Frank Austin Gooch
2
1088 ISDL’S?’RIdL dJ-D E’SGIiY‘EERISG CHEMISTRY Val. 15, KO. 10 AMERICAN CONTEMPORARIES he enjoyed from time to time association with Dr. Rafael Pum- pelly, the renowned geologist and explorer, and he often turns Frank Austin Gooch F IT be true, as some claim, that the general atmosphere of with great pleasure to the recital of a variety of experiences I Boston is one of cultured manners, no better illustration of connected with field and laboratory work. the influence of such an atmosphere could be selected than It was also during these years that much important work the subject or this sketch., No one who has ever come in contact with Professor Gooch can fail to carry away the impression that he has met a man of peculiar charm of man- ner. Born in Watertown, Mass., of parents belonging to families connected bith the early history of the country and represent- ing the highest type of culture, his early life was spent in the vicinity of Boston. His father was a prominent lumber merchant in Cambridge, and a t one time chief asses- sor of that town. His mother was R mem- ber of the Coolidge family. He entered Harvard at the age of sixteen and was graduated with the class of 1872. His early inclination was toward niedi- cine, but upon graduation, and until 1875, he carried on chemical and mineralogical studies at Harvard, and at the same time acted as assistant to Prof. Josiah P. Cooke, who was famous in his day as an experi- FRANK A mental lecturer. Doubtless Professor Gooch’s skill in manip- ulation and his clearness in description of chemical phenomena, so characteristic of his later work as a teacher, had their origin in this early training. During the years 1875-6, spent mainly in Vienna, he continued his studies along mineralogical and crystallographic lines a t the Imperial Museum, and his fund of reminiscences of that period goes to show that he had the most delightful association with the director and others in authority there. Upon his return he received the degree of Ph.D. from Harvard. He often speaks of the two years which followed, when he held the position of private assistant to Dr. Wolcott Gibbs, as of special value to him, and frequently quotes a common expres- sion of that renowned chemist, famous in inorganic and analytical research, to the effect that “there is practically nothing which cannot be accomplished by patience and caustic potash.” I t was probably during this period that Dr. Gooch developed patience ana skill and his love for analytical chemistry. To him chemical analysis has never been what many, profoundly ignorant of the subject, have considered it, blind following of directions, or “cook-book chemistry,” a term which has been responsible for much neglect of this great fundamental branch of chemistry. Er. Gooch’s mind, stored with a wealth of ob- served chemical phenomena, finds the greatest joy in devising new analytical processes and in overcoming the difficulties which to many a chemist have seemed to make an analytical procedure useless. For ten years following his apprenticeship with Dr. Gibbs, his work gave him ample scope for the perfection of his technic in his chosen field. Analytical work in connektion with the United States Tenth Census, 1879-1881, the North Trans- continental Survey, 1881-1884, and the United States Geological Survey, 1884-1886, contributed n.uch in the way of preparation for his work a t Yale, which really began with the completion of the Kent Laboratory in 1887. It was during this period that GOOCH wxs done, such as the analysis of the waters of Yellowstone Park and the invention of the perforated platinum crucible for filtra- tion. The latter alone has made his name familiar wherever careful analytical work is attempted. Shortly after the first de- scription of this almost indispensable analyt- ical device appeared, a well-known chemist said in an address: “The Gooch crucible is to modern analytical chemistry what the needle gun is to modern warfare.” This encomium was doubtless more adequate at the time it was uttered than it would be today, when the needle gun has been sur- passed by many other inventions, while the crucible still holds its place among necessary equipment. In selecting Dr Gooch for a position a t Yale the authorities chose wisely and well, for he combines the good qualities of ad- ministrator. teacher. and director of re- search. During a period of over thirty years, for he did not take even a week off during. term time, until his retirement in 1918, he was a t his post. No man could have a more loyal group of followers than those who have worked with Professor Gooch. His sympathy and liberality are such that a conference with him always resulted in helpful suggestions and in an adequate supply of material for work when special material was needed. A request for a gram generally resulted in a supply of ten grams. As for crude chemicals, they were an abomination to him, and his associates could hardly persuade him to order them for any kind of work. Despite this policy there was on hand at the end of his admin- istration a considerable balance in money to the laboratory’s credit, and a supply of chemicals, some of them unusual, which in view of the immediately following post-war scarcity reminds one of Joseph’s store of corn laid up against the Egyptian famine. Loyalty to his friends and associates marked Professor Gooch’s. years of university activity, as all who have worked with him will testify. Conservative by nature, he keeps fully informed of the prog- ress of chemical science, but does not without careful consider- ation turn to newly propounded theories. He has always in- sisted upon the importance of comprehensive study of chemical phenomena along the lines of descriptive chemistry. His re- tiring disposition has kept him from gatherings of chemists where his presence would have been much appreciated. His loyalty to local journals has resulted in giving his pub- lished work and possibly that of his students less publicity than might have resulted had these papers appeared in the more widely circulated chemical journals. He finds great pleasure and relaxation in the reading of good fiction and in genealogical research. A recent statement in a prominent New York news- paper to the effect that chemists are as a class fond of cats may be disputed, but certainly the feline race has no better friend, than Dr. Gooch, nor one more convinced of its intelligence.
Transcript of Frank Austin Gooch
1088 ISDL’S?’RIdL d J - D E’SGIiY‘EERISG CHEMISTRY Val. 15, K O . 10
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARIES
he enjoyed from time to time association with Dr. Rafael Pum- pelly, the renowned geologist and explorer, and he often turns
Frank Austin Gooch F IT be true, as some claim, that the general atmosphere of with great pleasure to the recital of a variety of experiences I Boston is one of cultured manners, no better illustration of connected with field and laboratory work.
the influence of such an atmosphere could be selected than It was also during these years that much important work the subject or this sketch., No one who has ever come in contact with Professor Gooch can fail to carry away the impression that he has met a man of peculiar charm of man- ner. Born in Watertown, Mass., of parents belonging to families connected bith the early history of the country and represent- ing the highest type of culture, his early life was spent in the vicinity of Boston. His father was a prominent lumber merchant in Cambridge, and a t one time chief asses- sor of that town. His mother was R mem- ber of the Coolidge family.
He entered Harvard a t the age of sixteen and was graduated with the class of 1872.
His early inclination was toward niedi- cine, but upon graduation, and until 1875, he carried on chemical and mineralogical studies a t Harvard, and a t the same time acted as assistant to Prof. Josiah P. Cooke, who was famous in his day as an experi-
FRANK A
mental lecturer. Doubtless Professor Gooch’s skill in manip- ulation and his clearness in description of chemical phenomena, so characteristic of his later work as a teacher, had their origin in this early training.
During the years 1875-6, spent mainly in Vienna, he continued his studies along mineralogical and crystallographic lines a t the Imperial Museum, and his fund of reminiscences of that period goes to show that he had the most delightful association with the director and others in authority there. Upon his return he received the degree of Ph.D. from Harvard.
He often speaks of the two years which followed, when he held the position of private assistant to Dr. Wolcott Gibbs, as of special value to him, and frequently quotes a common expres- sion of that renowned chemist, famous in inorganic and analytical research, to the effect that “there is practically nothing which cannot be accomplished by patience and caustic potash.”
I t was probably during this period that Dr. Gooch developed patience ana skill and his love for analytical chemistry. To him chemical analysis has never been what many, profoundly ignorant of the subject, have considered it, blind following of directions, or “cook-book chemistry,” a term which has been responsible for much neglect of this great fundamental branch of chemistry. Er. Gooch’s mind, stored with a wealth of ob- served chemical phenomena, finds the greatest joy in devising new analytical processes and in overcoming the difficulties which to many a chemist have seemed t o make an analytical procedure useless.
For ten years following his apprenticeship with Dr. Gibbs, his work gave him ample scope for the perfection of his technic in his chosen field. Analytical work in connektion with the United States Tenth Census, 1879-1881, the North Trans- continental Survey, 1881-1884, and the United States Geological Survey, 1884-1886, contributed n.uch in the way of preparation for his work a t Yale, which really began with the completion of the Kent Laboratory in 1887. It was during this period that
GOOCH
wxs done, such as the analysis of the waters of Yellowstone Park and the invention of the perforated platinum crucible for filtra- tion. The latter alone has made his name familiar wherever careful analytical work is attempted. Shortly after the first de- scription of this almost indispensable analyt- ical device appeared, a well-known chemist said in an address: “The Gooch crucible is to modern analytical chemistry what the needle gun is to modern warfare.” This encomium was doubtless more adequate a t the time it was uttered than it would be today, when the needle gun has been sur- passed by many other inventions, while the crucible still holds its place among necessary equipment.
In selecting Dr Gooch for a position a t Yale the authorities chose wisely and well, for he combines the good qualities of ad- ministrator. teacher. and director of re-
search. During a period of over thirty years, for he did not take even a week off during. term time, until his retirement in 1918, he was a t his post.
No man could have a more loyal group of followers than those who have worked with Professor Gooch. His sympathy and liberality are such that a conference with him always resulted in helpful suggestions and in an adequate supply of material for work when special material was needed. A request for a gram generally resulted in a supply of ten grams. As for crude chemicals, they were an abomination to him, and his associates could hardly persuade him to order them for any kind of work. Despite this policy there was on hand a t the end of his admin- istration a considerable balance in money to the laboratory’s credit, and a supply of chemicals, some of them unusual, which in view of the immediately following post-war scarcity reminds one of Joseph’s store of corn laid up against the Egyptian famine. Loyalty to his friends and associates marked Professor Gooch’s. years of university activity, as all who have worked with him will testify.
Conservative by nature, he keeps fully informed of the prog- ress of chemical science, but does not without careful consider- ation turn to newly propounded theories. He has always in- sisted upon the importance of comprehensive study of chemical phenomena along the lines of descriptive chemistry. His re- tiring disposition has kept him from gatherings of chemists where his presence would have been much appreciated.
His loyalty to local journals has resulted in giving his pub- lished work and possibly that of his students less publicity than might have resulted had these papers appeared in the more widely circulated chemical journals. He finds great pleasure and relaxation in the reading of good fiction and in genealogical research. A recent statement in a prominent New York news- paper to the effect that chemists are as a class fond of cats may be disputed, but certainly the feline race has no better friend, than Dr. Gooch, nor one more convinced of its intelligence.
October, 1923 INDUSTRIAL AND EiLTGINEERING CHEiMIS TR Y 1089
His former pupils always love to call on him when in New Haven and talk over their laboratory days and discuss their current problems. His fund of reminiscence is rich, as is also humor. PHILIP E. BROWNING
his collection of good stories, and we all enjoy them both, for together with his keen analytical mind he has a rare sense of
NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE
Shortening-Its Definition and Measurement
Editor of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: The writer has made shortening measurements with the short-
ometer ITHIS JOURNAL, 3, 79 (1921)] for the last six years and has only recently checked up these measurements, and in no case can he substantiate the conclusions made in the article by Platt and Fleming [THIS JOURNAL, 15,390 (1923)], entitled “The Action of Shortening in the Light of the Newer Theories of Surface Phenomena.”
The following series of all shortening measurements is a fair evaluation of the various fats and oils:
Lard, which has the greatest shortening power, naturally comes first. Compounds rank next, and they have about the same shortening power if they are made by adding oil to animal stearin or to vegetable stearin-namely, hydrogenated vegetable oil. Butter fat follows next in order. The oils cottonseed, peanut, olive, rapeseed, soy bean, and corn, all have approximately the same shortening value, which is about three-fourths of the value of ordinary lard.
Coconut oil is somewhat lower than the previous group of oils and has about two-thirds of the value of lard. Coconut oil if broken up into olein and stearin fractions shows a value higher than whole coconut oil for stearin, and lower for olein.
The iodine number of the whole oil is about 9, that of the stearin about 4 or 5 , and that of the olein about 16 or 18. It is evident in this case that the fat with the higher iodine number has the least shortening value.
A liquid paraffin oil with an iodine number of 0.4 has a short- ening value very close to that of coconut oil. A sample of white vaseline had a shortening value fully as good as the ordinary oils, or 75 per cent of that of lard.
A little difficulty is experienced in using liquid paraffin oil in baking because the high temperature of baking causes the oil to smoke appreciably and loss is thereby experienced.
The writer has very definitely shown in his original article that hydrogenation of an oil increases its shortening value. The iodine number is very materially decreased; yet the shortening value has increased, which is also a t variance with their theory.
All the figures available on the shortening value of oils and fats show no definite relationship between shortening value and iodine number.
CLARKE E. DAVIS NATIOXAI. BISCUIT COMPANY
N E W Y O R X , N. Y. June 2 2 . 1923
Editor of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry:
This criticism seems to be based upon a misunderstanding of the article by Platt and Fleming. For example, Davis says:
9ll the figures available on the shortening value of oils and fats show no definite relationship between shortening value and iodine number.
In this statement we can entirely agree with him, for our article states :
The iodine number as such cannot be taken as an indication of the shortening power from this point of view, since glycerides
of linoleic acid containing two double bonds (Iodine No. 173) do. not cover any greater surface than glycerides of oleic acid contain- ing but one double bond per molecule (Iodine No. 86). For this reason, other factors being equal, shortenings should be ar- ranged in the order of their percentage oE unsaturated glycerides.
of unsaturated glycerides and not the iodine number that must be considered, it is seen that Davis’ shortening values fit in weir with the theory which we have advanced.
Considering first oils only, we find that cottonseed, peanut, olive, rape seed, soy bean, and corn oils, all consist principally of unsaturated glycerides with a small percentage of saturated glycerides which varies with different samples of the same oil. We are not surprised, therefore, a t Davis’ statement that they “all have approximately the same shortening value.” Coconut oil, which has a noticeably smaller proportion of unsaturated glycerides, has noticeably less shortening power, while liquid paraffin, with the smallest proportion of unsaturated compounds, is properly a t the bottom of the list of oils in shortening power.
We would invite attention also to specific statements in our paper to the effect that many factors influence shortening power. We state:
Many factors are involved in the action of shortening.* * * It is evident that no one property can possibly explain the whole action of shortenings. * * *Viscosity evidently plays a part. * * * The melting point is also a factor. * * * A somewhat related quality is plasticity.* * *A fat that will remain plastic throughout the mixing has much greater shortening power than one that is either solid or liquid.
Once it is clearly understood that it is the percentage
It would seem to be self-evident that these factors would have to be considered in arriving a t the shortening power of fats not liquid. It is strictly in line with our theory, however, that lard, etc., containing a considerable percentage of unsaturated compounds, should have greater shortening power than vaseline containing practically none.
On the basis of the statements in our paper i t is manifestly impossible to expect the relative shortening power of the “olein” and “stearin” fraction of a shortening to be given simply by their proportion of unsaturated glycerides, as differences in melt- ing point, plasticity, etc., introduce other variables in such a case. The same may be said in comparing the shortening power of a fat before and after hydrogenation.
Davis’ findings regarding shortening power are, therefore, not incompatible with our conclusions.
MERRELL-SOULE COMPANY SYRACUSE, N. Y.
September 14, 1923
WASHINGTON PLATT
Calendar of Meetings Technical Association of Pulp arid Paper Industry-Appleton,
Wis., October 25 to 27, 1923. Association of Official Agricultural Chemis ts49th Annual
Convention, Washington, D. C., November 19 to 21, 1923. American Institute of Chemical Engineers-Winter Meeting,
Washington, D. C., December 5 to 8, 1923.
