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This was sent by Mack H. McCormick September 3, 2002 Sirs, I am sorry that I will be unable to attend the centennial celebration. However, I will be thinking of those three great years in chemistry at U of I (1948 - 1951). If there is any interest in some of the experiences and opinions of a graduate student as he learned to know, respect and on occasion, remember some amusing thoughts concerning the staff, fellow students and the courses, both inside and outside of the department. Here are a few recalls of those years: At the start I had a bad time facing Roger Adams for enrollment after not doing well on three of the four entrances exams. I think Dr. Adams growled at me. But, I survived. However, what a year of learning the Illinois brand of inorganic, p chem, and organic chemistry. I don't believe I have ever learned so much in such a short time. I really learned "new" organic chem from the great lectures of Dr. Robert Frank. Bob Frank gave some of the best lectures in organic that I have ever heard. In the same class for lecturing were Dr. Phipps in P. Chem. And Dr. William C. Rose in biochemistry I had come to Urbana to try to study under Dr. H.E. Carter. He did not know that. I wanted to work in the field of natural products and biochemistry. My friend at U. of Kansas, John Campbell (he worked for Roger Adams) had told me about the work Dr. Carter did. I was in the biochemistry lab on the top floor of Noyes after classes, trying to learn more about the carbohydrate color reactions. Dr. Carter climbed the stairs to his office and he stopped and we talked. What he said were the most important words I ever heard. He offered me a fellowship (Upjohn Co.) and I could work under him in the field of phospho-lipids. "Great Day In The Morning". What a day that was for me. I can still see Dr. Carter as he came up the last step or two and came into the lab. I can't remember how I celebrated that night. I must have. Dr. Carter is still the "boss" and friend and a biochemical great to me. How fortunate can a small town boy from Kansas be? There were three U. of Kansas graduates at Urbana at the same time. John Campbell, Chuck ________ and myself in AXE at the same time. What a place to live that first year. It seems one eats, drinks and sleeps chemistry. The older students were always willing to help. Especially a p chemist. Dr. Worth Huff Rodebush had given a tough problem for the next lecture. This p chem major - his name slips my mind, but he worked out the problem using differential equations. The next day Dr. Rodebush said one could "kinda guess the right numbers by trial and error." I could have thrown the book at him. The course in inorganic chemistry was under Dr. Lou Audrieth. This course was made more interesting after the following incident: Jack Mills and I were in Champaign one evening and stopped at a popcorn vendor. Dr. and Mrs. Audrieth stopped to obtain some of that very good popcorn. Dr. Audrieth knew Jack and so we were invited to the home of the Audrieths for drinks, talk and popcorn. After that evening, inorganic chemistry became a lot more interesting even the balancing of oxidation and reductions. Dr. Audrieth was a very stimulating lecturer. He even convinced this student that N compounds were really inorganic and not organic or biochemical. There were many outside people that gave lectures. It was good to see "The Boss" sifting in the front row. It was a great feeling to be able to walk into Speed Marvel's office for a reprint of something about chromatographic separation of organic acids. It was not unusual to see Speed and Roger Adams playing poker at the AXE house with my friend Ed Reiner and others. Oh yes, for those chemistry students who want to go to the business area, you might look to Don Felley. I don't think he ever got to the lab before noon, but he burned lots of the midnight oil. He also played a mean game of touch football. And, oh yes, he became president of Rohm and Haas. The occasional golf game with Dr. Carter and Dr. Vestling, good relaxation. Dr. Vestling made some of the most ungodly putts you ever saw. He gave Herb a bad time once in a while. Dr. Vestling was a south paw with the "sticks" and he was a very good one, too. Outside the department I remember the very interesting times in the lectures and lab sessions of Dr. C. Ladd Prosser in physiology. I am sorry that I won't be there to hear Dr. Nelson Leonard. I still have my notes from his course, No. 433. I can also still read the notes. I still have the notes from most of my classes. The Roger Adams who growled at me was the same Roger who came to the AXE house to tell us of his recent trip to the German chemical industry. Dr. Robert Fuson was an impeccable dresser for his lectures, and how he spoke. One morning at an 8 o'clock class, we waited and waited, but no Dr. Fuson. The rumor was that some of his students had taken him to Danville the night before. The senior staff people were people like the rest of us. Dr. Harold Snyder was well-liked by many. He had a very unusual greeting when he passed you in the hall. He used the whammy. A whammy was made by extending the arm by the side and rotating the hand in a flat rotation movement. One thought they were doing OK with a single whammy. But, you were really doing great with a double whammy - both arms and hands being used. A light moment in a studious time. Leaving the AXE house for Noyes, we passed Dr. Carter's house. One day he was painting the iron work on the front steps of his house. I can't remember if he could really handle a paintbrush, but it was interesting to observe and make a few comments to ourselves. In later years Dr. Carter's only comment was "I didn't see anyone offering to help". Hey, we had important business at Noyes. One of the most stimulating events was having coffee with Herb Carter and others of his students across the street at Farwells. Coffee was five or fifteen cents, I don't remember. Other students in the same lab I was with on the top floor in Noyes: Very good friend and one who had quiet advice, Ed Flynn. Wait Celmer, he was my mentor in the phospho-lipid area. He was always a great help. John Rothrock, he bought beer when one of his reactions hit the ceiling. Others were Praphat Battachara, from India. He had my wife and me to his apartment which he shared. We had Indian food for dinner. We called him Joe. He was a good man. Pete Tavormina worked with sphingosine containing materials. E.O. Davidson, a p chemist. We both later worked at Eli Lilly and Company. He was always a good one to talk with when problems came up. Ah, those were the days. Sincerely, Mack H. McCormick 1948 - 1951 |
