72 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS of scientist, teacher, and human person whom society needs, whom universities strive to educate, and who appears much too infrequently for the good of the world. We are privileged to have this opportunity to do him honor. Sol GershonThe Professional Man RALPH W. PHILLIPS, The invitation to participate tonight in this appropriate tribute to Dr. Gershon was flattering. It seemed important and relevant to re- view the credentials of the past recipients of the Medalist Award, as the Society of Cosmetic Chemists has been on the periphery of my own pro- fessional associations and fields of activity. In so doing, I was impressed with one thread that seems to be common to the cloth of all of the previ- ous Medalists above and beyond their distinguishing honors and mem- bership in the learned societies. Although the educational background and major area of administration and research varied, it is apparent that these individuals are characterized by their wide range of interests and, more particularly, the interdisciplinary nature of their careers. For example, Dr. Emil Klarmann was an academician in both chemistry and physiology, and his research embraced organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and microbiology. Dr. Anthony Schwartz, while re- ceiving his formal training in organic chemistry and contributing to the literature in organic synthesis, today is also recognized as an authority in the field of high polymers and surface phenomena. The other Awardees follow this pattern. I suppose it could be argued that the very nature of cosmetic chemis- try must, a priori, embrace any number of disciplines. Such a rationale could, of course, be applied to most areas of science since modern tech- nology has reached a level of sophistication that demands communica- tion between scientists representing a vast array of disciplines. How- ever, it is not every investigator, or cosmetic chemist for that matter, who has desired and has attained proficiency in several divergent fields. * Professor, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Ind.

72 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS of scientist, teacher, and human person whom society needs, whom universities strive to educate, and who appears much too infrequently for the good of the world. We are privileged to have this opportunity to do him honor. Sol GershonThe Professional Man RALPH W. PHILLIPS, The invitation to participate tonight in this appropriate tribute to Dr. Gershon was flattering. It seemed important and relevant to re- view the credentials of the past recipients of the Medalist Award, as the Society of Cosmetic Chemists has been on the periphery of my own pro- fessional associations and fields of activity. In so doing, I was impressed with one thread that seems to be common to the cloth of all of the previ- ous Medalists above and beyond their distinguishing honors and mem- bership in the learned societies. Although the educational background and major area of administration and research varied, it is apparent that these individuals are characterized by their wide range of interests and, more particularly, the interdisciplinary nature of their careers. For example, Dr. Emil Klarmann was an academician in both chemistry and physiology, and his research embraced organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and microbiology. Dr. Anthony Schwartz, while re- ceiving his formal training in organic chemistry and contributing to the literature in organic synthesis, today is also recognized as an authority in the field of high polymers and surface phenomena. The other Awardees follow this pattern. I suppose it could be argued that the very nature of cosmetic chemis- try must, a priori, embrace any number of disciplines. Such a rationale could, of course, be applied to most areas of science since modern tech- nology has reached a level of sophistication that demands communica- tion between scientists representing a vast array of disciplines. How- ever, it is not every investigator, or cosmetic chemist for that matter, who has desired and has attained proficiency in several divergent fields. * Professor, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Ind.