February 2002 Meeting

Abstract:     This is an appropriate time to look back at the century just passed and forward into the next. In this lecture, chemistry and its teaching will be subjected to such a Janus view. A retrospective glance at 1900 will reveal a world in which some scientists seriously worried that all the major discoveries had already been made. But at that very time, new experimental results and their theoretical interpretations were beginning to shake the foundations of our conception of the natural world. Much of 20th century science was an elaboration of its first decade, and the practical consequences of that process have transformed society. As we stand at the beginning of another century and peer into a murky new millennium, it may be instructive to speculate on what the past can tell us about the future Biography:     At an early age, Truman Schwartz was captivated by a chemistry set, an infatuation that ultimately led to a BA from the University of South Dakota in 1956. He added another BA and an MA from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, and in 1963 he earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from MIT. Schwartz spent the next three years as a research chemist with Proctor and Gamble, trying to bring Joy and Cheer to the households of America. He joined the Macalester College faculty in 1966, and has been there ever since, except for sabbaticals, teaching and research assignments at other institutions, and a brief stint as a petit-bureaucrat at the National Science Foundation. He has served Macalester as Dean of the Faculty and Chair of the Chemistry Department. Professor Schwartz has most frequently taught general and physical chemistry, but he has also developed over 20 interdisciplinary courses. He is author or editor of a number of books, including Chemistry in Context, an ACS-sponsored college-level text for nonscience majors. Most of his papers have been published in the Journal of Chemical Education. He has held a wide range of local and national offices within the ACS, and is a frequent speaker at local sections, colleges, and universities. Numerous national awards, including the CMA Catalyst Award and the James Flack Norris Award, have recognized Professor Schwartz's contributions to chemical education.

Date:  Friday, February 22, 2002