Letter from the Editor

From the Editor

The first National Chemistry Day was in 1987, on (what else?) 10/23. Our first NCD was at Nolan High School, courtesy of the late Paul Ricca, who talked them into letting us have it there. We mailed out notices of the event but did not ask for RSVPs...big mistake! We had busloads of students rolling in, and had to do the Chem Demo show (courtesy of the late great George Hague) in two parts. The snacks were supplied by my sister-in-law, who drove a delivery truck for a grocery; she gave us the out-of-date cookies! Within a couple of years, National Chemistry Day became National Chemistry Week, to make things a little easier for scheduling. However, Bill Hendrickson (also a chemist and professor of organic chemistry at the University of Dallas) still celebrated on 10/23, at 6.02 in the morning. Some students objected, saying that 6.02 in the evening would do just as well. Nope. Every October 23, he and the chemistry students at UD ignited a mole of hydrogen in balloons at 6.02. (After the first year, they remembered to alert the UD police…) Thanks to all the ACS sections who celebrated NCW; thank you, Amedeo Avogadro.

Winter break coming up...best wishes for the coming year!