The Award of the Franklin Institute Medals to Drs. Millikan and DebyeAuthor(s): A. B. H.Source: The Scientific Monthly, Vol. 45, No. 2 (Aug., 1937), pp. 183-186Published by: American Association for the Advancement of ScienceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/16485 .

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THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 183

THE AWARD OF THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE MEDALS TO DRS. MILLIKAN AND DEBYE

IN recognition of their efforts "to ad- vance the knowledge of physical science and its applications " the Franklin Medal and Certificate of Honorary Membership was awarded this year to Dr. Robert An- drews Millikari, director of the Norman Bridge Laboratory of Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, and to Dr. Peter Joseph Wilheln Debye, director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Physics, Berlin, Germany, by the Franklin Institute of the State of Penn- sylvania.

The Franklin Medal is awarded an- nually from the Franklinl Medal Fund, founded in 1914 by Samnuel Insull, Esq., "to those workers in physical science or technology, without regard to country, whose efforts, in the opinion of the Insti- tute, acting through its Comumittee on Science and the Arts, have donie most to advance a knowledge of physical science or its applications."

Dr. Millikan received the medal "In recognition of his isolation and mneasure- ment of the fundamental unit of elee- tricity, the electron; the photo-electric determ.ination of the fundamental con- stant of radiation, Planck's constant; the extension of the ultra-violet spectrum by two octaves to join the spectrum of soft x-rays; and the study of the nature and the properties of a very penetrating radiation of cosmic origin."

Because of his six weeks' lecture tour in Europe, i:ncluding the delivery of the Joly lectures irL Dublin, fromn May 1 to 12, inclusive, and his lectures in Scandi- naviani countries under the auspices of the Am--erican-Scandinavian Foundation, Dr. Millikan was not able to receive the award until after his return from Europe on June 25.

Dr. Debye received the medal "In ree- ognition of his fundamental conception and masterly developmenit of the theory that the molecules of many substances possess permanent dipole mollients a

theory of great value in stimulating a vast amount of fruitful research on the electrical properties of insulators; his extension and generalization of Ein- stein's theory of the specific heats of solids; and his work, in collaboration with Huckel, on a theory of the thermody- namic properties of electrolytic solutions -work upon which the whole modern theory of electrolytes is based. "

Since Dr. Debye is a Dutch citizen, the medal and certificate were received for him by Count van Rechteren Limpurg, charge d'affaires of the Nethlerlands, Washington, D. C.

Dr. Charles P. Smyth, of P'rineeton University, read Dr. Debye 's paper oi "Structure in Electrolytic Solutions," which is a brief presenitation of the foun- dations of the classical theory of solutions as laid by Van 't Hoff, Arrhenius and Ost- wald. For many years no success was reached in dealing with strong electro- lytes. This led up to the mnore modern theories of solutionis. Ghosh started from the idea that in a solution of sodium chloride the ions acted so stronigly on each other that even in solution an arrange- ment of sodium and chlorinie ionis was established as in the solid crystals. Debye, however, considered it impossible that the tendency to produce such a:n arrangement could be strong enough to brinig the lattice-order into real existence. To describe the significant properties of the arrangements of ionis in a solution Debye introduced the idea of the ionic cloud.

Debye states: " If oiie considers an electrolytic solution, for examl-ple, a solu- tion of sodium chloride, fron the outside, so to speak, then in a specially fixed ele- inient of volume in a tim-ne-average, just as many positive sodium as negative chlorine ions will be found. Quite differ- ent is the picture when the observer is thought of as fixed to one of the sodium ionis so that he follows all its mnovements

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184 THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

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DR. ROBERT A MILLIKAN

and observes his surroundings from this moving point. Then he will find that chlorine ions are favored, especially at shorter distances, and their n-umber in the time-average exceeds that of sodiuin ions. We can thus speak of a cloud of electric charge, from which every point has in time average a particular charge density of opposite sign throughout to that of the central ion, but less dense the further the point under consideration is from the center. This is the structure which must take the place of the crystal- line structure pictured by Ghosh. "

Among other presentations were five awards of the Elliott Cresson Medal.

This was founded in 1848 by Mr. Cresson, of Philadelphia, Pa., a philanthropist and successful merchant, who lived from 1796 to 1854. The medal is awarded "for dis- covery or original research, adding to the sum of human knowledge, irrespective of commercial value; leading and prac- tical utilizations of discovery; and inven- tion, methods of produets embodying substantial elements of leadership in their respective classes, or usual skill or perfection in workmanship. " The recip- ients were:

Dr. Carl D. A nderson, California Institute of Technology, Pasadelia, "In consideration of his discovery of the positron. "

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THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE 185

DR. PETER JOSEPH WILHELM DEBYE

Dr. William Bowie, U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (retired), Washington, D. C., "In con- sideration of his contributions to the science of geodesy, particularly with reference to the theory of isostasy, the applications of which he has extended *to problems in general geo- physics and geology."

Mr. Jacques Edwin Brandenberger, Neuilly- sur-Seine, France, "In consideration of his in- vention and development of the process of manufacture of continuous transparent sheets of regenerated cellulose which have found a widespread use in industry. "

Dr. William Francis Giauqte, University of California, Berkeley, "In consideration of his outstanding contributions made to our scientific knowledge in the attainment of temperatures approaching within one fourth of one degree of the absolute zero and of his systematic ob-

servance anid investigation of various substances at these low temperatures,' and

Dr. Ernest 0. Lawrence, director of the Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, "In consideration of his development of the cyclotron, an apparatus for accelerating ions, which embodies a high degree of technical skill and is of material use in extending the knowledge of nuclear physics. I I

On the evening of the same day a sub- scription dinner was given in F'ranklin Hall of the institute, with Philip C. Staples, president of the institute, presid- ing. The nmedalists were introduced, and Count van Reehtereui Limpurg, repre- senting Dr. Debye, spoke in appreciation

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186 THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

of the honor conferred Upon his conntry- man.

Gny Marriner, associate director in charge of music at the institute, discussed Benjamin Franklill, the musiciani, and illustrated his talk on the pianoforte and

glassychord. There was also a demon- stration of a new musical instruLment, the oseillion, designed and played by Dr. W. E. Danforth, Bartol Research Foun- dation of The Franklin Institute.

A. B. H.

THE HAYDEN PLANETARIUM-GRACE PERUVIAN ECLIPSE EXPEDITION

THE recent total eclipse of the sun began at sunrise on June 9 on the Pacific Ocean near Australia and, crossing the date line onee and the equator twice in its couLrse, ended on the coast of South America at sunset on June 8. It was observed in its early path from a "desert

islanld" by the expeditioni of the Nationial Geographic Society anid the Uiiited States Navy; its final darkiiess fell oii the cameras of the Haydcen Planetarium- Grace Expeditioni in Peru, directed by Dr. Clyde Fisher, head of the Plane- tariumn.

Hayden Planetarium-Grace Eclipse Expedition. IN THE ECLIPSE CAMP NEAR TRUJILLO.

LEPT TO RIGHT: DR. YAMAMOTO, FAMOUS JAPANESE ASTRONOMER, DR. GODOFREDO GARCIA, CHIE,

OF PERUVIAN ASTRONOMICAL COMMISSION, MRS. ISABEL LEWIS, OF THE U. S. NAVAL OBSERVA-

TORY, AND DR. CLYDE FISHER.

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