inor­ganic Chemistry." He served as an as­sociate editor of J ACS from 1932 to 1939 and is now associate editor of the Journal of Physical Chemistry and the Journal oj Chemical Education.

During World War I he was com­missioned a captain in the Army in November 1917 and discharged as a lieutenant colonel in December 1918. H e became commandant of the Gas School and Experimental Field in France and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his efforts.

From April 1943 until July 1944 he served as a scientific liaison officer for the Office of Scientific Research and Development attached to the American Embassy in London, dealing with ex­plosives, smoke flame throwers, incendi­aries, and chemical warfare. H e re­turned to the University of California in 1944.

Lover oj Symphonic Music Many a freshman in chemistry at the

University of California has gotten his first insight into the joys of symphonic music from Dr . Hildebrand, whose mother developed his taste for good music. In 1905 he came under the in­fluence of another musician, Emily Alex­ander, whom he married in 1908. H e gives their piano duets credit for a big "assist" in his courtship.

The Hildebrands have four children all of whom have been elected to both Sigma X i and Phi Beta Kappa. Al­though all are scientists, their choice of specialty reflects their father's breadth of interest. His oldest child, his daugh­ter Louise with whom he authored "Camp Catering," studied anthropology. His oldest son is chief engineer at the Richmond refinery of Standard of Cali­fornia, his youngest son is a graduate student in physics at Berkeley, and his third son is now lecturing in zoology at the Davis campus of the University of California.

He is keenly interested in outdoor ac­tivities and has been a president of the Sierra Club, a group interested in mountaineering and conservation. T h e club now has more than 6,000 members.

Recently elected as a member of the council of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Hildebrand is also an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

The accompanying cartoon prepared by an admirer, showing Dr. Hildebrand leav­ing Father Time far behind reflects his amazing faculty for achievement in spite of age or anything eise, for that matter.

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