Organizers: Herbert T. Pratt
Cornell's Lavoisier Collection / David W. Corson
This illustrated presentation surveys the history, content, and scope of Cornell's Lavoisier Collection. Originally assembled by Denis Duveen, this is today the largest collection of Lavoisier materials outside of France. Among its treasures are more than 600 volumes from Lavoisier's personal library, 300 manuscripts relating to Lavoisier, his family, and immediate scientific associates, and nearly 100 of Mme. Lavoisier's preliminary drawings and proof sheets for the plates in his Traite elementaire de chmie.
Rare Chemsitry Book Collections at Wesleyan University / Suzy Taraba
Wesleyan Univesity's distinguished programs in the sciences have their roots in the 19th century, and its library collections offer testimony to this strength. From Wesleyans' first science professor, John Johnston; to Wilbur Olin Atwater, pioneer in nutritional chemistry, member of the Class of 1865 and faculty member; to Rufus Phillips Williams, high school chemistry teacher, author, and founder of the New England Association of Chemistry Teachers, collectors of rare and interesting chemistry books have greatly enriched Wesleyan's library. While Johnston and Atwater assembled scholarly working libraries that include many items that have since become rare, Williams' library was that of a true collection. Each of these chemists and their book collections will be explored and set in the context of the history of sciences and the growth of the libraries of Wesleyan.
Quite a Guy: The Legacy of M. Guy Mellon at Purdue University / F. Bartow Culp
Melvin Guy Mellon (1893-1993) was a member of the Purdue University Department of Chemistry from 1919 until his death. He was an analytical chemists by Training, but he is most remembered as one of the pioneers of chemical information. Mellon was also an expert on the design and construction of academic chemistry buildings, and contributed to the planning of Purdue's Wetherill and Brown Laboratories. The Mellon collection, although small, contains a number of unique items of historical interest that pertain to his life and work. Some of these items and a brief account of his almost five score years will be presented.