FLORENCE E. WALL: REBEL INTO PIONEER 163 happy to note that while there she observed nothing traceable to cosmetics. Then she went to Europe again, this time on a definite search for infor- mation about what Europe had to offer in cosmetics and beauty culture. She spent six months traveling through ten countries and studied her sub- ject from every angle. As a chemist (and she was also at that time editor of The Chemist), she reached all the professional people--other chemists, physicians (including many whose names are on our best books) and law- yers. As an active member of the Women's Advertising Club, she reached all the advertising and merchandising people. Also, as the former "big sister" in technical advice on cosmetology and cosmetics to salons all over the United States, she l•ad entrje to all the fine salons in Europe. As is characteristic of her, she gave as well as took. She lectured here and there and wrote articles for the press in England and Germany. One of the impressions she brought back with her was that we Americans should have no inferiority complex about our own cosmetic products and treatments. The way European prestige, especially French, was over- played in our advertising used to make her very impatient. I remember her saying, "Let's have anything that is European, or that is French, if it's really better than what we have...but not just because it's European !" She was barely settled at home when she received her first call in her free-lance work. This first job was to write a complete textbook for the Marinello Schools. As a title for this book, she coined the word, "Beautis- try." She reasoned: "We have chemistry and dentistry...why not 'beau tistry ?'" With this project she embarked on an intensive career of writing. It was here that she began to demonstrate her capacity to handle several different tasks while giving complete concentration to each. Her work at this time was very diversified. She was editor of The Chemist, writing articles for the trade magazines (including the one of which I was editor), giving some lectures and occasionally running an educational program for a trade show. During this time she also assisted the New York City Health Department in the revision of the Sanitary Code as it is related to cosmetics and worked with the Bureau of Investigation of the American Medical Association. Her next phase was when she became filled with a burning zeal to make cosmetics and cosmetology better understood by professional people. She presented the first paper on cosmetics ever read before the American Chemical Society. About this time she was made an honorary member-- and she was long the only woman member--of the Paint and Varnish Division of the Society--because there seemed to be no other place in the organization for someone of her rather unusual interests. Another notable paper in this particular cause was the one she presented before the Society of Medical Jurisprudence. I remember the occasion very

164 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS well. The paper entitled, "Cosmetics--Outcast of Medical Science," was discussed by three distinguished dermatologists, a prominent lawyer and your own member, Maison G. deNavarre. It was delivered in the sacred halls of the Academy of Medicine and was something of a sensation. It is rather amusing to recall that Florence Wall, who addressed the final meeting of the Society's season, and Clarence Darrow, who had addressed the first one, were the only speakers who drew a full house that year. Next came the revision of the Food and Drug Law...and for a while that was a major interest. She very much resented the influence and acceptance that the group of professional crusaders, which she humorously called the "Apostles to the Guinea Pigs," had in the first attempts at revision. She kept close watch over all developments, and appeared at all Senate hearings on the Copeland Bill as an independent witness on behalf of the cosmetic industry. She did this on her own responsibility and at her own expense, and until this bill was passed, she continued to work closely with Senator Copeland. Her particular delight was in baiting the professional reformers, and Senator Copeland often tipped her off when one of them was going to address a meeting somewhere so that she could manage to attend and do some ladylike heckling. In the meantime although she continued writing and lecturing, she was mulling over what to do about advanced education. She wanted to find out where cosmetology belonged in the system of general education. After discouraging experiences at other institutions, she enrolled in the School of Education at New York University and took courses in anything that seemed to be appropriate. After two years plugging along as a student, she was given the opportunity to present the first college accredited course on cosmetics. This was in 1936 in the School of Education itself at New York University. Actually this course was introduced in answer to the demand from a group of teachers of cosmetology in public schools of the city. And so started another phase of her career. That first course, called "Cosmetic Hygiene," was a great success. Instead of the minimum of fifteen students which was required, the first group numbered sixty-nine. I remember that class well because I was in it mysetfi I also remember how entertaining as well as profitable, we all found it. An interesting thing about it, in the light of history, was that it gave us an epitome of Florence Wall's idea that "Beauty is an Ensemble," involving not only makeup and hairstyling but also weight control and good posture. For a good figure as a basis for correct line and color in dress, she studied massage and investigated every reducing salon, health club and exercise place. She worked with everyone from Ned Wayburn to Mensendieck. I went with her for a few weeks to what was innocently called the "limbering and stretching" class at Wayburn's. You should have seen us in our cute blue rompers, cavorting around, tearing ourselves apart!