The Ohio State University

Education of Warren B. Crummett

1945-1951

(Ph.D. in Chemistry)

Experience gained as a laboratory technician in the laboratories of Solvay Process Company of Hopewell, VA during World War II persuaded me that I needed special education in “organic analytical chemistry” to function professionally as an analytical problem-solving chemist. So I became an assistant in the Department of Chemistry at the Ohio State University only to learn that no program of study existed in organic analytical chemistry at OSU or any other university.  Creatively, Dr. William MacNevin, Chairman of the Analytical Chemistry Division, offered a plan as my preceptor.  He advised me to use research in the separation of the platinum metals by use of newly produced ion exchange resins.  Since the resins were said to be “organic”, I could declare myself an “organic analytical chemist”.

I would enroll in select courses in chemistry as they became available.  This custom-made plan would require constant attention and development and would be lengthy.

The final result was much better than I had expected for we were able to accomplish the following:

1. Completed the following courses:
   1. “Aliphatic Organic Chemistry” with Albert Henne
   2. “Aromatic Organic Chemistry” with Melvin Newman
   3. “Carbohydrate Chemistry” with Melville Wolfrom
   4. “Chemical Instrumentation” with William MacNevin
   5. “Chemical Kinetics” with Frank Verhoek
   6. “Chemical Spectroscopy” with Wallace Brode
   7. “Colloid Chemistry” with Quinten Van Winkle
   8. “Electrochemistry” with Prof. France
   9. “Experimentation” with A. Henne
   10. “Inorganic Chemistry”
   11. “Physical Chemistry” with Ed Mack
   12. “Qualitative Organic Analysis” with Melvin Newman
   13. “Quantum Chemistry” with Prof. Lassiter
   14. “Oxidation-Reduction Potentials”
   15. “Thermodynamics” with Herrick Johnson
   16. “Special Techniques” with Marian Hollingsworth
       Special courses indeed had seemed to appear as I needed them!

2. Assisted in the following laboritores:
   1. General Chemistry
   2. Quantitative Analysis
   3. Chemical Spectroscopy
   4. Chemistry Instrumentation

3. Learned from close association with very special fellow graduate students, especially:
   • Ray Craig
   • Donald Emerich
   • Thomas Franklin
   • Oscar Gonzles
   • William Marshall
   • A. Lee Smith
   • Thomas R. Sweet
   • Sam Tuthill
   • Bernie Wiley

4. Interacted with student scientists from disciplines other than chemistry though my membership in Gamma Alpha, a national scientific fraternity with a chapter on 12^th Ave. near the OSU main campus.

5. Conferred with such experienced scientists as:
   • Edward Mack, Jr.
   • Henry Wirth
   • Harvey Moyer
   • Earl Caley

6. Gained experience in athletics:
   1. Played on the 1947 Champion Department of Chemistry Intramural Softball Team.
   2. Manned the Ohio Stadium North Gate during "Battle of the Blizzard:.
   3. Runner-up Gamma Alpha Table Tennis Champion.

7. Been awarded the Ph.D. in Ohio Stadium on June 8, 1951

So I became what I had envisioned for myself and was well prepared to develop new analytical methods and solve new difficult analytical problems thus meeting the needs of Dr. Vernon A. Stenger of the Dow Chemical Company, said by some to the best industrial analytical chemist in the world.