One of my favorite Hum colleagues, Prof. David Gerratt [1998-], graces the cover of the December 2016 issue of the Reed magazine. Characteristically, he is bent over in order to reach just a little further out … whether to make a point, to invite student participation, maybe both? … you be the judge, but he is just one of 7 Reed faculty profiled under the title article: Teaching. Reaching. Inspiring. Another one of the magnificent 7 is Reed atmospheric chemist and Arthur F. Scott Professor of Chemistry, Prof. Juliane Fry [2008-]. There you’ll learn why Julie used a sabbatical to attend law school, the foreboding nickname students have given Julie, the main driver of Julie’s research, and a whole lot more.
The December issue also reflected on another hot campus issue: student protest (Eliot Circular: Protest Amplifies Discussion of Race on Campus, p. 7). Early demonstrations focused on issues of race, both on campus and in the larger community, but the scope of the protests quickly expanded, and one wonders what the coming academic year will bring. One thing is already clear, however: we have much to learn and the changes that will follow will take time.
The Letters to Reed section contained a lovely tribute to The Polymath Hancocks, p. 4. The letter came from David Cherry ’62, a classmate of Prof. Virginia Hancock ’62 [music 1991-2016], and a short-lived student of organic chemistry under Prof. John Hancock [chemistry 1955-89]. Cherry claims that he “didn’t belong there” [in organic chemistry], but his letter does a nice job of summarizing John’s longstanding interest in the total synthesis of dodecahedrane, (CH)20, as well as John’s eclectic interests in computers, organ music, and technical writing. As the following photo shows, John’s musical talents extended well beyond the organ…
Chemists also popped up elsewhere in the magazine. BMB major, Trevor Soucy ’18, was part of a team of Reed runners that raised more than $41K for Portland public schools (p. 11) … Luke Kanies ’96 (Puppet Labs) joined a long-list of generous supporters of Reed’s new Computer Science program (Reaching Higher, p. 16). The article also identified chemistry Prof. John Hancock as the person who built Reed’s first computer (DIMWIT), and mentions that a large-scale renovation of Chemistry research and teaching labs is also underway … and not-so-camera-shy students, Audrey Dannar ’17 (chemistry) and Akanksha Majumdar ’18 (BMB, not ‘biology’), appeared in photos on the back cover and p. 21, respectively.
Class Notes listed Chantal Sudbrack ’97 as one of the first “Reed friends” Megan Geigner (MALS ’08) has made since moving to Chicago … and published wedding photos (p. 35) containing Lauren Sanders ’11 (top), Cosmo Buffalo ’05 (center), and Stephen von Kugelgen ’11, Sarah Jablonski ’10, and Fluffy Cass ’10 (bottom).
In Memoriam listed the passing of 5 chemists from the Reed community:
- Robert E. Clark AMP ’44, deceased November 12, 2015 in Sherrills Ford, North Carolina. Robert attended Reed as part of the Army’s pre-meteorology program during WWII, and subsequently earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from U. Minnesota in 1949. He worked as a chemical engineer and process engineer for a number of companies, and is survived by his wife and 4 children.
- Francisca Winston Erickson ’45, deceased May 4, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. Francisca came to Reed because, she said, it was one of the few institutions that took seriously women wanting to major in chemistry or math. As it happened, she was the only woman in her graduating chemistry class, writing a thesis (The Preparation and Oxidation of i-Cholesteryl-Oxyacetic and i-Cholesteryloxy-p-Benzoic Acids) with Prof. Leland Pence [chemistry 1939-45], and finishing her studies in just three years. She met her husband-to-be while both were working at Shell Oil Company. Company policy forbade spouses from working together so Francisca retired, but she remained a generous supporter of Reed, establishing the Francisca W. Erickson Scholarship in 2002 to support science majors with financial need. She is survived by her 3 children.
- Max Bettman ’48, deceased December 22, 2015 in Southfield, Michigan. Max wrote his thesis (A Critical Review of the Atomic Weights) with Prof. Arthur Scott [chemistry 1923-79] and then earned his PhD at Caltech in 1952 before joining the Ford Motor Company as a research scientist. He is survived by his son.
- Timothy Loeb ’57, deceased May 31, 2016 in Toledo, Ohio. Tim wrote his thesis (Reactions of Apocynol) with Prof. Marsh Cronyn ’40 [chemistry 1952-89], and then earned his PhD in biology from Rockefeller University. He taught biology for several years, and was an enthusiastic musician. He is survived by his wife, 9 children, and 3 siblings.
- Lionel Livermore ’64, deceased July 7, 2016, in Woodland, Washington. Lionel took several graduate courses at Reed between 1960 and 1965. He was also a dedicated educator, teaching at Long High School and Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington, and involved in the planning of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and multiple school science fairs. Lionel was an active member of the American Chemical Society for many years, and especially valued his friendship with Portland chemist and Nobel laureate, Dr. Linus Pauling. He is survived by his sister and 5 children.