photo complements of Guan Shu (UMR)
Sept. 18, 2003
ROLLA MAN RECEIVES AWARD
FOR 50-YEAR MEMBERSHIP IN ACS
ROLLA, Mo. -- Professor H. O. (Mac) Mcdonald received an award for 50 years of membership in the American Chemical Society.
The award was presented September 18 at the University of Missouri-Rolla by Dr. Yinfa Ma, president of the South Central Missouri Section of ACS and an associate professor of chemistry at UMR.
Mac graduated from Central Methodist College in 1952 with an A. B. degree, an M. S. from Alabama Polytech in 1954, and a Ph. D. in 1960 from the University of Arkansas. He specilized in research in inorganic chemistry.
photo complements of Guan Shu (UMR) |
H. O. McDonald's ACS Reminisces . . . . .
In 1963, faculty members---Professors Stoffer, Wulfman, Webb, Hanna, and McDonald---formed the core of Chemistry Department members who were active in the American Chemical Society. Because the closest Local Sections at that time were in St. Louis and Columbia, faculty members carpooled to Columbia for the monthly ACS meetings. The Rolla folks decided to see if they could have their own Local Section and got information on how to do it at a National ACS Meeting when they drove to Houston, Texas. On the trip, they drove through Dallas shortly after Kennedy was shot.
These faculty members, and others, petitioned the Society to start a Local Section. They plotted a map and included the counties within a 50-mile radius, or so, of Rolla. At that time, it was decided not to include Springfield and, subsequently, Springfield started its own Local Section. The initial Local Section was started in 1966 with 52 charter members and H.O. McDonald as its first Chairman. Other officers selected initially were S. Hanna, Chairman-Elect; L. C. George, Treasurer; W. H. Webb, Councilor; D. S. Wulfman, Alternate Councilor; and F. Hartke, Secretary.