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CHE Department History - AIChE Student
Chapter
Early Minutes of the Student Chemical Engineering Society
According to the minutes, the first meeting of the student Chemical
Engineering Society was May 30, 1930. It was called to order by President
Richard Clarke, but some 66 years later Richard (who is, as far as can be
determined, our oldest living graduate) denied knowing anything about it. After
listening to the minutes that named him as President, he explained that since he
graduated that Spring, with all the activity that entails, the meeting evidently
hadn't made a big impression on him. Since the Society was just in the initial
process of formation, it can be understood why his memory hadn't recorded it as
a major event to be recalled with ease some 66 years later.
At the first meeting a proposed constitution was presented, but after some
discussion, the decision was made to postpone adoption until the fall term. At
the next meeting, October 13, the draft of the proposed constitution was
distributed and discussed, but because of some omissions action was again put
off in favor of further study. At the October 23 meeting, several changes were
made in the draft, but final ratification was postponed until more members were
present.
The next meeting was February 27, 1931. The meeting was called to order by Vice
President Jimmie David in the absence of the President. There wasn't a quorum,
so in order to accelerate action on the constitution, a motion was passed that
those present be declared a quorum and that a final vote on the proposed
constitution be taken. The corrected draft of the constitution was read and
passed unanimously.
The April 13, 1931, meeting was the first meeting with a program. R.B. Bennett
gave an interesting talk on his experiences at the DuPont plant located in Old
Hickory, Tennessee.
In the January 25, 1932, meeting it is interesting to note from the mintues that
"This meeting was a Benton Engineering Society meeting under the direction of
the Chemical Engineering Society. Mr. Campbell gave a talk on the manufacture of
sulfuric acid and illustrated the method by means of a model chamber plant. Mr.
Schoenborn gave a brief outline description of the Tampa cement plant, after
which two perpetual-motion machines were demonstrated." (Comment: No doubt these
machines are still in motion, if we could just locate them.)
For anyone wishing to delve into the history of the student ChE Society, (which
in 1932 became the student chapter of AIChE), there is a bound volume of the
minutes with the names and activities of the members from 1930 until 1945.
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