Praise for high school teachers: More and more strong careers in chemistry will begin in high school

A great many able chemists and chemical engineers have entered their profession because of the influence of teachers. Reverence for a master somewhere in one's academic background is something of a cult spirit among chemists. Yet excellence in teaching chemistry has had but a small share of the formal recognition that kindles the glow of prestige around a pursuit. Recognition is especially rare at the high school level, where most promising careers in science must start today. All this makes especially gratifying the James Bryant Conant Awards in High School Chemistry Teaching, presented this year for the first time to six teachers at the Miami Beach ACS meeting. The combination of responsibility and opportunity faced by the high school chemistry teacher can hardly be given too much respect. As principal speaker at the ACS Awards Dinner in Miami Beach, Dr. T. L. Cairns of Du Pont (C&EN, April 17, page 23) offered his audience some ...