136 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS Gaul where both Caesar and Ed had their problems. Upon graduation in 1926, Ed followed his brothers' footsteps to the College of the City of Detroit, which is now Wayne University, there to study phar- macy. Once apprenticed in a drug- store, as required by law to be eli- gible for the State Board examina- tions on graduation, Ed was at once intrigued by cosmetics and per- fumes. This interest was further nourished by the fine toiletries de- partment at the drugstore in the lobby of the Book-Cadillac Hotel where brother Henry was assistant manager. Whenever possible, Ed was there looking over the fascinat- ing stock of bottles and jars. While at Wayne University, Ed became one of the founders of the Alpha Eta chapter of the Phi Delta Chi professional fraternity. He served on the college paper "The Collegian," and on the univer- sity annual "Griffin" as a writer and reporter. During the short life of the college humor magazine "The Jabberwock," Ed contributed several cartoons. There you have an indication of Ed's early flair for writing and publicity. Dean Roland T. Lakey en- couraged the cosmetic enthusiast by personal attention and by special laboratory courses. After earning the degree of Bachelor of Science in pharmacy in 1930 (the highest degree the University granted at that time), Ed spent two or three years working in drugstores either full or part time (there was a de- pression at the time), and experi- menting in his basement labora- tory in his free time. It was during this time that he published his first article which summarized some earlier work done at the University and in collaboration with some local dermatologists on the use of Vita- min D in cosmetic creams. This was in 1932. Soon thereafter he published either the first or one of the first articles on the use of cetyl alcohol in cosmetics in 1933, in which he stressed its value as an adjunct to emulsification, and as an ingredient imparting to creams a "soft, velvety feeling of smoothness." Ed's articles became more numer- ous under the strict tutoring of Steve Mayham, then editor of The ?linerican Per,/umer. In the course of this collaboration, a friend- ship developed between them which on Ed's part involved something of a hero worship for Mr. Mayham. On his trips to New York Ed spent much time with Mr. Mayham, and often with the Mayham family. Ed decided on a career as a con- suiting chemist but found the going difficult at first. We all remember the days when many cosmetic com- panies looked upon chemists as un- necessary luxuries. Nevertheless, in 1934 Ed got his first contract retainer from George Beeman, founder of Beauty Counselors, Inc. He has been working for this company ever since. About this time, Ed encountered a new cosmetic on the market called "Biocream," made by the Sherman Laboratories of Detroit, a vaccine house. A quick examina-

MAISON G. DE NAVARRE, THE COSMETIC CHEMIST 137 tion of the cream prompted a letter to the sales manager of the com- pany in which Ed stated that he could make a far better cream for them than they had. The sales manager promptly arranged for an interview. Ed was so surprised at this that he drove around the city for several hours wondering if he should not back out. Eventually, he went to work, completed the assignment, and worked up several new products for the company besides. With the fine facilities of the Sherman Laboratory, Ed now had an opportunity to study preserva- tives, antiseptics and the testing methods for their performance. He plunged into bacteriology. In an unpublished paper he made a com- parison of the antiseptic properties of several animal and vegetable oils of different degrees of refinement, using Staphylococcus aureus as the test organism. He also developed what he called a "synthetic maggot." However, this work was shelved by increasing pressure of cosmetic work on behalf of other clients. In 1933, at the suggestion of Louis Spencer Levy, the then publisher of The •lmerican Perfumer, Ed started a local trade group, the Michigan Cosmetic & Extract Association, with the help of Ralph Stevenson, then a manufacturers' agent rep- resenting among others the house of Givaudan. Ed became the first president, and latter served as sec- retary-treasurer for over ten years. (Incidentally, he was re-elected president in 1945, when the group changed its name to The Allied Drug & Cosmetic Association it is known now as the Chemical and Allied Trades Association of Michigan.) Some time in 1934, with the help of Steve Mayham, Ed started his monthly column in The ,4merican Perfumer called "Desiderata." This feature was expanded later and through it he gained both praise and criticism, including the threat of two libel suits, though neither ever reached court litigation. This col- umn brought him also a crop of anonymous letters, some compli- mentary, some critical. Ed claims that the latter did more to keep him straight than the former. On the bright side of the picture there were ihstances like that of an inquirer who needed a formula for making a hair waving fluid of superior quality but had no money to pay for it. After delivering the required information Ed thought that he would never hear from the man again. Three years later, a letter on a fine engraved letterhead recalled the whole thing. The inquirer had used the formula, was doing very well, and wanted to pay for the service originally received. To this end he enclosed a signed check with the amount blank to be filled in. After voiding the check Ed returned it to the writer saying that the expression of such faith was greater than any earthly reward. Soon after leaving the University, Ed began to realize that the .toilet goods industry had developed sev- eral needs. In addition to the need